Five Questions, Five Minutes

(Iyar 5763/May 2003)

Compiled by Audrey Shore
KOC Editor

OUR QUESTIONS:

1. What's your name?

2. Where do you go to school?

3. How do you keep in sync with what's happening in Israel? (Do you rely on CNN, JPost, AOL News online, or do you prefer television news or subscribe to magazines, etc?) Do you feel that enough coverage is given in the mainstream news media about Israel? Do you think it is biased/good/good enough?

4. What's the most important issue Israel is facing today? Which do you find is more crucial -- internal problems (government, environment, religious vs. secular, economy failing due to lack of tourism, etc.) or external problems (world opinion, war in the region, hostility from the Arab world, etc.)? How connected are they, if at all?

5. When was the last time you were in Israel? When is the next time you plan to be in Israel?

YOUR ANSWERS:

1. anonymous

2. University of Toronto (Toronto, Ontario)

3. I learn about what is happening in Israel mostly through discussions with my parents and partly through newspapers. There is usually a decent amount of coverage on Israel in the news, but more often than not, it is very biased toward the Palestinian side.

4. Internal and external problems are both very serious and often linked. Because of the world's opinion on Israel and because of the high level of terrorism and suicide bombing, fewer people are willing to visit Israel and therefore there is a lack of tourism.

5. I was in Israel for three months in 2001. I left a few days after the bombing of the Dolphinarium. Currently, as ashamed as I am to admit it, I'm too scared to visit Israel, so I don't know when I will be there again.

1. Shoshanna Schechter

2. The Jewish Theological Seminary (New York, New York)

3. I usually go to JPost.

4. As much as I would like to say internal problems (such as the horrific, misogynist "Women of the Wall" vote recently), I really feel like the external problems are the greatest challenge right now.

5. I was in Israel in January, and at the latest, I will be back in Israel during Rabbinical school.

1. Benjay Kempner

2. University of Maryland (College Park, Maryland)

3. I read Haaretz.com every day. Its the best way for me to get detailed news about my homeland. I used to read Jerusalem Post on-line, but I think it sucks journalistically. Haaretz is much more professionally objective.

4. I know that the Arab students think the American media is entirely anti-Arab. We Jews would conversely contend that The New York Times is run by underground Nazis. I am personally content to live in a country where a newspaper will print both letters challenging their own articles and admissions of their own mistakes if need be. Sure, I think that Israeli civilian casualties are grossly underrepresented in our media. I wish all such deaths could be noted in respectful and non-inflammatory ways.

5. I was in Israel from December 18 to January 8 of this year. I would go every month if not for having zero expendable income.

1. anonymous

2. New Mexico State University (Las Cruces, New Mexico)

3. CNN, Hadassah Magazine, Haaretz Web site, JPost Web site. American news coverage is okay but European news coverage is horribly biased in favor of the Arabs.

4. 1. Arab extremists 2. World opinion which then affects tourism which then effects the economy.

5. May 2002 to visit my sister who was at Ben Gurion University. Hopefully soon, but most likely not for a year or two.

1. Sherri

2. SUNY Binghamton (Binghamton, New York)

3. I read online Haaretz Daily and JPost as well as keep in at least email contact with friends who are currently in Israel. I think that when attacks happen, there is good media coverage, but it would be nice if the media covered the good things as well.

4. Israel has always had to deal with external problems such as world opinion and while it would be nice if this could change, it probably won't any time soon. There have been unity governments in troubled times but in peace times, a unity government is also necessary. Tourism has gone down a lot, but the Jewish communities in the US have tried to overcome these economic issues by supporting Israeli vendors through product fairs in the States. A unified government at all times would do much to show the world that Israel is not going anywhere.

5. I spent 2 months this past summer in Israel. I would love to go back any time, though I'm not sure exactly when I will next be able.

1. Leah Kriss

2. St. Louis University (St. Louis, Missouri)

3. I try to watch the news, and go on line, and also news via word of mouth. I would definitely say that the news does not cover the whole story on Israel. But, I guess there will always be a biased attitude towards issues like Israel.

4. I think that they are both important. But no one really has control over the external factors, so I think we should focus more on the internal.

5. The last time was December-January of this year (2002-2003).

[Posted 4/30/03]