The other day we mentioned the decision by KPFT, the Pacifica station in Houston, to give time to the Israeli consulate in Houston because of alleged anti-semitic comments by listeners (apropos of Jewish power in the media). Happily, this decision is being widely ridiculed on-line.
How should KPFT have handled the problem of Jewish programming? Well it should imitate WBAI in New York, which airs Beyond The Pale, “the only Jewish program on radio or television devoted to bringing a left perspective to political and cultural debates.”
“Beyond the Pale” came about for the same reason: WBAI was responding at the time to allegations of anti-Semitism. And by putting on this programming, WBAI has done something to help reform Jewish identity too. For Beyond the Pale is not Zionist.
P.S. Here is the response of those who oppose the airtime for the Israeli consulate to some smart questions:
Why oppose the Israeli consulate having a show on KPFT?
As an official voice of the Israeli government, the Israeli consulate necessarily has as a mission to legitimize and propagandize acts of war. Further, during a time of an active illegal military occupation and in light of the Goldstone Report, Israeli consulates necessarily find themselves in the role of propagandizing and whitewashing war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Don’t you want to talk to everyone, including those with whom you disagree?
Interviews with the Israeli consulate are important, as there are many tough questions that should be asked. However, turning over control of programming to the Israeli consulate is different. There are many other formats that are appropriate to bring in the Israeli consulate, including debates and moderated discussions. If Obama came on air to talk about how much we are helping Pakistan and no one asked him tough questions about the illegal drone attacks, he would have gotten a free-pass. Similarly, if the Israeli consulate can come on KPFT and frame things the way they want without getting confronted on anything, we have provided a platform for military propaganda.
Who is in charge of Israeli consulates?
The far-right politician Avigdor Lieberman is the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs (Israel’s equivalent of our Secretary of State). On December 21st 2010, Lieberman told Newsweek that he wanted to take Israeli citizenship away from at least half of Israeli Arabs.
