Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: U.S. Media & Israeli-Palestinian Conflict

Bathsheba Ratzkoff and Sut Jhally
2004
Reviewed by Oluchi Ebere

Several media outlets offer an array of facts and stories about the on-going current events between the Israelis & Palestinians but what is usually ignored is the true nature of this conflict. There is a heavy influence over the U.S. media by the U.S. Government and the Israeli PR campaign. “Peace, Propaganda and Promised Land” offers analysis from experts from Noam Chomsky, Robert Jensen, Hanan Ashrawi and others. “Peace, Propaganda and the Promised Land: U.S. Media & Israeli-Palestinian Conflict” (2004) is an investigation on the role and the ethical battle between media and politics. In this 80 minute documentary, directors Ratztoff and Jhally systematically build a case that reveals the U.S. media opaque strategy to mask the true story behind the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The film discusses how language can invoke certain emotions and reactions by viewers. Many times in the U.S. media, the word “attack” is used to describe the physical actions of the Palestinians while words such as “retaliation” and “defensive” are “softer” descriptions used to portray the actions of Israelis. During the film, the narrator presents how news reporters describe the illegal occupation of Jewish settlements as a “Jewish neighborhood”. This sanitized language triggers a pleasant perception by the viewer that the “Jewish Neighborhoods” are legitimate and are acting according to International Law, which is not the case. There is a sense of justification and legitimacy the U.S. media perpetuates in that Jewish “Neighborhoods” are in some way a reaction to the “attacks” caused by the Palestinian population. This bias is not challenged by others in the media, but this is what this film seeks to do. The film also discusses the intimidation placed on some journalists and news organizations in the U.S. who have become complicit and ignored thorough investigative work. As a result, Israel has maintained its pristine image in the world.

The U.S. media is a well-oiled machine to present the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict from one, uneven point of view. The media denies the public an opportunity to come face to face with this complex crisis that deserves a greater and more substantive level of investigative journalism.