Israel-Gaza conflict: The secret report that helps Israelis to hide facts ( Patrick Cockburn )

[Jefferson23]

Sunday, July 27, 2014

Israeli spokesmen have their work cut out explaining how they have killed more than 1,000 Palestinians in Gaza, most of them civilians, compared with just three civilians killed in Israel by Hamas rocket and mortar fire. But on television and radio and in newspapers, Israeli government spokesmen such as Mark Regev appear slicker and less aggressive than their predecessors, who were often visibly indifferent to how many Palestinians were killed.

There is a reason for this enhancement of the PR skills of Israeli spokesmen. Going by what they say, the playbook they are using is a professional, well-researched and confidential study on how to influence the media and public opinion in America and Europe. Written by the expert Republican pollster and political strategist Dr Frank Luntz, the study was commissioned five years ago by a group called The Israel Project, with offices in the US and Israel, for use by those "who are on the front lines of fighting the media war for Israel".

Every one of the 112 pages in the booklet is marked "not for distribution or publication" and it is easy to see why. The Luntz report, officially entitled "The Israel project's 2009 Global Language Dictionary, was leaked almost immediately to Newsweek Online, but its true importance has seldom been appreciated. It should be required reading for everybody, especially journalists, interested in any aspect of Israeli policy because of its "dos and don'ts" for Israeli spokesmen.

These are highly illuminating about the gap between what Israeli officials and politicians really believe, and what they say, the latter shaped in minute detail by polling to determine what Americans want to hear. Certainly, no journalist interviewing an Israeli spokesman should do so without reading this preview of many of the themes and phrases employed by Mr Regev and his colleagues.

in full: http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/israelgaza-conflict-the-secret-report-that-helps-israelis-to-hide-facts-9630765.html

Link to pdf: http://mondoweiss.net/2009/07/no-it-isnt-the-pentagon-papers-but-heres-a-small-sign-that-the-msm-is-finally-going-to-take-on-the-b.html

[alsame]

1. Here's the PDF, if you

want to include it in your OP. Definitely worth reading the parts about PR tactics for Americans and 'the left'.

http://mondoweiss.net/2009/07/no-it-isnt-the-pentagon-papers-but-heres-a-small-sign-that-the-msm-is-finally-going-to-take-on-the-b.html

[Jefferson23]

3. Thanks, alsame..appreciate it. n/t

[Scootaloo]

2. I was just about to post this myself

it's an eye-opener for sure.

The Israel Project, let's remember, is also the operator behind the online magazine "The Tower" which is a favorite source for some of the other posters here in I/P.

[Jefferson23]

4. True, maybe you'd like to post it in GD? Not often these types of OP's can be posted there. n/t

[BillZBubb]

5. I read Luntz's Israel Project booklet.

The Israeli's and their apologists are using all of Luntz's equivocating, phrasing, and framing ideas. I could name a few posters on DU who seem to take stuff right out of the IP booklet. Israeli officials really stick to the script, except the far right guys who occasionally let slip how they really feel.

As a propaganda tool, it has been effective, or so it seems. It is hard to tell since the US media is already in the Israeli's pocket and the public sees little of what the Israelis are really doing.

[Jefferson23]

6. It's an interesting read, that's for sure. Perhaps the American public is getting a little

bit better at understanding than the last round of violence..I don't know.

The youth of America has decreased their support, that has changed so the awareness
may be better than we think. I hope so anyway.




Taipei

[calimary]

7. frank luntz. Okay. Got it. Not much more needs to be said.

[Jefferson23]

8. It's awful. I was just saying he is quite skilled..it is a shame he does not apply that for the

greater good, calimary.

[calimary]

9. Yes. Skilled unfortunately on behalf of the Dark Arts.

The ONLY person EVER to leave him tongue-tied, flummoxed, knocked to his knees, run-aground and out of ideas before he could even get started? Barack Obama in 2008. I'll never forget what frank luntz said about the rise of Barack Obama: "I don't know how to beat this guy."

Wish we had more instances like this one. That was SWEET-SWEET-SWEET!!!! I would LOVE to see people like frank luntz completely and permanently hobbled, professionally-speaking. One unique brief-and-shining moment isn't NEARLY enough.

[Jefferson23]

10. I forgot about that, he is smart..Luntz knew. They had nothing to counter Obama..very true.

At least this type of plan is exposed, better than not knowing at all. I suspect
he'll be in the game for awhile to support continued inequality for all but the
privileged.