Eisner (L) and Danish activist
Photo: AFP
The inflated camera threat
Op-ed: Good news for Israel – in the past foes aimed guns at us; today they aim iPhones
For a few moments this past week, commentators created the impression that Palestinian cameras, rather than Iran's nuclear program, are currently the number one threat faced by Israel.
Quick Response
Daniel Bettini
Op-ed: Wise Israeli response in wake of Eisner affair prevented global anti-Israel storm
Military and public relations experts pulled what's left of their hair on live television in order to explain the extent of the danger posed by a seemingly innocent camcorder. Time and again we were told that Israel sustains grave blows when European TV viewers see a Jewish colonel striking a Danish tourist.
Well, at best this is a case of wild exaggeration. On the eve of Israel's 64th Independence Day, we can assert with satisfaction that if a camera is the main weapon used by the Palestinians at this time, it means our national situation is rather good.
In the spring of 1948, our neighbors managed to enlist all the Arab armies to their cause, yet now they have to settle for, imagine that, an Intifada of cameras. Once upon a time they aimed guns at us; today they aim iPhones.
At times it isn't very pleasant, yet it would be ridiculous to paint this digital threat as a doomsday weapon. There is no doubt whatsoever that had the Palestinians had the option they would happily switch with us: They would give us the cameras and take our Air Force or Dimona.
Counter false claims
Is anyone around here willing to accept such tradeoff? The answer is clearly "no." Hence, we shall have to learn to live with this new, minor threat too, and mostly not panic.
Even in the hostile Europe, people know that a camera can lie. We merely have to invest a little more effort in attaching our own subtitles to images shot by the enemy.
Instead of dismissing officers who look bad on camera, we would do well to dust off our arguments and start to counter yet again the false claim that we are the occupiers around here.
In the midst of the Eisner affair, we were told last week about a leftist European activist who arrived in Israel in order to fight the occupation; subsequently, he was convinced that the Jews are in fact right. He even made a movie about it.
The time has come for the IDF spokesman to make such movie as well.
