Reply #3: FAIR: Friedman's Bogus Advice on Palestinian Nonviolence [View All]

http://www.fair.org/blog/#post-18362

In today's New York Times (5/25/11), columnist Tom Friedman issues yet another call for Palestinians to practice non-violence:

The implication--a familiar one in corporate media--is that there's never been much Palestinian non-violent resistance. This is false--see here, here, here, or especially here--a piece by Yousef Munayyer titled,"Palestine's Hidden History of Nonviolence: You Wouldn't Know It From the Media Coverage, but Peaceful Protests Are Nothing New for Palestinians."

The other part of Friedman's argument is that media would pay this movement serious attention. Again, we don't need to imagine what might happen if Palestinians were to take Friedman's advice. Regular non-violent protests against the West Bank separation wall are ignored in the U.S. media, as Patrick O'Connor documented in 2005. A 2009 Guardian report is a reminder of what often happens in response to such demonstrations. As the subhead put it, "Palestinian demonstrations intended to be peaceful met with Israeli teargas, stun grenades and sometimes live ammunition." And one of the most prominent non-violent Palestinian activists is Adeeb Abu Rahma, who was held in an Israeli prison for 17 months before being released late last year.

Read more: http://www.fair.org/blog/#post-18362