Media Policies Handbook on Jerusalem

Contents

Media Policies for Covering Jerusalem

Spreading Knowledge of Jerusalem’s Civilization and History

Media coverage of the occupation’s violations, policy of Judaization policy and demographic threat to Jerusalem’s residents

Media Coverage of Violations of Religious Freedoms and Cultural Life in Jerusalem

Media Policies for Confronting the Israeli Occupation’s Narrative Regarding Jerusalem

Journalistic Measures Strengthening Jerusalem’s Presence in Media

Media Terminology Specific to Jerusalem

Commonly Used False Terms

Media Policies Handbook on Jerusalem

A handbook for media professionals, journalists and media institutions on covering Jerusalem

Media Policies for Covering Jerusalem

This part presents the most prominent media policies related to coverage of Jerusalem issue. Other policies will be discussed in separate chapters. The most prominent policies include:

• Stressing that the city of Jerusalem is the capital of Palestine and that
  it is an Arab city deeply rooted in history. The city – namely its Islamic
  and Christian sanctities and its cultural value – has a unique status in
  the world. This makes it a place for the coexistence of religious groups
  on the one hand and the focus of wars and occupation on the other.
  Zionist paramilitary groups occupied West Jerusalem during the Nakba
  of 1948 and then, in 1967, Israel expanded its occupation to the Eastern
  part of Jerusalem by force – without the historical right to govern it.
  Since then, the entire city has remained under an occupation that, since
  its inception, has falsified the city’s identity and landmarks, as well as
  changing its demographic character by pressuring Jerusalemites to
  leave and intensifying illegal settlements. Therefore, it is important
  when presenting the current conflict in Jerusalem to emphasise that it
  is a political conflict involving a colonial entity, rather than a religious
  conflict.
• Rejecting the occupation and reversing its political, legal, social and
  cultural effects in Jerusalem and all of Palestine. This is a principled
  position based on the act of occupation and aggression, not on the
  identity of the occupiers, their religion or their ethnicity.
• Working to refute and deny the Zionist narrative and its historical
  claims regarding Jerusalem, instead working to reinforce the presence
  and distribution of the Muslim, Arab, scientific and documented
  narrative regarding Jerusalem, its sanctities, history, culture and
  current occupation.
• Giving attention to the various aspects of Jerusalem, including
  political, humanitarian, religious, cultural, social, legal and otheraspects. In addition, giving special attention to matters relating to Al-
  Aqsa Mosque and other Islamic and Christian sanctities in Jerusalem and Israel’s violation of them. Reiterating the need to deal with all
  Palestinian Muslims and Christians as a unit within the national
  context and monitor all of their affairs.
• Shedding light on efforts to support the Jerusalem issue, show
  solidarity with it, show interest in activities, positions and statements
  regarding it and highlighting the responsibility of Arabs and Muslims
  towards Jerusalem. This is in addition to the principled, humanitarian
  and ethical responsibilities of the international community.
• Media outlets must refrain from dealing with the Jerusalem issue in
  a sporadic manner and must instead consider it a central issue in the
  Arab-Israeli conflict. Media must constantly keep it as a top priority, or
  become distracted from it by local, regional or international events;
  with coverage of Jerusalem constant, yet not excessive. During calmer
  times, media outlets should work on preparing carefully-curated press
  materials look into the details of the issue, the reasons behind it and
  basic knowledge of the Jerusalem issue.
• Media planning and taking into consideration the development of
  media discourse regarding Jerusalem based on the studies and advice
  of media research centres. The history of Jerusalem should always be
  marked on the anniversary of events.
• Avoiding narrow, partisan approaches when covering Jerusalem and
  refraining from exploiting the issue in political and media exchanges.
  It is also important to highlight the city’s collective nature, which
  brings together all Palestinians, Arabs and Muslims and advocates for
  human rights and justice.
• Diversifying angles of media coverage related to Jerusalem, its
  contents, types and means, in accordance with the specialisation of
  each media outlet and type, as well as the characteristics particular
  to each audience group and their interest. One must also take into
  consideration the timing of the coverage and the context of the
  events and developments, in order to successfully reach all audiences.
  In terms of context, such diversification includes: religious, political,
  historical, cultural, security, etc. Diversification in audience includes:
  elites, youth, women, children, etc. and in terms of means includes:
  social media, modern media, traditional media, etc.

