“‘New York Times’ whitewashes poll showing Israeli support for expelling Palestinians” writes James Zogby, the noted pollster, in Mondoweiss, one of the endless Jewish-identity-oriented publications out there:
This past week, the Pew Research Centre released the results of a massive poll of Israeli public opinion — focusing on their attitude towards religion, identity, values and political issues facing their country.
In the days that followed the release, a number of articles appeared in Israel and the US commenting on the study’s findings.
The strangest and most troubling of them was the piece titled “Deep Rifts Among Israeli Jews Are Found in Religion Survey”, printed in the New York Times on March 8, 2016.
Written by Isabel Kershner, the article was a transparent effort to combine straight reporting with tortured apologia.
Kershner began the piece with a simple recitation of a few of the poll’s findings: “A majority of Israeli Jews marry within their own religious or secular groups” and the different sub-groups “largely separate social worlds” and have “starkly contrasting positions on many public policy issues”, like whether West Bank settlements contribute to Israel’s security.
Kershner’s straightforward reporting ended, however, when she came to one of the poll’s more disturbing findings: “nearly half of Israeli Jews said that Arabs should be expelled of transferred from Israel”.
Unable to allow that result to stand on its own, in the same sentence, Kershner added “although Israeli pollsters found the wording of the question problematic”.
The addition of that phrase was a classic example of deflection — a device often used in New York Times’ articles to sow doubt or confusion among readers so as to soften the blow of facts that are damaging to Israel…
First, let’s look at the “problematic” question and ask whether it was too vague, too blunt or too unclear.
Here is what Israelis were asked: do you agree or disagree with this statement “Arabs should be expelled or transferred from Israel?”
In response to this direct question, 48 per cent of Israeli Jews agreed, while 46 per cent disagreed.
Among Israelis who are religious and those who received a Jewish education, two-thirds agreed with the idea that Arabs should be expelled or transferred.
This is not the only disturbing finding in this poll.
Israeli Jews were also asked if they agreed with the statement “Jews deserve preferential treatment in Israel”; 79 per cent agreed — including well over 95 per cent of those who are religious and those who received a Jewish education.
The bottom line is that Israel’s political culture has become increasingly intolerant.
Is Netanyahu, who supports this opinion within Israel, a fascist? If not, then how is Trump any different when it comes to the U.S. situation?
