Title: John Pilger on Israel/Palestine: A Critical Analysis of His Views and Sources
Abstract: Introduction The Australian-born journalist John Pilger is recognised internationally as a vigorous advocate of left-wing causes. Included within this perspective is his strong support for the Palestinian struggle against Israel. Pilger's discourse is generally delivered in black and white terms--Israel as the bad oppressor and the Palestinians as the oppressed victims--terms which leave little room for the complexity of the conflict. This paper critically analyses both Pilger's one-sided viewpoint, and the frames and metaphors he uses to construct his arguments. Particular attention is drawn to the way he humanises the Palestinian struggle by interviewing ordinary people rather than official leaders or sources, whilst in contrast he stereotypes Israeli actions by always citing Israeli government leaders and officials. In addition, he avoids discussions with balanced peace activists such as Sari Nusseibeh and Amos Oz who are critical of extremists on both sides of the conflict. John Pilger's view of Israel/Palestine is based on the binary opposites of good and bad nations. The Israelis-except for a small number of token good Jews-are universally depicted as evil and immoral oppressors engaged in human rights abuses and war crimes. In contrast, the Palestinians are portrayed as defenceless and innocent victims. Pilger's caricatures deftly avoid the complexity of the conflict, and the existence of moderates and extremists on both sides of the fence. His aim is not to support compromise or reconciliation, but rather to impose pariah status on one particular nation. Pilger claims that the western media is biased in favour of Israel, and that this bias reflects pressure from pro-Israel lobby groups. Hence he argues it is his duty to rectify this balance, and to inform the world of what he considers the fundamental injustice that the Palestinians have experienced at the hands of Israel and their western supporters. In doing so, Pilger uses a number of journalistic techniques to reframe the debate (Lakoff 2004) in the Palestinians' favour. The analysis which follows is based primarily on Pilger's own output on Israel/Palestine--specifically his 2002 documentary, his four books which present his views on this topic, and his writings published in the weekly British journal, New Statesman, since the beginning of 2002. I also refer briefly to secondary sources where relevant. Pilger's reporting John Pilger has been reporting on Israel/Palestine for the UK media since 1966 (Hayward 2001:156). His construction of Israel appears to have been significantly influenced by its overwhelming victory in the 1967 Six Day War, and its associated alliance with America. Many on the younger or New Left drew parallels between Israel's actions towards the Palestinians and the American intervention in Vietnam, and viewed Israel as a creation and tool of American imperialism. In contrast, many of the older Left continued to be influenced by memories of Nazism and the Holocaust in defending Israel's existence as compensation for Jewish experiences of oppression and genocide (Mendes 1997:116). This generational change was reflected in the difference between Pilger's views and those of Martha Gellhorn, the famous US war correspondent (and socialist) who seems to have acted as somewhat of a mentor to Pilger. Gellhorn, who was Jewish and came of age in the 1930s, was a lifelong supporter of the State of Israel. She reported on Israel's victory in the Six Day War with overwhelming enthusiasm, and expressed little sympathy for the defeated Arab armies, or the Palestinian refugees (Rollyson 2001:222-225). In writing a preface to Pilger's Distant Voices, Gellhorn herself commented: We agree on every political subject except Israel and the Palestinians. John was born in October 1939, an infant in Australia during the Second World War. He was eight years old when the Jews of Palestine, who had accepted the UN Partition Plan, were forced to fight practically with their hands to survive the first combined Arab onslaught and declared their state. …
Publication Year: 2008
Publication Date: 2008-01-01
Language: en
Type: article
Access and Citation
Cited By Count: 1
AI Researcher Chatbot
Get quick answers to your questions about the article from our AI researcher chatbot