Spreading Knowledge of Jerusalem’s Civilization and History

One of the most important media policies related to Jerusalem’s coverage is expanding Arab, religious and universal knowledge of the issues of the city, its identity and history. This can be achieved by:

• Addressing historical, cultural and civilizational aspects of
  Jerusalem, and highlighting these aspects relative to different Arab
  and Muslim nations, the city, and Al-Aqsa Mosque. This should also
  be applied to the religious aspect, in addition to highlighting the
  special historical and spiritual bonds bringing together Arab and
  Muslim communities in Jerusalem. The deeply-rooted presence of
  Palestinians in Jerusalem should also be emphasised, along with
  the eternal relationship between the people and the place itself,
  thus reinforcing Arab and Muslim nations’ affiliation and ties to the
  city.
• Raising public awareness of Al-Aqsa Mosque, its status, value and
  the myriad dangers and threats posed to it by the occupation. Major
  areas of negligence or lack of knowledge among the public must
  be addressed. They must understand the relationship between the
  various buildings constituting Al-Aqsa Mosque, such as the Dome of
  the Rock, Al-Qibli Chapel, etc. This is perhaps all the more significant
  given that some believe the iconic golden dome is that of Al-Aqsa
  Mosque. However, it is in fact the Dome of the Rock, which is
  considered part of Al-Aqsa Mosque and located within the walls of
  the Al-Aqsa compound. To this end, knowledge should be spread on
  Jerusalem’s landmarks, Muslim and Christian sanctities, historical
  and civilizational characteristics, its neighbourhoods, areas and
  geography.
• Relying on the studies of non-Palestinian and Jewish historians and
  researchers who have tried to expose the false Zionist narratives
  regarding Jerusalem and the Temple. Such experts have also tried to
  uncover the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians, the policies of forced
  expulsion and massacres committed by Israelis against Palestinian
  towns and villages, as well as other critical narratives and issues.
  These scholars are called “new historians” or “new Israeli historians”.

Media coverage of the occupation’s violations

The occupation explicitly seeks to Judaize Jerusalem to rid the city of its Palestinian inhabitants. To this end, it threatens Palestinians’ demographic presence in Jerusalem through excessively racist measures and blatant violations of Palestinians’ human right to live in peace. This requires media outlets to focus on the following:

