It hasn’t been a month since a New York Times reporter in Gaza got in hot water for condescending comments on local culture, when Steven Erlanger, of the Times Paris bureau, formerly the Jerusalem bureau chief, shows up and has some anthropological insights to convey on social media.
The two tweets below strike me as “othering”– they treat Palestinians as an alien culture. First, here’s his tweet responding to a Hamas show of force– with his picture. “Dorothy: We’re not in Kansas anymore.”
“Dorothy: we’re not in Kansas anymore” — Erlanger
I wonder how he feels about Israelis with semiautomatic weapons at checkpoints…
Then Erlanger tweeted a picture of a rally at which children were wearing camouflage and had this to say: “Gaza today and tomorrow.” As if militancy is Gaza’s destiny and essence, rather than, say an artifact of occupation.
“Gaza today and tomorrow” — Erlanger
I still think it’s a good thing that Times reporters are on social media; I’m actually interested in what Jodi Rudoren thinks about the conflict. But Erlanger’s observations seem condescending, hoary, lame, bordering on inappropriate. Who does he think he is, Malinowski coming to New Guinea 100 years ago?
Condescending, lame, inappropriate…
How about Jewish supremacist? Israel has the right to massacre Gaza with jet warplanes and attack helicopters, to invade with armored brigades, to assassinate military leaders who contemplate long-term cease fire, to blockade it by land, sea and air, but Gaza has no right to resist.
calling a technical a show of force just shows how distorted the 2 states effective level of power are distorted media coverage and information is
Own flags waiving in the wind, heavy machine guns displayed leisurely, operated by own-force fighters, people openly sporting military fatigues, including on small children, politicians sharing small-talk…On the background of these displays of sovereignty and control, what “occupation” is meant in the following statement:
“As if militancy is Gaza’s destiny and essence, rather than, say an artifact of occupation.”
Let me remind your observations about Israel:
https://mondoweiss.mystagingwebsite.com/2012/02/fear-and-apartheid-in-the-west-bank.html
“You can see the guards in this photo. They’re the two dark figures at the center, under the red-clay tile roof. They’re not soldiers. My friend and I later talked to them. One was a yokel with a wispy blond beard, and a semi-automatic rifle slung over his shoulder. The other was a tough, darkhaired woman in a jacket. Settlers.”
Yokel, right? And the woman must be a settler.
Both of you are the opposite branches of the same tree- arrogant, educated, preposterous and patronizing intelectual elite. White and American to the core. Being Jewish just complicates it for you.
I doubt anyone has ever held him to account, much less derided him for l’hauteur of his sinecure. After all, he’s operating out of Paris now, isn’t he? It’s easy for an American there to feel superior.
But you keep jabbing, Phil. These jokers need it.