SOLDIERS REFUSE TO EXPEL JEWS IN HEBRON--WHAT THE MEDIA LEFT OUT. In an Arutz Sheva op-ed, Paula Stern writes about what the Israeli media left out in its coverage of the refusal of 30 soldiers to carry out orders to expel Jews from Hebron:

During repeated interviews on major broadcasts, several well-known journalists refused to allow their interviewees the opportunity to present their opinion that it was wrong of the Prime Minister to use soldiers instead of police.

With single-minded determination, they focused only on whether soldiers should be allowed to refuse orders, even when the soldier considers these orders unethical or immoral. In any other context, one can have little doubt that these same journalists would applaud a soldier who refuses to blindly follow orders. This was the case during the Likud reign in office, when some soldiers refused to serve in Judea and Samaria, or refused to protect the Jewish communities in Gaza. Then, the media wrote articles about "The Courage to Refuse."

...There are many in Israel who believe the 30 soldiers who refused orders should be honored for having the courage that so many thousands lacked two years ago. The army of Israel is tasked with the job of protecting the citizens of Israel. When the army is used against the people, as was done in Gush Katif and northern Samaria, again at Amona, and now in Hebron, the government must answer to the people. This opinion was lacking in the papers this week, because the media didn't want to show Israelis another option. They didn't want to report what it is their job to document.

...The true story behind the Hebron refusals was not whether soldiers should follow orders blindly, but why orders that the army knew would be viewed as unethical were given to these particular soldiers. That this question was never asked shows more than ever that Israel's media has permitted itself to serve special interests and it is time for them to stop and find the path they have lost.

Journalists in Israel see themselves as responsible for establishing the narrative--seems there is a lot of that going around.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Hebron.