• Measures being taken to Judaize Jerusalem, reshape its landmarks,
  and most significantly Israel’s annexation of Jerusalem through
  administrative decisions (such as judicial decisions, education, laws
  by legal and administrative organisations, municipal elections,
  public services and facilities). This also includes changing the names
  of neighbourhoods and streets, building a large number of Jewish
  synagogues and museums in the city, destroying Muslim cemeteries
  and shutting down increasingly larger numbers of Palestinian
  institutions in Jerusalem.
• The adoption of policies of economic pressure such as imposed closures
  and economic besiegement. The economy has also been Judaized by
  means of the imposition of excessive taxes on the city’s local products,
  high cost of living and burdening citizens with taxes and fines such as
  income tax, VAT, property tax, municipal tax, national insurance tax,
  television tax, UNRWA tax, city improvement tax, etc. There has also been a reduction in the level of basic services of Palestinian dominated-
  areas, in order to force Palestinians to leave Jerusalem.
• Settlements and the Apartheid Wall contribute significantly to some of
  Jerusalem’s major problems, given the constant settlement expansion
  and confiscation of land. Land suitable for construction is seized under
  the pretext of establishing green areas and natural reserves. The
  occupation also deliberately uses the Wall to divide and separate entire
  Palestinian neighbourhoods from Jerusalem and the West Bank. This
  has a destructive impact on the fabric of Palestinian society, given that
  it isolates a large number of Palestinians from Jerusalem, effectively
  reducing the number of worshippers at holy sites. In addition to this,
  settlement activity and repeated settler attacks on Jerusalemites occur
  under Israeli police protection.
• Israel’s plans have aimed to displace and expel Palestinians, and replace
  them with immigrants. This has manifested in Jerusalem in the form
  of policies to revoke Palestinians’ identity cards under various pretexts,
  revoking or restricting permanent residencies and refusing to grant
  identity cards to those living outside of the city. The occupation also
  silently expels Jerusalemites by confiscating their land, demolishing
  their homes, forcing road closures, imposing restrictions on travel
  outside of the country for Jerusalemites, imposing restrictions on family
  reunification visas for spouses not living in Jerusalem, and imposing
  restrictions on and rejecting requests for the reunification of relatives
  in order to force family members living in Jerusalem to leave. The
  occupation has also prevented the increase of the Palestinian population
  in Jerusalem.
• There have also been policies adopted to confiscate the
  land of Palestinians by purchase, seizing homes and shops under the
  pretext of settler ownership through forged documents and by using
  deceptive means and coercive procedures.
• The occupation commits violations in the area of public health in
  Jerusalem, and creates obstacles limiting Palestinians’ access to health
  services in the Eastern part of Jerusalem, despite forcing them to pay
  for Israeli health insurance. In addition to this, the occupation has
  further marginalised the health sector’s infrastructure and tried to
  eliminate Palestinian institutional health system, replacing them with
  alternative services to ensure dependence on the occupation and its
  separation from the broader Palestinian health system, in addition to
  other violations.

Media Coverage of Violations of Religious Freedoms and Cultural Life in Jerusalem

The occupation’s violation of religious and cultural freedoms, as well
as its violation of international and humanitarian law, requires a media framework focusing on:

The hindrance of educational and cultural life of the Jerusalemite community, and attempts by the Israeli establishment to control the education sector. This includes imposing the Israeli curriculum on Palestinian primary schools and the “Israelization” of education. A number of schools lack a minimum level of basic supplies (such as stationery), with teachers and educational institutions constantly attacked, killed or destroyed in the case of the latter. Teachers and students are arrested, targeted or killed, while obstacles constantly prevent them from reaching schools. Religious and scientific classes are prohibited, while schools are consistently being closed down and community initiatives related to education are banned. This includes harassing “Masateb” (students) inside Al-Aqsa. Meanwhile, Israeli universities where Jerusalemite students study teach only in Hebrew, while the Israeli authorities do not recognise some Palestinian universities and their degrees.

• The occupation’s continuous attempts, some of which have proved
  successful, to divide Al-Aqsa temporally and spatially between
  Muslims and Jews through imposed status quo policies achieving the
  aforementioned violations. This constitutes a blatant violation of the sanctity of holy sites, freedom of religion and Muslims’ right to Al-
  Aqsa Mosque.
• Highlighting the occupation’s violation of the sanctity of Muslim and
  Christian holy sites and cracking down on the performance of Muslim
  and Christian religious rituals in Al-Aqsa Mosque and Jerusalem’s
  churches. The occupation prevents Palestinians from entering
  Jerusalem to perform religious rituals by erecting walls, barriers and
  checkpoints. The occupation has also taken arbitrary measures such
  as repeated closures of and raids on Al-Aqsa Mosque, in addition to
  attempts to empower radical occupation groups towards their claims
  to the mosque, by conducting tours and prayers in the mosque under
  force of arms. It also continues its policy of archaeological excavations,
  which violate the sanctity of Al-Aqsa Mosque and threaten its
  foundations and structure. These excavations serve as the pretext
  to build shrines. The occupation is constantly seeking to undermine
  and demolish Al-Aqsa Mosque by means of continued excavations
  and tunnelling under the mosque, with complete disregard for
  international and humanitarian conventions and charters that
  guarantee the freedom of religion, and prohibit attacks on religious
  sanctities.
• The invalidity of the occupation’s claims of its right to Al-Aqsa
  Mosque and its claims that it is the location of the alleged Temple.
  The falsehood of these claims are rooted in international law and
  historical fact, which prompted UNESCO to ignore the claims of a
  Jewish connection to Al-Aqsa Mosque and Al-Buraq Wall and led to its
  issuance of a permanent resolution stating that Al-Aqsa is a Muslim
  heritage site in 2016.

