OPINION - Turkish media frightens Israeli lying machine

ISTANBUL (AA) - On May 15, 2021, The Jerusalem Post -- a former Labor Party supporter, which gradually settled on a fascist course with the change of its shareholders and has now turned into a propaganda machine, becoming an unofficial apparatus of the extremist elite that controls Israeli state -- published an “analysis” by Seth J. Frantzman. [1] The word “analysis” is in quotation marks because, even if it is biased, this article lacks the minimum level of argumentation expected of an analysis.

Far from presenting arguments and being able to reason through them, Frantzman’s article appears to be a “document of delirium”, in which the mind has been sent on vacation. Since we cannot believe that Frantzman, who according to his biography is an educated writer, lacks the ability to express himself in writing, there is only one plausible explanation for his ability (or, rather, inability) to write such an article: Obviously, upon receiving a directive from a neo-Goebbels at the helm of the official lie-production center of Israel, whose war crimes and massacres can no longer be covered up by the international media -- which overwhelmingly advocate pro-Israeli narratives -- Frantzman scrambled to stack on top of each other every piece of nonsense (as if these were arguments) that popped into his mind to be able to piece together an article. Although the article we have been given is not really conducive to being responded to intellectually because it lacks any serious arguments, we will still try to respond within the bounds of reason and understanding in the hopes that, in this age of “post-truth”, there are still people who care about reason and sound comprehension.

The article’s main “problem”, which is stated explicitly in the first paragraph, is that Turkish media, particularly state-affiliated media, “produce the most anti-Israel coverage” in the region. Frantzman draws parallels between Iran and Turkey, concluding that “Ankara’s media” stands out. This determination by Frantzman strengthens the thesis presented above: Obviously, the real annoyance is caused by TRT and Anadolu Agency reporting on Israel’s war crimes, particularly by their various language editions. In a climate where the international media acts as an extension of Israel, even so much as a breach in the wall appears to have frightened Israel’s lying machine. Precisely for this reason, Frantzman’s article cannot be interpreted as a criticism, but rather as a source of pride for TRT and Anadolu Agency. As a matter of fact, what is purported to be a criticism of the Turkish media is nothing more than a set of delusions devoid of all logic and comprehension.

TRT, according to Frantzman, is constantly producing anti-Israeli “propaganda”. The example he cites as evidence for his claim is that TRT announced that the video broadcast by Benjamin Netanyahu was incorrect and that it would broadcast the “truth from Palestine”. In response to Netanyahu’s video expecting Western empathy because “Israel is under attack”, TRT World did release a video demonstrating “Israel’s blockade of Gaza and murder of children”, as claimed by Frantzman. [2] In this case, every reasonable and intelligent person will ask: Which one is incorrect: Israel’s blockade of Gaza or its killing of children? The second piece of news that Frantzman did not cite but obviously enraged the Zionist war machine was also broadcast by TRT World. It was alleged in a video posted on Twitter by Ofir Gendelman, Netanyahu’s spokesperson to the Arab media, that “Israel is under fire”. TRT World, however, proved in a video news that aired shortly afterwards that the disputed footage had been shot in Syria and uploaded to the internet in 2018. [3]

According to Frantzman, TRT’s second “crime” was criticizing Austrian Prime Minister Sebastian Kurz, who raised the Israeli flag above the prime ministry’s building to show support for Israel, and showed the “people power” of pro-Palestinian demonstrators protesting Israel with the slogan “Free Palestine!” As if that were not enough, the Turkish media -apparently- has the audacity to refer to Jerusalem as “Al-Quds” (Kudüs) instead of “Jerusalem”. Expecting Turks to refer to a city that was under the rule of Muslims and Turks for centuries and is known among them as “Al-Quds” by using its English (Jerusalem) or Hebrew (Yarushalim) names is something that can only be done by someone whose mental faculties have been paralyzed by extremist delusions. On the other hand, when we look at the biography of Frantzman in the online version of the newspaper in which he published this article [4], the name of the university where he works as a lecturer appears to be Al-Quds University. Yet, someone who is so “sensitive” about the way this city is referred to would be expected to refuse to work at a university that bears the very name that causes irritation.

