Why Isn't This News?

Why Isn't This News? U.S. Rabbis Call for Gaza Cease-Fire


http://www.huffingt onpost.com/ dave-belden/ why-isnt- this-news- us-rab_b_ 158019.html
Dave Belden
Managing Editor, Tikkun Magazine
Posted January 14, 2009 | 07:25 PM (EST)

Today on page 17 of the NY Times, a group of prominent liberal rabbis
and other religious and cultural leaders called for a cease-fire in
Gaza. They were backed by over 2,800 American citizens. Because they
could not get their opinion presented in the major media they had to
buy this full page ad. Haaretz considered it news. So far no U.S.
media have considered it news. Why not? This is a great puzzle to me.
I hope you will consider it news and will pass the ad around, sign it,
even contribute if you can so it can be put in more places.

This is a story about Gaza but also about the way that liberal Jewish
voices (shared by many other interfaith and secular people) are being
shut out of the US media. No American rabbi has a longer or more
substantial track record as a liberal on Israel/Palestine than Rabbi
Michael Lerner, who convened the group and raised the money for the ad
from 1200 people, mostly in small donations (he started Tikkun
magazine 23 years ago as a counter to Commentary and the Jewish
right), but he could not get his views into any oped pages of major
newspapers despite valiant efforts since the Gaza invasion. He did
however have this in the Times of London.

The text of the ad as it appeared in the NY Times can be read here in
a downloadable pdf. Our press release is below. Haaretz reported the
ad's appearance here, though strange to say half the article has gone
missing (AIPAC-friendly saboteur on the Haaretz website?) but we
haven't seen any mention yet in the US press. You can sign it here.

Press Release:

Rabbis and other religious, cultural and community leaders, heading an
interfaith list of 2800 people, will call for an immediate Cease-Fire
in Gaza and an international conference to provide international
pressure to facilitate a lasting and just settlement for all parties,
in the New York Times, Wednesday, January 14, 2009.

"We have had to buy space in the New York Times to make this call
because the major national newspapers will not give room for this
perspective, " says Rabbi Michael Lerner, Editor of Tikkun magazine,
who convened the group. He is joined by Sister Joan Chittister, and
Professor Cornel West, Co-chairs with Lerner of the Network of
Spiritual Progressives (NSP), and over 2,800 others, including Rabbi
Brian Walt (North American Chair of Rabbis for Human Rights), Rabbi
Arthur Waskow (chair of the Shalom Center), Rabbi David Shneyer (past
president of the Rabbinic organization Ohalah), Rabbi Mordecai
Leibling and other rabbis, writers such as Ariel Dorfman, Annie
Lamott, Deepak Chopra and Fritjof Capra, movie director Jonathan
Demme, Richard Falk (the UN representative on Human Rights in
Palestine), Christian ministers, academics and activists.

"The essential difference between our point of view, which is
widespread but underreported, and the opinions being presented in the
mainstream media," said Rabbi Lerner, "is that we believe it is
unrealistic to expect violent and hardline tactics, however well
justified by the other side's violence, to build the psychological
grounds for peace. Each side has to learn empathy for the wounds
suffered by the other side, and has to practice generosity in
promoting peace, the basic conditions for which are already known and
are laid out in our statement. We are appealing to president-elect
Obama to lead the international community in applying significant
pressure to both sides to accept a mutually generous approach, whether
each side feels that generosity yet or not. We spell out the terms of
a lasting settlement in the New York Times ad. Given the political
clout of the Israel Lobby in the U.S., as manifested in the one-sided
coverage that has made invisible Jewish opposition in Israel and the
U.S. to Israel's war in Gaza, it is unlikely that President Obama
would be able to muster significant pressure on Israel to accept a
settlement that would be just to the Palestinian people (and hence
would last). For that reason, we are urging him to convene an
International Conference in which other countries could play an
important role in pushing both sides to make significant compromises
for peace."

That's because they are so busy with the miracle on the Hudson.

Don't get me wrong, it was an interesting story and I'm glad no one got hurt any worse than they did. And many kudos are deserved by the pilot and everyone concerned. But come on! It aint like they flew the thing into a building. I've made up my mind, the media is biased. They cover what will get them the best ratings and that's it. They call their talk shows "fair and balanced" But it's always three conservatives ganging up on one liberal, or three liberals ganging up on one conservative. Oh and lets not forget the excuse soooo often given, "We invited so and so to share their side but they declined.". Out of all the people in the cities they tape this stuff in, they couldn't find somebody that had a similar point of view as the turkey that supposedly declined? Please.