Media Policies for Confronting the Israeli Occupation’s Narrative
Regarding Jerusalem

Linking developments on the ground, such as the Intifadas (Uprisings)
and acts of Palestinian resistance in Jerusalem, to the reality of occupation, aggression and the violations committed by the occupation against them in the city. Palestinian activities must be shown as logical and legitimate reactions to this reality. In addition to this, the notion that the national Palestinian struggle cannot be separated from the Arab struggle, especially regarding the issue of
Jerusalem, must be emphasised.

• It is important to refute the occupation’s narrative and false claims
  regarding Jerusalem, which it spreads in several languages in the
  form of propaganda. The occupation has further adopted the slogan
  of the Jewish state, claiming Jerusalem is the capital of Israel or the
  capital of the national Jewish state, while falsifying behind Jerusalem
  and its name. The occupation further promotes itself as an extension
  of Western civilisation to confront Muslims and their civilisation,
  focusing on its claims of the historical Jewish link to Palestine. It is
  important to respond to such claims by using methods of persuasion,
  citing dates, numbers and events, while steering clear of offensive
  language and name-calling. It is also important to present the facts
  and the analysis of events in a manner that ensures the refutation
  of the Israeli narrative, and instead strengthens the Arab and Muslim
  narrative.
• Addressing the propaganda, implications and contexts of Judaization
  by interacting with the occupation’s media coverage, including quoting
  and translating it. This requires subjecting translated text from Israeli
  media to stringent standards of media and editorial policy.
• Highlighting contradictions between Israeli leaderships’ policies and
  their aggressive practices, by citing and identifying illegal, inhumane
  positions and statements, including MK and the raid of Al-Aqsa by
  ministers’, or their support of violations against Jerusalem and
  Jerusalemites.
• Avoid reliance only on secondary news sources, such as the occupation’s
  sources regarding the Jerusalem issue, while instead relying primarily
  on local Palestinian sources, bodies and institutions specialising in
  Jerusalem affairs, as well as trusted media sources.
• Careful use of terms and expressions regarding Jerusalem and relying
  on specialists to choose and formulate such expressions and terms. It
  is important to keep in mind that the occupation constantly uses false
  expressions to erase or conceal facts, change Jerusalem’s landmarks
  and eliminate the cultural identity of the city.

Journalistic Measures Strengthening Jerusalem’s Presence in Media

Media outlets must rely on trusted and varied sources to inform its angles and focus on the Jerusalem issue. The following are standards and factors for selecting media sources, and fact checking information regarding the Jerusalem issue:

