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Freedom of expression and dissenting
views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
The reality is that complete freedom of information and freedom of
speech among Israelis and Jews allows for the widest array of views
to be presented, whereas virtually total control over information
to most residents of Arab and Muslim states, coupled with extreme
sanctions for expressing dissenting views, makes any realistic comparison
impossible.
The media tends to emphasize dissenting rather than mainstream views.
Many Jewish organizations in the US, anxious to hear the widest range
of views, welcomed the dissenters and gave them a full hearing. The
American and European media have made a habit of presenting the views
of articulate Israelis who tend to be quite critical of current Israeli
policies.
The explanation given for this phenomenon by Alan Dershowitz, one
of America’s most distinguished lawyers, is that many Israelis
are so anxious to make peace that some are willing to distort and
deny clear facts, as history and facts seem to make it more difficult
to make peace. Many peace advocates are so willing to accept revisionist,
and often false, historical accounts that produce a more “even-handed”
narrative of the past, because they believe that such a narrative
is more conducive to peace.
There has always been a small element within the Jewish community
that has been hypocritical of everything associated with Judaism,
Jews, or the Jewish state. There are also Jews that feel some embarrassment
from Israel’s growing unpopularity among the radical left, and
they want to be liked by those whose politics they support on other
issues. Accordingly, they tend to distance themselves from Israel
and often support the Palestinian side without much thought about
the merits of the case. Opposing Israel and supporting the Palestinians
is, for some Jews, a way of establishing their left-wing credentials
and proving that their political correctness trumps any ethnic solidarity.
A related phenomenon has seen some Jews, especially in Europe, abandoning
their support of Israel because of fear of violence.
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