Strategic media misrepresentation and the Arab-Israeli conflict

Abstract

Starting from the premise that translation is often framed as representation and that misrepresentation is akin to mistranslation (Tymoczko 2010), then language use in conflict zones becomes an important weapon in the way media promotes certain representations or misrepresentations of the power dynamics between the parties involved in conflict. The expected aim is to produce representations (often misrepresentations - mistranslations of realities) to deceive audiences to promote a particular positive agenda for the state of Israel (Sornig (1989). In the case of the long-standing Arab-Israeli conflict, Luntz (2009) employs strategic communications (SC) in The Hasbara Document to promote a pro-Israel representation with the aim of manipulating world opinion, and thus providing misrepresentations (mistranslations) of the views and realities of the Palestinian side. In the context of this ongoing conflict situation and using insights from critical discourse analysis (van Dijk 2001), the aim of this chapter is to explore SC strategies used in The Hasbara Document with the ultimate aim of achieving specific effects on particular audiences. The analysis of 20 excerpts from Hasbara demonstrates how Israeli media leaders are asked to alter language used by Arabs and/or Palestinians for the purpose of propaganda and deception, especially in the American mass media.