News Media and Shaping Perceptions: An alternative view of the Israel-Palestine Issue

A lot of expat bloggers criticize the Korean news media, myself included, and some of us also criticize English news media--but more often we accept our home countries news as 'truth' and question foreign news media without hesitation . . . I will say that often, especially in the case of the Korea Times, it is warranted. I think what I'm trying to point out is the lack of critical discourse on blogs about western English news media . . . and the more sophisticated methods used in the productions of truth and perspectives that take place . . .

After having read a fair amount of writings by Homi Bhabha and Edward Said as part of my studies in English literary theory, and for my own personal interests, I often find it interesting to see how one-sided English western media is (especially in North America) about what goes on between Israel and Palestine . . .

Anyways, here's a thought provoking article I saw today online.

Israel is committing a holocaust in Gaza: Norman Finkelstein
By Selcuk Gultasli

BRUSSELS -- According to Finkelstein, Israel, a state built on the ashes of the Holocaust, is now committing a holocaust against Palestinians in Gaza. In a telephone interview with Today’s Zaman, Finkelstein said Israel was a “terrorist state” created by the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in 1948. Praising Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and the Turkish people for their courage in supporting Palestinians, Finkelstein referred to Israel as a “satanic” and “lunatic” state. Finkelstein’s parents survived the Nazi camps in World War II and then immigrated to the U.S.

After his book “The Holocaust Industry,” in which he accused many prominent Jewish leaders of abusing the victims of the Holocaust, was published, Finkelstein was almost declared persona non grata by America’s influential Zionist circles.

The rest of the article/interview can be found by clicking on the link/title.

It's interesting to me that I rarely to almost never read any English media online that is printed by countries outside of North America (the interview above comes from an Iranian news website). I think that if I did the contrasting views that I'd expose myself to when reading news articles about the same issue/event might help me to diversity and further improve my own reading and critical thinking skills--something to think about.

J