• Humanising context related to Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Mosque, while
  simultaneously giving attention to information and news in a manner
  allowing for telling stories and reporting events from a humanitarian
  angle. An example of this would be enriching a story limited to
  reporting on the destruction of homes in Jerusalem, by instead going
  further and reporting on the family’s living conditions, the reactions
  of the children, and how they would go to school the next day, etc.
• Giving attention to all media forms and practices, electronic
  publishing, and the diversification of media coverage of Jerusalem
  affairs in a manner achieving the greatest amount of benefit. Such
  methods and technologies can reflect the reality of Jerusalem and its
  challenges.
• Ensuring professional journalism based on technical editorial and
  media principles, such as:Working based on the principle of «careful journalism» and
  «investigative journalism» when covering the issue of Jerusalem,
  i.e. to work in accordance with the values of accuracy, credibility,
  comprehensiveness, verification and traceability. Such careful
  journalism gives the opportunity for further depth, analysis and
  investigative journalism, while presenting media material in an
  appropriate and skilful manner.Working based on the principle of “explanatory journalism”
  which should explain Jerusalem’s issues, clarify its aspects,
  dimensions, effects and the issues behind events and violations,
  without remaining restricted to “news journalism”.
• Working based on the principle of “explanatory journalism”
  which should explain Jerusalem’s issues, clarify its aspects,
  dimensions, effects and the issues behind events and violations,
  without remaining restricted to “news journalism”.
• Using the principle of “solution-based journalism”, since the
  majority of reported issues present problems without providing
  solutions to these issues. With regards to the Jerusalem issue,
  it is important for investigative journalism to look for solutions
  addressing problems resulting from the occupation, specifically
  in regards to humanitarian issues.
• Using means of presentation and explanation, such as visual aids
  and topography such as 3D maps, which showcase the effect
  of the occupation and its settlement in the holy city. It will also
  accurately present its landmarks and geography, in addition to
  pictures, videos and infographics.
• Media coordination with Arab and Palestinian newspapers in
  order to unify the Arab media narrative and discourse, as well
  as media terms used in media outlets and forums serving
  Jerusalem’s cause. There should also be organisation of media
  campaigns explaining threats and dangers posed to Jerusalem,
  supported by heavy-hitting media and visual resources prepared
  in advance. This should coordinated with media outlets, book
  publishers, journalism unions, etc.
• There is an urgent need to develop media content and formulate
  suitable and diverse media messages, as with producing shows,
  films and programmes related to Jerusalem. Such materials and
  productions should suit the Arab and international audience and
  be produced in various languages, maximizing engagement with
  each audience.
• Reduce the magnitude of media outlets’ reliance on fully
  quoting international news agencies, and relying mainly on
  correspondents and media representatives on the ground, as well
  as local sources located in Jerusalem.

Media Terminology Specific to Jerusalem

• There is sometimes a disparity in terminology used by various media
  outlets in relation to Jerusalem. This guide suggests a number of
  factors that can help control terms and their uses. They are as follows:
• Use terms preserving Palestinians’ right to resistance, liberation,
  return and the establishment of a sovereign state with Jerusalem
  as its capital. Refrain from using terms or names that could suggest
  the occupation has a right to Jerusalem (such as the Wailing Wall
  and Protective Wall). The original Arab names of cities, towns and
  facilities should be used instead of Hebrew names (such as Har Homa
  Mountain, which is actually Jabal Abu Ghneim).
• The terms used by the occupation should not be used without scrutiny
  and the term “occupation” should be added to the occupation’s
  state institutions. Terms that specifically express the occupation’s
  human rights violations should be used, including the “occupation
  government”, “occupation army”, “occupation police”, “occupation
  parliament”, “occupation’s attack”, “occupation’s crime”, “occupation’s
  terrorism”, etc.

Commonly Used False Terms

 

ISRAELI TERM	ALTERNATIVE TERM
1.      Yerushalaim	Jerusalem
2.      Jewish Quarter	Al-Sharaf neighbourhood and Moroccan Quarter
3.      Wailing Wall	Al-Buraq Wall
4.      Solomon’s Temple	Al-Aqsa Mosque
5.      Temple Mount	Al-Aqsa Mosque, Jabal Bayt Al-Maqdis, Al-Haram Al-Sharif
6.      Holy Basin	Old City
7.      Har Horma Mountain	Jabal Abu Ghneim
8.      City of David	Silwan neighbourhood, Holy Jerusalem
9.      Soloman’s Stables	Marwani Prayer Hall
10.  Greater Jerusalem	Occupied Jerusalem
11.  West Jerusalem	Occupied West Jerusalem
12.  East Jerusalem	Occupied East Jerusalem
13.  Jerusalem Municipality	Occupation Municipality in Jerusalem
14.  Promised Land	Palestine