Amir Ofek of the Israeli embassy said that with regards to the anti-Israel Western media, The Promise is "worse than anything I've seen" and has "created a new category of hostility towards Israel".
I would go further, and say that of anything I've ever read or seen, The Promise is the most antisemitic and antisemitic-inducing of all. Whatever comes out of the Arab media is only to be expected and I haven't seen any Nazi propaganda films, but for Western media standards, The Promise is pretty shocking, and I am not easily shocked.
We meet a lot of Jews and Israelis in The Promise, and pretty much all of them are evil or portrayed as evil, barring the self-hating lefty Israeli brother, whose Christian-Arab terrorist-turned-"peace"-activist friend is, for a Christian, surprisingly hostile to Israel. Also I didn't know that the Al Aqsa Martyrs employed Christians, I thought it was just an Islamic thing.
Anyway Channel 4 defended The Promise saying that the characters
"'consistently and sympathetically present a contemporary Israeli perspective' and the Holocaust was 'powerfully evoked' to explain the longing for a Jewish homeland... 'Nobody escapes scrutiny in this film; different parts of the story reflect well and badly on the Palestinians, the Israelis and the British'."
Uh, really? Let's first count the ways the Israelis are reflected well:
1. Jews died and suffered in the Holocaust.
A round of applause for The Promise and Channel 4 for not being Holocaust deniers (even though Channel 4 have given a platform to Ahmadinejad The Holocaust Denier).
2. Some Israelis (namely Lefty Israeli Brother) hate Israel, which makes them good and peace loving, even though they think Israeli civilians deserve to be blown up by Palestinian suicide bombers.
Ok, now let's count the way the Palestinians are reflected badly (because the ways they're reflected well are too many to count):
1.
Yeah, there are none. There was a Palestinian suicide bombing which was just because, according to the self-hating brother "they can't make their point any other way" - but it definitely wasn't animalistic, as the 'Racist' Israeli Mother called it - and even though suicide bombings decreased by over 90% after the security fence was built, this fact is ignored in The Promise, and the fence is cited as having nothing to do with preventing terrorism; instead it is just to humiliate the Palestinians, so really the suicide bombings are the Israelis' own fault.
Despite this, Christina Patterson of the Independent (who has an issue with Jews) calls The Promise "extremely balanced".
The programme according to which typical Israeli children scream and throw stones at Palestinian girls whilst Israeli soldiers watch. In The Promise, Palestinians don't do these things, but they are "held and humiliated for the hell of it" by the IDF, not because Palestinians have ever been known to be violent towards Israelis or anything like that.
Patterson of course ignores Jewish history and links to Israel and sees the Holocaust as the only reason Jews wanted Israel as a homeland. She then ignores all the Palestinian persecution of Jews and pogroms against them before the Holocaust and claims that "you can see why their [the Palestinians'] sympathy for their newish neighbours might have worn a bit thin". Sympathy 'worn a bit thin' possibly being the biggest understatement ever made on Palestinian terrorism.
Patterson then seems to equate Palestinian terrorists with settlers and thinks that all that needs to be done for peace is for Israel to acknowledge "what Arabs around the world are reminding us: that there comes a time when bullying backfires."
Can Christina Patterson do simple maths?
If security fence = 90% decrease in suicide bombings
and giving away land (i.e. Gaza) = increased rockets on Israeli towns,
then what the hell is she talking about?
Posts
I don't really know and I don't really care.
ReplyDeleteA biased anti-Israel program is not going to enlighten me and its not going to give me a balanced perspective on Israel.
As always, regardless of what the MSM says, there are two sides to the story.
The simple fact is that Israel should never have been born and that is the fault of the USA and the UK. Israel was born out of denying others their own homeland is never going to be acceptable no matter how badly treated the Jews had been. Two wrongs do not make a right. BUT it has been created and is now a fact of life and the Arabs will have to deal with that. However the Israelis should stop all settlements in the west bank now, don't they know 'when in a hole stop digging' They should accept 2 things; occupied land needs to be given back at sometime when security conditions allow it. The Holocaust is over and anybody that is Jewish should not be given a automatic right to become Israeli. How can a US Jew argue that they need a safe haven from oppression because if the USA stopped supporting Israel and became anti semetic how long would Israel last? Argueing that Jews have a special dispensation to live in Israel is like every Roman Catholic should be able to live in Italy
ReplyDeleteJust wait until you see Part 4; they waited until the very end to completely demonize Israel. The narrative is Ahmadinejad's version of history.
