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October 27, 2009 Reporters Without Borders: Bordering on Insanity?By Michael A. BennettThe Eurocentric George Soros-funded Reporters Without Borders recently published its 2009 Press Freedom Index. In yet another classic example of European chutzpah, where propagandists pose as journalists and Saudi petrodollars fuel the anti-Jewish bandwagon, Reporters Without Reporters decided to punish Israel for its defensive operation in Gaza last winter. In a short three paragraph essay titled "Israel: Operation Media Crackdown," Israel is bashed by the French organization for restricting media coverage of the conflict:
To hold Israel's press freedom conditional on war is inconsistent with the standard rubric RWB applies to other sovereign democracies. Prior to the 2003 invasion of Iraq, MI6 planted misinformation throughout the media to drive support for the war. During the conflict, both the United States and the coalition forces carefully controlled the flow of information, preventing journalists who did not meet the "requirements" from gaining access. Yet in spite of these actions, Reporters Without Borders did not adjust the Press Freedom Index of the states involved. Even more revealing, Reporters Without Borders confirmed their relationship with the not-so-Israel-friendly State Department. Considering the lack of media objectivity, it is suspect why Reporters Without Borders asserts journalists were injured and killed by the IDF. Context is key, but this only proves everything that happens in Israel's wars will mostly be blamed on Israel, even when there is a claimed absence in media rights. In the final report, RWB puts the media freedom of several questionable states ahead of Israel. Italy, where media is practically owned entirely by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, is ranked higher than Israel. Liberia, still recovering from a civil war, having yet to develop a fully-functioning government, is ranked higher than Israel. Lebanon, a Syrian satellite state and dominated by Hezbollah terrorists, is ranked higher than Israel. The tightly-controlled media in the Muslim states of Kuwait and United Arab Emirates are ranked higher than Israel. The Muslim dictatorship of Qatar is only one spot below the Jews, at #94. What is most distressing is none of these countries are actively fighting wars on their own soil. It is unrealistic and unfair to compare nations in a perpetual state of conflict to states that live a thousand miles away from their nearest enemy. It seems Reporters Without Borders has a history of dubiously moving Israel up and down the ladder. As evidence of foul play, let's take a look at ranking in the past 8 years: 2002 - #92 2003 - #44 2004 - #37 2005 - #47 2006 - #50 2007 - #44 2008 - #46 2009 - #93 2003-2008 ranking are consistent with reality, yet 2002 and 2009 plummet for reasons seemingly unknown. However, those familiar with the media in Israel should know instantly. The year 2002 featured Operation Defensive Shield, notorious for the Jenin Massacre hoax. Organizations such as Amnesty International and the mainstream media carried the story of a team of Israeli commandos gunning down innocent Palestinians in cold-blood. Vivid testimony carried by prestigious papers like the New York Times and the Guardian confirmed the story. When the "Jenin massacre" was exposed as another failed attempt by Pallywood, no apology was given or any meaningful recognition of the widespread gross violation of journalistic integrity. RWB obviously did not like seeing the media appear so biased so they decide to save face by slandering Israel's press freedom. In 2006, the media had a field day with the second Lebanon War. Stories of massacres, point-blank executions, deliberately bombing playgrounds, ambulances, and United Nations buildings permeated throughout world without the slightest bit of objectivity. Reporters were allowed to broadcast news directly from the Israeli artillery positions. Many stories were pursued and found to be embellished or outright invented, but the damage had already been done. RWB was satisfied with the farce and had no need to fix up the press freedom rankings. Fortunately, by round three of war the Israeli military realized the damage the media was doing to the lives of soldiers and well-being of citizens. A carefully crafted campaign of containing the flow of information for the early-defensive portion of Operation Cast Lead was implemented. The liberal media balked, gasping at the idea of Israel justly reacting to the abusive world press. When people distort history, manufacture truth and invent facts on the ground to create an alternative reality, it is not sinister to try to curb the capacity for journalists to doctor photos and movies to shame the young and brave soldiers defending the Jewish state. From the military perspective of legendary commander Richard Kemp, it is clear Israel values the lives of its citizens far more than the opinions of BBC and the Guardian, and would much rather be boycotted, libeled, and slandered in the United Nations than let its people be murdered for propaganda purposes. The reality is that world media, especially outlets based in Britain and France, have created an atmosphere of intolerance. Whenever conflict brews in the holy land, anti-Semitic attacks skyrocket all across the Jewish graveyard of Europe. Synagogues being torched in London, mobs of angry German Muslims storming Jewish neighbors over Israeli flags, assaults on rabbis, yeshiva students, etc. It is morally indefensible for such a "progressives" to behave this way, and no doubt European media plays a critical role in toeing the unapologetic anti-Jewish narrative. As an organ of European moral elitism, Reporters Without Borders merely confirms the insincerity and willingness to justify the righteously pro-Arab media regardless of consequences. Now, will Reporters Without Borders consider Obama's intimidation of American independent media in their next Press Freedom Index? Don't cross your fingers. Michael A. Bennett is a high school senior in Southern California.
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