Sunday, December 18, 2011

IDF Radio to Stop Saying 'West Bank'

Gil Ronen

IDF Radio's commander has instructed the station's reporters to prefer the term "Judea and Samaria" (Yehuda veShomron) to "the West Bank." The latter phrase dates from the 19-year interval between 1948 and 1967 during which the Biblical heartland was under Jordanian control.

The decision was reported in the military radio station's response to a complaint by Israel Media Watch that referred to a report on the arrest of girls from Judea and Samaria for alleged "Price Tag" vandalism in early December. The reporter used the term "West Bank" to identify their places of residence. "Since 'the West Bank' is a hostile term while the proper term is Judea and Samaria," wrote IMW's David Ish Shalom to IDF Radio, "the insinuation of this term inserts into the listener's mind the idea that this territory is not ours."

IDF Radio's ombudsman replied that the matter had been checked and that "our broadcasters usually use the term 'Judea and Samaria,' although the use of the term West Bank is not a blatant error and political motivation should not be immediately ascribed."

Comment:
Finally, this is a positive step forward. Words have meaning and if used correctly they describe a feeling, thought, action, situation, event, place, circumstance and thus accurately identify what is being said. I have argued for years to move forward there must be truth in terminology. Our enemies both external and internal have used terms to support their narrative. Well, it is time we took back the narrative and this is a good first step. Of course our enemies will cast dispersion upon this audacity of truth, stand firm. Note that they never seemed concerned when they misrepresented facts yet the moment we at long last present the actual names of an area they move to discount and discredit said move. This is shameful behavior by those Israeli's living within the border proper. So, gladly hold your heads high, join the IDF radio network and abandon for ever the use of "West Bank", next step is to tell the truth about who lives there: Israeli citizens!

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