ReplyDeleteWhat was factually incorrect in part 4? The Jews ethnically cleansed as many areas as they could before the Arab armies attacked not after. In Hebron the Israeli army does allow settlers to intimidate Arabs so they can take over their houses and in Gaza they do bulldoze houses of suicide bombers. Retaliation does not achieve anything we understand that from Northern Ireland sometime in the future if Israel wants peace it will have to see why people are willing to commit murder and kill themselves doing it. That means stiing down with the Palestinian equivalent of Martin McGuinees
ReplyDeleteJust finished watching the last episode. I thank you for writing your articles, it helps repair the hole that propaganda tore in me. This will not have an effect on me in the long run but I am truly concerned that there are a lot of impressionable people who will have watched this, and in a time of increasing antisemitism, this is the worst thing to be broadcast.
ReplyDeleteThe 5 minutes of holocaust footage at the start and the remaining 6/7 hours of palestinian "oppression" does not by an reckoning produce a "balanced" view of the situation, so I struggle to agree with Channel 4's ludicrous justification for its broadcast.
With a list of countries with increasing antisemitism (notably including Germany), it is suprising that it hasn't even taken a century for the lid to start coming off of the jar of everpresent, festering antisemitism in the world.
Am Isroel Chai, for as long as G-d wills it so.
"Israel was born out of denying others their own homeland".
ReplyDeleteNo it wasn't. It was born because of the Jews' realisation that not only should we want to live in Israel because of the thousands' year old history there, but that we do need it as well.
Forget Erin tracing her grandfather's steps, why don't you read the Torah and then go and see where the Jews' forefathers and mothers from thousands of years ago are buried in Israel? I presume you would then try to argue that no, the Jews' forefathers and mothers are actually buried in the "occupied territories"!
"Argueing that Jews have a special dispensation to live in Israel is like every Roman Catholic should be able to live in Italy"
ReplyDeleteand what exactly is stopping a Roman Catholic from living in Italy?
^ That was @ Mick Tagg obviously, btw I just added in my post that I haven't yet seen part 4 but I will address it when I have.
ReplyDeleteLevin thanks for your comment, I share your concern that people will be influenced by this. And I might have been one of them, as I said in a comment on my previous post, it's only thanks to The Promise that I've had to step up my research on the whole subject!
Ask a soldier who served in Palestine if the programme is unbalenced! It is based on historical fact - There was a massacre of an entire arab village . The two intelligence corps sergeants were hung . One of their bodies was booby trapped - i could go on ...... Anti Israeli is not the same as being anti semetic!
ReplyDeleteAs a citizen of the EU yes anyone can live in Italy but if you are from another country then EU immigration laws apply which means if you are a None EU citizen and a Roman Catholic you would not automatically qualify to live in Italy never mind just intimidating for aguements sake a Italian Jew out of his home so a none Italian Roman Catholic can live there. Now dont you see why Zionist none Israeli born settlers are an abhorrence.
ReplyDeleteRegarding Jews having a right to land of 'Palestine' because they lived there 1000 of years ago is fatuos, As I said previously Israel is a fact of life now and the Arabs have got to come to terms with it. However in this day and age we must stop making matters worse by expanding Israeli occupation futher that its agreed international border i.e. Prior to 1967, The occupied territories should first be cleared of every Israeli settlement, The security wall should stay until Israel security is realised, this would give far more physical security than what is currently the case. The land should then eventually handed back to the Palestinians but only when peace has been established and lasting
ReplyDelete"However in this day and age we must stop making matters worse by expanding Israeli occupation futher that its agreed international border i.e. Prior to 1967, The occupied territories should first be cleared of every Israeli settlement"
ReplyDeleteSo 350,000 Jews should be cleansed from their homes - homes they have been living in for 5 generations - to create a Jew-free Arab state?
Nevermind the fact that Jews lived in the WB prior to 1948. Or the 1967 war never ended with "internationally recognized borders." The PNA have yet to declare what borders constitute Palestine. IT was all carbed arbitarily from British.
Anyways, the Arabs stole a land four times the size of Israel that belonged to Jews and flooded the lands with Arab settlers?
What about that? What about the Euros that live on Jewish land they stole?
Double standard much?
kudos to the owner of this blog for allowing ignorant people to post here.
