;.l1,3,63,66,1,0,10,75,192,2,15,20,25,127,10,0,
MEDIA BIAS
TO:    David bar-Ilan, Eye on Media, Jlem Post
FROM:  Steve Amdur, Kibbutz Haon, Jordan Valley, 15170 Israel.
       Telephone:  972-6-757572; FAX:  972-6-757554
OCB E-Mail (to 4/96):  100310.15116@compuserve.com 
DATE:  3/26/96
RE:    
REF:   English News 3/26 AM
CC:
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Several minor points:  pointedly describes the Likud rally afterthe primaries as 'mayhem' -- although that description could aseasily be applied to any political celebration, it here seemsintended to evoke recollections of the Likud's chaos prior to theprevious election.

Characterizing the Amir trial, the reporter remarks (as I recall)that his cold-blooded smirk sent chills down the spectator --although most persons on trial for murder probably don't put outangelic vibes -- and goes into detail of how the two shots killedRabin; although one could offer the same detail for every use of aweapon.

The points aren't the sort of flamboyantly false outrages thatDavid Bar-Ilan usually reports; but one might use a file of them,confirmed from tapes, to build a case that the government radiodoes systematically express a pro-government bias, albeit notblatantly.  

I'd also suggest that it is the most credible media, and thosemost commonly relied upon by the Jewish and pro-Jewishcommunities, that are the most important target; idiotic uppercrust twits (both British and yuppie) will always be with us.

.p
MEDIA BIAS
TO:    David bar-Ilan, Eye on Media, Jlem Post
FROM:  Steve Amdur, Kibbutz Haon, Jordan Valley, 15170 Israel.
       Telephone:  972-6-757572; FAX:  972-6-757554
OCB E-Mail (to 4/96):  100310.15116@compuserve.com 
DATE:  3/26/96
RE:    Altalena incident
REF:   TIME 3/25/96 (Ogden, page feature, "View from Washington"
       Begin, Revolt (Steinmatsky 1952) Ch. XI & as indexed
       Slater, Rabin/Israel (1993) p75-76
       Dayan, Story of my Life,  95-96
       Eban, Autobiography (1977), p124, p136
       Schmuel Katz, Days of Fire (Steinmatsky 1968) as indexed
CC:    TIME
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TEXT:
"In 1948 Prime Minister David Ben Gurion ordered the Israeli armyto prevent the landing in Israel of the Altalena, an agingfreighter from Europe carrying 6000 rifles and machine guns,millions of rounds of ammunition and 750 supporters of the Jewishradical group Irgun.  Scores were killed in a shoot-out that ledto a short, sharp civil war.  Ben-Gurion's Labor government versuszealots oppposed to a Jewish state that did not encompass all ofPalestine and Trans-Jordan. " 

SUMMARY OF ERRORS & INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING PHRASING:

(1) 	FACTUAL ERRORS:
	The casualties were almost entirely among the Irgun forces,except for several members of Dayan's party in a previousencounter.  I don't recall reading that the Altalena returnedfire.   Begin recalls, in a dispassionate tone, that fire seems tohave intensified whenever he went on the bridge.
	The attacking force was a small group under the command ofRabin; Yadin having left the scene.  A battery north of the city,apparently not under Rabin's command, sank the Altalena.
	The "short sharp civil war" did not ensue; Begin reports thatthat the day ended with the Irgun soldiers being integrated intothe Haganah.        

(2) INTENTIONALLY MISLEADING PHRASING:
	Pejoratives:  "radical group", "zealots"
	"zealots oppposed to a Jewish state that did not encompassall of Palestine and Trans-Jordan. " 
	This is a nice illustration of media bias, since it isliterally true, but would mislead a reader without independentinformation.
	The 'weasal-word' here is 'opposed'.
	Briefly:  the Revisionsist favored a Jewish state that wouldencompass the Palestinian mandate awarded for that purpose by theLeague of Nations to England, and from which England, to pay off aWorld War I political obligation to the Hashemites, detatchedTrans-Jordan.   The Revisionist movement, and its Irgun soldiers,did not oppose but on the contrary co-operated with and wereintegrated into the Jewish state.  Their dispute with Ben Gurionoccurred prior to the establishment of the state; they insisted oncontinuing anti-British activities during a period in which BenGurion's policy was co-operation.                                         




                           