Another point that irritates Frantzman regarding Jerusalem is TRT’s denial of Jerusalem as the capital of Israel. But, at the expense of further upsetting Frantzman, we must state that not only TRT but also the Republic of Turkey, as well as many other states around the world, reject Israel’s declaration of Jerusalem, which it continues to occupy, as its capital. Still more painful for Frantzman, the United Nations (UN) also does not recognize Israel’s decision. According to Resolution 63/30 dated Jan. 23, 2009, the UN General Assembly “reiterates its determination that any actions taken by Israel, the occupying Power, to impose its laws, jurisdiction and administration on the Holy City of Jerusalem are illegal and therefore null and void and have no validity whatsoever, and calls upon Israel to cease all such illegal and unilateral measures.” The UN’s position on Jerusalem, as stated in the Partition Plan, is that the city should be subject to a permanent special international regime as a corpus separatum (divided body) and placed under effective United Nations control. According to the report prepared by The Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People (CEIRPP), the status of the city should remain as corpus separatum until an agreement is reached between the parties regarding the city. So far, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has rejected Israel’s alleged rights to Jerusalem in all six resolutions it has passed. The “Jerusalem Law”, which involves Israel’s unilateral declaration of Jerusalem as its “indivisible and permanent capital” in 1980 contrary to international resolutions, also remains unrecognized by the UNSC. In short, Israel’s declaration of Jerusalem as its capital violates international law, and international organizations such as the European Union (EU) and many UN member states reject it. This being the case, it amounts to nothing but foolishness to expect TRT and the Turkish media to be supportive of Israel or display a Trumpian sympathy for the alleged status of Jerusalem.

Frantzman accuses TRT of engaging in journalism and reporting without conducting the necessary investigations. TRT, however, is a broadcasting organization that bases all of its news coverage on documents, and it should be noted that, throughout its history, it has not broadcast a single news item about Israel that has been refuted. Frantzman’s criticism of press freedom in Turkey becomes a farce when written from Israel, which has killed international journalists and bombed their buildings. Israel did not fail to target Anadolu Agency and TRT journalists in its latest attacks either, as it has done many times before. As this article was being written, we learned that the building in Gaza that housed the offices of the Associated Press (AP) and Al Jazeera had been destroyed by Israel. [5]

Finishing his warm-up moves with these ridiculous allegations, Frantzman moves on to the real issues. To Frantzman, it is of course an unacceptable “crime” for TRT to quote the leader of Hamas. However, Turkey’s position on this issue is clear: “Describing the legitimate representative of Hamas, which came to power in Gaza through democratic elections and is a significant reality in the region, as a terrorist will not contribute to the efforts to establish peace and stability in the region.” [6] If we are to talk about terrorism, we can safely say that the vast majority of Turkish people regard Israel as a terrorist state. Not satisfied with this, Frantzman recalls a recent black propaganda element developed against Turkey in response to a TRT news story, titled “Israeli settlers form armed militias to attack Palestinians.” The claim that Turkey transported Syrian militias to Libya, which has been delightfully uttered and spread by Turkey’s enemies, is now a “stale” lie that has never been proven. Even when it was first made, it was not a claim that could be taken seriously. With no substantive material at his disposal, Frantzman appears to feel compelled to revert to old lies.

Further on, Frantzman relies on another notorious lie that is now outdated and has always been unconvincing, demonstrating that he is merely a tool of an international front with deep animosity toward Turkey. Despite being an expert on Daesh, Frantzman descends so low, without blushing, as to repeat the lie about the non-existent Turkey-Daesh (ISIS) relationship, which was once peddled by Turkey’s enemies with saliva drooling from their mouths. The concrete truth, on the other hand, is plain to see: Turkey is the only country involved in the problem that has conducted actual military operations against Daesh, unlike all the other states involved in the problem that have exploited it to legitimize their own policies and waged a phony “war” against it. If the issue is to be dealt with on the level of conspiracy theories, it is even more striking that Daesh has never taken any action against Israeli interests; additionally, given that Daesh, ideologically, is a fierce enemy of traditional Islam, of which Turkey is a representative, its ideological and logistical resources should be sought in Israel’s new minor ally in the Gulf. Particularly at a time when these “works” are being overseen by an agent paid for by Israel. Frantzman wants to hold onto this lie against Turkey probably because the Zionist elite sees it as an impediment to their desire to establish a Daesh presence in Libya.

Finally, we should remind Frantzman that, regardless of their religious beliefs, ethnic origins, or political views, there has never been a mass of people in Turkey who sympathize with Israel, with the exception of a few influence agents who could never amount to much in comparison to the general public. Therefore, as Frantzman claims, the coverage of the Turkish media is not required for the dissemination of anti-Israel views on social media. Anyone who has managed to liberate their mind from Israel's black propaganda machine can see the crimes committed by Israel for what they are. These crimes, and the attempts by apparatuses like Frantzman to exonerate them, are being recorded in history’s pages of shame, even if not in the minutes of international courts of law for the time being.

* Opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own and do not necessarily reflect the editorial policy of Anadolu Agency.

[1] https://www.jpost.com/middle-east/turkeys-media-radicalizes-anti-israel-voices-analysis-668219

[2] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApF6XzohQv0

[3] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gryp0JbWfNo

[4] https://www.jpost.com/author/seth-j-frantzman

[5] https://www.aa.com.tr/tr/dunya/israil-ordusu-ap-ile-al-jazeeranin-ofisinin-de-oldugu-binayi-yerle-bir-etti/2242324

[6] https://www.mfa.gov.tr/no_-181_-abd-disisleri-bakanligi-sozcusunun-sayin-cumhurbaskanumuz-hamasli-yetkilileri-kabulune-iliskin-aciklamasi-hk.tr.mfa