ReplyDeletewhy is kominsky's opus dangerous....because so many in cultured britain, are ignorant of their own history and the history of british colonialism.
so when is peter gonna make his opus on the american revolution, that shows the brits as a benign occupation force, and the nascent americans as brutal monsters?
cuz gosh...those brits were heroes too...just like the nazi brits who occupied british mandate palestine.
bacci40 I try to allow that whole "freedom of speech" thing, even though it is so frustrating trying to argue with some people who have no logic and don't even seem to have read the blog post they're commenting on!
ReplyDeleteIn general I just delete comments that are pointless and/or abusive. My life would be easier if I delete the comments that lie but I think it's better to counter the lies than ignore them.
i gave you kudos for a reason
ReplyDeletewriters of the far left, anti israel, jew hating blogs make sure the other side is never read
its good to see the other side...and how their arguments fall apart
saw a very good review on the promise that pointed out something very interesting.
erin has epilepsy....why? well, at first, i thought it was a cheap trick to make her character more sympathetic...then kominsky shows her grandfather having a fit...so there was another tie to her gramps (never mind that an epileptic would never have been allowed to serve, and its highly unlikely it wouldve surfaced so late in life)
but this blog owner pointed out that the only time she had seizures...was when she was around jews
first in the club (where no one helps her, just laffs at her)
second...when confronted by her hosts
third...in part four where she is protecting the arab woman from the big bad idf who is destroying her home.
subliminal message....jews make people sick...they are vermin carrying diseases
not sure if you saw his post series chat, but kominsky, after being vague for almost a year, concerning his sources, admitted that for sources on israel, he interviewed members of breaking the silence, that soldiers in peace (i think that was the name of the group he showed in the second epi) as well as other left wing individuals....he said he also watched docs...but never said which ones
he never spoke to former members of the irgun, haganah or stern gang (the latter two who never make an appearance during his program), never spoke to other members or former members of the idf, or non leftists
the program was never meant to be balanced, and i would have more respect for him were he honest about it.
The world made a valid judgement after WW1 that conquering lands and colonising them by the victors this was the basis of the League of Nations, sure this was rough justice prior to that cataclysmic event. Anyone who has settled in the west bank since 1967 by international law should not be there, they all new prior to going there it is disputed territory, And as for arguements who owns what land you have to start somewhere I seriously doudt that any American Jew can trace lineage back to palestine of over a 1000 years ago. You have to draw a line somewhere or the Native Americans would be taking over Manahattan or the Aboriginese Sydney. Both of which had exclusively lived there long after the Jews were driven out of Palestine so there call would be more justified as they probably can genetically prove their ancestry much better than a European Jew. Do you think taht is practicle. The West Bank Jewish settlers have colonised and ethnically cleaned these areas in living memory which todays international standards is not acceptable. This is not Anti Semitic it is Anti Fascist. What makes you so different from a German Nazi family taking over the property of a German Jewish family. I cannot for the life in me believe that anyone who had the Holocaust perpetrated against them can see this is right. My Father fought the Nazis as a Britis Special Services soldier and ended up in a Nazi Labour camp, His Brother died in Bomber Command attacking Nazi's, And I have seen first hand in Bosnia 'ethnic cleansing' of other Muslims. All you do is help the Islamic Fascists cause which we then all have to suffer the consequences. Is it realy Zionism is the reverse side of the coin to Islamic Fundamentalism? 'A plague on both your houses'
ReplyDeleteSorry about the typo "... colonising them by the victors" was not acceptable....
ReplyDelete"Anyone who has settled in the west bank since 1967 by international law should not be ther"
ReplyDeleteThere is nothing unique about the year 1967. Nothing changed between 1948 and 1967.
Jews lived in the "West Bank" for hundreds of years until it was invaded and illegally annexed (yes annexed, by Jordan) and flooded with Arab settlers from the infant state of Jordan, again another British creation cut from what the left likes to call "Palestine."
We can debate the legality of the settlements, but realpolitik suggests it would is a failed argument to move 350,000 jews out of their homes to create an Arab free state.
That is precisely what the Palestinians are advocating for, and it is racist. Jews cannot live in the WB but Arabs cannot?
What? This is what the Nazis did - created a Jew-free Europe. Now Europeans enjoy the fact that most of the Jews have been eradicated, and so they think they have the experience and right to tell Jews where to live in the Middle East.
Mind your own damn business I say.
