Journalism at its worst. The Turun Sanomat published an article, “Rauhantekijöille olisi taas tilausta” (What Should be an Opportunity for the Peacemakers), which sought to underline the “new reality” in the Middle East, possibly opening doors for “new thinking” inside Israel.
According to Pirkka Kivenheimo, this new reality includes:
“the US badly badly loosing the Iraq war and ending in total defeat, with the US also losing face and left to lick its wounds.”
That he wrote this kind of “opinionated journalism” as a news story is bad enough, but she then goes on to characterize Israel as
“no longer being able to manipulate (houkuttelemaan/entice-lure) future US presidents into new war adventures against the Arabs or Iran”
His “news” article implies that Israeli leaders are responsible for US foreign policy, which has an oily “tail wagging the dog” air about it. I realize that simplistic conspiracy minded nonsense finds credibility in the Arab street, but apparently also in Finland as well.
The thinking found in the Kivenheimo article — which implyies that the Jewish state is manipulating the US and its armed forces to fight for Israel, so that it doesn’t have to– finds a soulmate in the Cindy Sheehans of this world, who firmly believe that “the Jews run things”.
Such stupid and irresponsible “journalism” embodies ancient mythical characterizations of the “cunning Jew” –this time the collective Jew, the state of Israel– and is anti-Semitic in nature, though perhaps was not intentional. I can expect such bigoted statements coming from extreme radicals marching in an anti-war demonstration, but not on the pages of a respected newspaper.
Shame on the Turun Sanomat. *L* KGS
Note: Thanks to anonymous for the hat tip on the gender issue.
Pirkka is a man’s name (whereas Pirkko is a woman’s name).