MONITORING ARAB AND PALESTINIAN MEDIA AND PROPAGANDA STRATEGIES:

ALARMING NEW EDITORIAL TECHNIQUES AND TOOLS TO BE USED BY ARABS AND PALESTINIANS AGAINST ISRAEL AND THE JEWS.

The Arab media and the Arab Palestinian Media Watch group are getting prolific and visibly aggressive in their editorial efforts and media campaigns against Israel and the Jewish people.

Palestinian youngsters and adults still throw rocks at Israeli tanks. Arab terrorists keep on kidnapping and murdering innocent foreigners. Arab governments influenced and monitored editors and journalists in the Arab world keep on telling lies and deceiving public opinion, etc., but, there is now, a new strategy and an innovative way, Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians are using to influence the opinion of the American public and foreign correspondents. Since November 2004, Arab-Activists strategic thinkers and media editors began to adopt and intensify new methods of propaganda to fight Judaism, the State of Israel and Jews worldwide.

THE ARAB PALESTINIAN WATCH GROUP, a radical Arab organization created for the sole purposes of preserving a strong solidarity with the Palestinians, the dissemination of Arab ideologies and fighting Israel through published material and direct rapport with American and foreign media Is the center stage and FACTORY of this “media product” and new conceptual strategic editorial propaganda to achieve those goals. The Arab Watch Group constantly reminds and urges all its members and supporters to show solidarity with the Palestinian People in the United States, to expose a Zionist conspiracy to destroy the image of the Jews and to characterize as "EVILS" the Jewish lobbyists in the United States. The thinkers and planners at the Watch Group found out that violence and terrorism are “not producing enough good results”. They came to believe that, using the media and the “Arab Intellect” could and would gain them public support in the United States.

Thus, The group began to provide the activists with strategic guidelines and instructions on how to reach the widest possible American audience, through letters, editorials, articles and exposes sent to American publishers and editors. Also, this fanatic group provided its members and recently recruited non-Palestinians members with elaborate literature and pamphlets on the so-called " the struggles and sufferings of the Palestinian people." Being fluent in Arabic, I was able to read and analyze the printed Palestinian material . It did amuse me a lot, but at the same time, it scared the hell out of me! Among the most distinctive aspects of this propaganda is THE checklist of “what to do” to influence the American public opinion.

The infamous and destructive list of what to do has been provided to supporters, activists and sympathizers through the website of the group. Some of the Palestinian and Arab proposed ideas and suggestions to influence the American media were well crafted, itemized and orderly listed on the site, accompanied by a case study and in-depth analyses. For instance, the site suggests to the members of the Watch Group to call local papers editorial boards and establish a friendly rapport with executive editors and local reporters. Here is an excerpt from the instructions posted on the site. It goes like this: “A strong showing on our part is crucial. We need to communicate to the US media that in spite of the propaganda and the muzzling, support for Palestinian rights is strong and healthy. An intensive media campaign has been strategically crafted by Arab activists in major United States cities, channeled through the main office of the group. Periodical meetings are scheduled and editorial training and orientation programs are weekly offered in various regions of the United States."

Some of their most tenacious efforts can be summarized in:

1-THE DISTRIBUTION OF “EDUCATIONAL” MATERIALS: The site which was exclusively created for that purpose is recruiting Arabs, Muslims and Palestinians to go to the local malls and distribute flyers called “What Uncle Sam Gives to Israel”. Those flyers, according to Palestinian propagandists highlight the "unjust" U.S. military support for Israel’s occupation. The flyers contained suggestions on how to end the American support. The flyers also included room and forum chats addresses and links, as well as, support groups contacts information for local base-building purposes. The editor and webmaster of the site invited the sympathizers to download various flyers, especially those that were designed to serve these purposes. Flyers are listed under the headline “End the Occupation of the Israelis”.

2- COLLECTING SIGNATURES ON A PETITION TO PRESIDENT BUSH: The flyers give instructions to Arabs of all ages on how to become effective in ‘reaching out to the American communities, politicians and president Bush.” The flyers included the following guidelines: “While you are at the mall distributing educational material, you can also gather signatures for a petition that will be sent to president Bush urging him to support freedom and democracy by ending support for Israel’s illegal military occupation of the Palestinian West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem.”

3-SPONSORING AN EDUCATIONAL EVENT: The flyers tell the activists to hold a teach-in, to protest, to screen movies and to convene a town hall meeting to discuss U.S. support for Israel’s illegal military occupation.

4-WEAR AN ARMBAND: The pamphlets instruct the activists to wear a black armband to mourn the loss of life caused by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

5-LET OTHERS KNOW WHAT YOU’RE DOING: The guidelines instruct them to post Arab events on the US Campaign’s on-line calendar by regularly visiting the site.

6-PLEDGING TO MAKE ONE CALL A WEEK: The site posted this announcement: “Can you spare five minutes of your time per week to push for better media coverage of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict? Are you willing to join us in our push to press for media coverage that is informative, humane, intelligent(sic) -- i.e., coverage that respects the basic rules of journalism? If so, please pledge to call at least once per week a media outlet of your choice on a story of your choice. Enter your email address below and click send.”

7-MONITORING THE AMERICAN AND ISRAELI MEDIA: Activists were instructed to diligently monitor the Israeli and American press. To collect information and data and publish their findings, along with analyses and commentaries. (Yes!, they are getting intellectual and analytical too!)

8-GET PUBLISHED: The Arab Watch Group advises the activists “to reach out for influential newspapers.” To personally contact the Editor-in-Chief of the paper. To establish a friendly rapport with the reporters. Of course, their favorite paper is the New York Times. Here is an excerpt from their most recent instructions on how to write a good article against Israel.

9-WRITING A GOOD ARTICLE AGAINST ISRAEL: The editorial of the website included this: “In our last Media Matters, we explained what an op-ed article is and how it differs from editorials and letters to the editor. Read intense article about the atrocities of the Israelis. The New York Times is your very best place for your articles and letters. Try to receive and send as many as possible (hundreds if possible) manuscripts and articles a day. Local papers receive far fewer. If your article is about a national Arab issue, you still may want to try local papers. Here are tips on how to increase the chances that an editor will select your article against Israel. First, have something topical to say.

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