Pallywood

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Pallywood (a portmanteau of "Palestinian" and "Hollywood") is a neologism used to refer to news events alleged to have been staged by Palestinian and other cameramen to portray Israel in an unfavorable light.

Media in the Gaza Strip

In a piece for Sueddeutsche Zeitung called "War of the Pictures," German journalist Thorsten Schmitz writes that the world's large broadcasters, CNN and ABC, and news agencies such as Reuters and Associated Press, work almost exclusively with Palestinian cameramen when reporting from the Gaza Strip. Working as a cameraman for Western media is regarded as one of the most lucrative jobs in the Palestinian areas, Schmitz writes, with some cameramen in the area earning up to $250 U.S. per day, as much as some Palestinian families might earn in six months. "The pictures of hopelessness in the Gaza Strip are taken primarily by Palestinians," Schmitz writes.

Origin of the term

File:Pallywood cover.jpg

Pallywood, According to Palestinian Sources... a film by Richard Landes.

The term "Pallywood" was used by online debaters for several years before being popularized in 2005 by Professor Richard Landes of Boston University in his 18-minute documentary film, Pallywood, According to Palestinian Sources.

In Pallywood, Landes argues that Palestinian video journalists stage events in order to bias viewers against Israel and win the media war between the Palestinians and the Israel Defense Forces, and to influence the broader perception of the Arab-Israeli conflict. Landes believes that this type of alleged media manipulation dates back to at least the war in Lebanon in 1982.

Usage of the term

The term has been used by bloggers, particularly during the 2006 Israel-Lebanon conflict where assertions of media manipulation were made. Landes, who describes himself as left-of-center, acknowledges that "the blogs in support of seconddraft.org primarily politically conservative." The neoconservative political commentator David Frum has described Landes' work as an exposé of political propaganda: "A U.S. Web site, SecondDraft.org, has compiled documentary footage to reveal a startling series of faked funerals, staged gun battles, and professional weeping grandmothers. They dub the Palestinian propaganda complex, "Pallywood," and ask hard questions about the readiness — eagerness — of much of the world media to be deceived."

Since Landes's film was released, the term has been used more widely by the rest of the media. The conservative Israeli news channel Arutz Sheva stated in 2006 that "Pallywood" is becoming a "household word," along with "infotainment," to refer to media coverage of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

Alleged examples

Muhammad al-Dura

Footage of Muhammad al-Dura reportedly killed by Israeli gunfire on September 30 2000 at the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada was recorded by a local freelance cameraman working alone. Questions were raised about the authenticity of the tape, leading to controversy over whether he was killed by Palestinian gunfire or is not actually dead at all.

Other events

The Battle of Jenin in 2002; and the Israeli rocket attack on June 13, 2006 on a car carrying members of Islamic Jihad. have also been cited as examples of "Pallywood".

Notes

Carvajal, Doreen. "The mysteries and passions of an iconic video frame", International Herald Tribune, Monday, February 7, 2005.
Poller, Nidra. "Al-Dura: The Trial", PoliticsCentral, September 13, 2006.
"Some Shunning The Palestinian Hard Stance." The Boston Globe, September 6, 2005
^ Schmitz, Thorsten. "Der Krieg der Bilder", Sueddeutsche Zeitung, June 16, 2006.
^ Landes, Richard. Pallywood, According to Palestinian Sources (Windows Media Video), SecondDraft.org.
"French Election Upset", rec.arts.sf.fandom, May 15, 2002.
^ Landes, Richard. "Pallywood: History", SecondDraft.org.
"And Now It's Reutersgate". Toronto Star, August 9, 2006
"Boston U. professor claims media 'staged' footage of Middle East conflict", U-Wire press release, September 22, 2005
Frum, David. "From Gaza, tragedy and propaganda". National Post, June 17, 2006.
"There's Something About Qana," Arutz Sheva (Channel 7), Israel, August 3, 2006.
"Al-Durah: What happened?", Second Draft.
"Film Focus: HR in Hollywood and 'Pallywood'", Honestreporting.com.
Gelernter, David. "When pictures lie", Los Angeles Times, 2005.
"Photo of Palestinian Boy Kindles Debate in France, The New York Times, February 7, 2005.

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