We Remember Warsaw: The Sequel

What did I tell you! Bambi's rash decision last week (22-24/1/08) at the Sydney Morning Herald to print 7 letters on the Warsaw/Gaza Ghetto analogy, with only 2 favouring Israel [See my earlier post, We Remember Warsaw], had the Zionist media hounds baying for her blood.

How do I know? Check out this revealing POSTSCRIPT from the bottom left-hand corner of Saturday's Herald (26/1/08): "To enter the Israeli/Palestinian discussion on the letters page is to let the genie out of the bottle: it invites a big bag of mail loaded with strident opinions, thoughtful insights and the odd insult. We try to find correspondence that adds to readers' understanding and acknowleges the complexities of the issue. Seven letters were published and 90-odd left out. Competition was tough this week." Miranda Harman, letters co-editor

My thoughts on this:

a) Any perceived slight or challenge to the Israel lobby's monopoly on ms media coverage of Palestine-Israel is intolerable to the Israel lobby advocates who routinely patrol that coverage, and a reflexive, "strident" response is sure to ensue.

b) I'd like to believe that resident Bambi, Miranda Harman, is merely reflecting on the sound and fury occasioned by her decision of 24/1/08, and not issuing a veiled apology for it. Which is to say, I'd like to believe she's got spine.

c) As a natural born pessimist, however, I'm betting that no matter what crimes and outrages Israel perpetrates in the future, Miranda will be wondering if publishing any letters blowing the whistle on same is worth the flack, and will therefore refrain from doing so. Which is to say, I won't be holding my breath for any repeat of last week's journalistic bravado.

d) Despite losing the battle on the letters page last week, the Israel-firsters will still win the war if Miranda succumbs to self-censorship in the future and runs no more letters from a Palestinian perspective, or seeks to 'balance' same with a dollop of pro-Israel propaganda. Which is to say, it'll probably be business as usual at the Herald from now on.