Basically, I got to tell ya, no matter what newspaper or other form of media you choose. You will be just as well off to buy the grocery rag with batboy eaten by bigfoot on the cover. I surprised they would even run the ad, but I'm guessing it's hard times at the NY Times.

I'm with you on that one man, that was news, maybe not front page stuff. But it's a story that deserves to be told and it's sadly over looked.

Ok, got the rant out of me, should be good for a few days.

That was very emotional.

Thanks,

Your link is broken but if anyone wants to see the article in full, here is the fixed link.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dave-belden/why-isnt-this-news-us-rab_b_158019.html

The full pge ad.
http://www.spiritualprogressives.org/~nsp001/Tikkun_ad_CeaseFire_version_TWO.pdf

All this makes me angry. New blog. No comment. Must not comment. Trying. I want to comment.

howdy wrote:All this makes me angry. New blog. No comment. Must not comment. Trying. I want to comment.

I don't understand??
Why can't you comment?

Myabe he feels too empassioned about it, and feels that writing while in that mindset many not be the best thing?

Just a guess...

I have to agree with the carolina hound, the news and media of all forms have been, are and will always be biased. They are not really interested in the truth but rather what will sell more papers or get better tv ratings.

Old Timer wrote:I have to agree with the carolina hound, the news and media of all forms have been, are and will always be biased. They are not really interested in the truth but rather what will sell more papers or get better tv ratings.

Would the 'truth' not appeal to those that buy the newspapers?

Just a thought...

The Ghost Of Yeah Well Fi wrote:

Old Timer wrote:I have to agree with the carolina hound, the news and media of all forms have been, are and will always be biased. They are not really interested in the truth but rather what will sell more papers or get better tv ratings.

Would the 'truth' not appeal to those that buy the newspapers?

Just a thought...

A lot of times the "truth" wont do I guess, everything has to be sensationalized and tabloid journalism seems to be more popular by the day. The way they choose some of the most mundane stories to cover for weeks and months at a time(Caylee Anthony, Scott Peterson, etc.), drives me nuts, but I guess the ratings dont lie.

The newspaper business is going down the tubes, some of America's biggest newspapers will be going to only publishing a "paper" 3 days a week in the coming months. The internet is killing them.

Times change, I suppose.

The net was always going to make print media somewhat redundant.

Might be a good thing?

The Ghost Of Yeah Well Fi wrote:Times change, I suppose.

The net was always going to make print media somewhat redundant.

Might be a good thing?

Might be a good thing, my job is pretty boring if nothing breaks down and I spend most of my day reading newspapers so I hope all of them dont die.

But I do love just having all sorts of news at my fingertips when Im at home and I havent been subscribing to my local newspaper for 3 years now, I just buy one at a stand if I want it.

Its kind of sad but it is inevitable.

I only get our small local rag here in Jackson. Since I got this puter here I don't need the papers.

luciano wrote:

The Ghost Of Yeah Well Fi wrote:

Old Timer wrote:I have to agree with the carolina hound, the news and media of all forms have been, are and will always be biased. They are not really interested in the truth but rather what will sell more papers or get better tv ratings.

Would the 'truth' not appeal to those that buy the newspapers?

Just a thought...

A lot of times the "truth" wont do I guess, everything has to be sensationalized and tabloid journalism seems to be more popular by the day. The way they choose some of the most mundane stories to cover for weeks and months at a time(Caylee Anthony, Scott Peterson, etc.), drives me nuts, but I guess the ratings dont lie.

The newspaper business is going down the tubes, some of America's biggest newspapers will be going to only publishing a "paper" 3 days a week in the coming months. The internet is killing them.

I agree, truth has very little to do with anything these days, its what is popular to believe in, whats gets the most play in the media. Take for instance breast cancer, while a worthy cause, it is not the number one leading cause of death amoung women, yet it gets the most play in the media.

Advertising has taken a real hit in the printed media. This will continue, as far as I am concerned.

Hey, Terry, nice pic there, with the baby.

The Ghost Of Yeah Well Fi wrote:Advertising has taken a real hit in the printed media. This will continue, as far as I am concerned.

Hey, Terry, nice pic there, with the baby.

Thanks Steve, I feel like everyone here are friends, so I gave a real picture. The baby is my first grandchild, Ethan. I know have two more and one due this month. Wow Iam getting old. But thanks Steve