But Arabs can*********
ReplyDeletemr tagg
ReplyDeleteyou are not only not an expert on international law....but a bigot and a racist
international law says nothing about individuals moving to or residing in occupied territories...it says that groups of people cannot be forced to reside there...or moved en masse to reside there.
what you are suggesting is ethnic cleansing....which makes you a war criminal
you need to turn yourself over to the hague immediately
btw...were you aware that the potsdam conference gave the ok for the czechs to ethnically cleanse themselves of 500,000 ethnic germans?
so there goes another one of your idiotic arguments
You can argue the wrongs and rights of settlers giving up the current settlements but you must agree it must stop somewhere? or how can you possibly get a peace a settlement. I do presume you want one? You must be able to perceive the settlements are a contentious issue. Is it realy you just dont care what the Palestinians want as long as you get what you want? Then I am returning to my previous statements that Zionist are no better than Islamic fundamentalists. If that is the case from my point of view what makes Israel so different from Iran? I realy would like to think Israelis are better than that
ReplyDelete"You can argue the wrongs and rights of settlers giving up the current settlements but you must agree it must stop somewhere? or how can you possibly get a peace a settlement. I do presume you want one? You must be able to perceive the settlements are a contentious issue. Is it realy you just dont care what the Palestinians want as long as you get what you want"
ReplyDeleteNo one denies the settlements are an element of the peace process, but their presence is merely used as a lightening rod to stall talks.
Israel evacuated from Gaza unilaterally without similar concessions and look what happened. And look how many Palestinians were killed when Hamas filled the vacuum.
Which do you prefer? Settlements or Hamas?
I must rather Jewish housing continue than deal with another terrorist group launching rockets at Israel.
Perhaps you don't.
You are absolutely right about Gaza and Hamas is using it as a place to launch rockets, but how can building more settlements in the west bank help that, the more settlements you have the more reason they have to attack them. If you followed the same policy you did in Gaza it would legitimise your position and Hamas would find it more difficult to recruit and would be marginalised
ReplyDelete"You are absolutely right about Gaza and Hamas is using it as a place to launch rockets, but how can building more settlements in the west bank help that, the more settlements you have the more reason they have to attack them"
ReplyDeleteYou just agreed with me, thanks. The settlements act as a buffer, and they provide homes for Jews and jobs for Palestinians.
They did not in any way shape or form pose a threat to a Palestinian nation.
A future Palestinian state, even assuming all the Jewish settlements, would have a 15% Jewish minority.
Israel is almost 20% Arab.
Sounds fair to me no?
No it isn't fair the number of Jews in Isreal is 7.5 Million, there are 30% of these who are immigrants not born in Israel, 20% are from developed democracies UK,USA,EU etc. all of which are under no threat or persecution. Since 1946 the population of Jews was 600,000. The land that the 'new 7,000,000' had to come from somewhere and that was previously owned by natural born 'Palestinians' Arab or Jewish. So a major displacement of people has been continuos for the last 60 years. By contrast the UK has approximarely 8.3% none UK born residents (which is a contentious issue here!!). The 'new' settlements dont act as a buffer they act as a target and in the case of the Palestinians a justifiable one If you cant see that building more settlements on more disputed ground for more non born Israelis is just going to make matters worse then I feel my original point about the narrow single mindedness of Zionists is exactly the same as any other fundamental doctrine. There is no room for for other peoples aspirations and the conflict will continue. I will not be posting any other points as it seems pointless, and because of that the vindication that The Promise was a fair representation is upheld
ReplyDelete@ Mick
ReplyDelete"No it isn't fair the number of Jews in Isreal is 7.5 Million, there are 30% of these who are immigrants not born in Israel, 20% are from developed democracies UK,USA,EU etc. all of which are under no threat or persecution. Since 1946 the population of Jews was 600,000. The land that the 'new 7,000,000' had to come from somewhere and that was previously owned by natural "
The vast majority of Israel's population are decedents of those displaced from Muslim lands, and the overwhelming majority of Jews are NATIVE BORN (70%).
20% emigrated from America/Europe. So what?
Please read a book on land and immigration laws. Israel is a sovereign state, the West Bank is not "Palestinian" (not yet at least) nor has any Palestinian government declare specific borders or an official capital.
Go ahead and ask any Palestinian leader.
As far as the promise goes it is simple drama masked with B.S history designed to pleasure and please racist and imperialists Brits.
Do Brits want to watch a movie showing their troops running over captured Arabs in Palestine?
Yeah, that's right. A favorite tactic of British troops was tying captured Arab fighters to the ground and then running them over with military vehicles.
Yeah..let's see a British movie on that.