Language and the Occupation

An excellent examination of the use of language in the Israeli press, from a former Israeli journalist.  This is familiar ground for anyone who spends time on this issue, but the author has amassed a sizable collection of examples, e.g.:

Another interesting distinction between us and them came up when Hamas demanded the release of 450 of its prisoners in exchange for Gilad Shalit. Israel announced that it would release prisoners but not those with blood on their hands. It is always the Palestinians – never the Israelis – who have blood on their hands. This is not to say that Jews cannot kill Arabs but they will not have blood on their hands, and if they are arrested they will be released after a few years, not to mention those with blood on their hands who’ve gone on to become prime minister. And we are not only more innocent when we kill but also more susceptible when we are hurt. A regular description of a Qassam missile that hits Sderot will generally look like this: ‘A Qassam fell next to a residential house, three Israelis had slight injuries, and ten others suffered from shock.’ One should not make light of these injuries: a missile hitting a house in the middle of the night could indeed cause great shock. However, one should also remember that shock is for Jews only. Palestinians are apparently a very tough people.

The same day I saw this I also happened across an article I’d sent to a friend in 2002 titled "Israeli Repression and the Language of Liars", which covers similar ground. Also worth a read.