Reuven Rivlin
צילום: דן בלילטי
Get in touch with reality
Israeli decision to boycott al-Jazeera ineffective, serves to boost Qatar-based network
Almost a year ago, officials at Prime Minister Ehud Olmert’s office decided that they don’t like the news coverage offered by the Israel Today daily. The magic solution they came up with: A boycott. Several months ago, we were told that Deputy Foreign Minister Majalli Whbee decided that “Israel,” no less, will boycott the al-Jazeera network. Meanwhile, the Government Press Office declared that it too will be boycotting the Qatar-based network in the wake of its festivities on the occasion of Samir Kuntar’s release. Is it just a coincidence, or are we seeing the emergence of a new technique?
Indeed, the manner in which al-Jazeera covers the Arab-Israeli conflict and the sympathetic platform it grants radical Islam are very difficult to digest for Israeli viewers. I admit that I too, as communication minister at the end of 2001, wanted to block al-Jazeera’s broadcasts in cable and satellite in the wake of the Bin Laden “speech parade” aired follwowing September 11, as well as the network’s unequivocal support for Palestinian terrorism.
However, experts explained to us the uselessness of this move. Back then already, it was possible to receive the broadcasts of thousands of satellite stations – in addition to al-Jazeera this included stations belonging to Hamas, Hizbullah, and others. Back then already, the Internet ridiculed any attempt to “block,” “disconnect” or impose any kind of censorships. If there was some kind of “global press office” whose decisions and moves would be effective on the international level, that’s one thing, yet when the only weapon in our hands is our own press office, a boycott doesn’t do a thing (and I say so regrettably) – in fact, it does the opposite.
In 2002, the cable company sought to stop airing CNN’s broadcasts due to financial considerations. This was at the height of the suicide bombing era, and the network’s broadcasts were characterized by empathy to Palestinian victims and particularly cool coverage of Israeli suffering. The rare opportunity to “punish” CNN by allowing the cable company to stop its broadcasts was tempting. Everyone realized this, and especially CNN. Its directors rushed to Israel, met with Israeli leaders and terror victims, and swore to change their attitude (the network indeed produced a special series later about Israel’s terror victims.) Yet to this day I do not know if I naively served as a pawn in what was strictly a business struggle.
Shooting ourselves in the foot
I learned the lesson and up until recently thought that all of us matured since then. This isn’t the place to discuss the change created by al-Jazeera throughout Arab society and the opportunity it grants even us, Israelis, to reach every living room in Riyadh, Cairo, or Beirut. Those who fail to understand it prove that they simply are unable to grasp the media reality in 2008.It is possible that the Communication Ministry or Foreign Ministry truly believe that it’s simply possible to boycott al-Jazeera, just like Olmert’s office thought it’s simply possible to boycott Israel Today. Yet after all, Olmert’s entire government is premised on some kind of magical belief that the virtual world it exists within is reality.
The problem is that when Olmert’s office conducts itself foolishly, it merely shoots itself in the foot. Yet when the Foreign Ministry or Government Press Office declare that “Israel decided to boycott al-Jazeera,” they shoot all of us in the foot.
Knesset Member Reuven Rivlin (Likud) served as Communication Minister in the years 2001-2003
