Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Podcast Info
    • Hanania Podcast intro
    • Live Arab Radio
  • Your Views
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Toggle search form
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022 Activism
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast Arab News
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022
    Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland American Arabs
  • Voting sticker issued to voters in Cook County elections in 2016. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Gov. Pritzker Announces Six Appointments to Boards and Commissions — no Arabs included American Arabs
  • Closure notice posted on the doors and windows of Arab American businesses during Mayor Lori Lightfoot's closure of Arab owned stores in June - Sept. 2021. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Pritzker again ignores needs of Arab businesses in latest appointments Activism
  • Arab American Democratic Club (AADC) official candidate endorsements for the November 8, 2022 General elections.
    Arab American Democratic Club issues endorsements for Nov. 8, 2022 Cook County Illinois elections Activism
  • Arab Democrats urge NO VOTE on Gov. J.B. Pritzker re-election bid Activism
  • Assyrian American GOP issues endorsements in Nov, 8, 2022 elections
    Assyrian American GOP group endorses candidates in Illinois Activism
  • Abdullah Hammoud, elected Mayor of Dearborn Nov. 2, 2021. Photo courtesy of Abdullah Hammoud Facebook Page
    AHRC’s 2022 Spirit of Humanity Gala a Great Success American Arabs
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts Arab World
  • Rep. Cyril Nichols to be feted by supporters at fundraiser Saturday Oct. 22 Activism
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri Activism

Palestinian failures come down to absence of strategic PR

Posted on August 25, 2015August 25, 2015 By rayhanania No Comments on Palestinian failures come down to absence of strategic PR
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

The greatest power in America and the world is strategic communications. It can make the truth look like a lie, and a lie look like the truth. While Israel masters the art of strategic communications, the Arab World has failed to use it resulting in the increasing world stereotypes that are driving the devastation of the Arab World, from Palestine to Syria

By Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania covering Chicago City Hall (1976-1992)
Ray Hanania
covering Chicago
City Hall
(1976-1992)

Former Vice President Dick Cheney proved one thing on March 19, 2003 when America invaded Iraq.

Cheney proved that the American people will believe anything, including a lie, if you present it clearly, persuasively, and wrap it in the fundamental racist nature of the American people.

Only weeks before the Iraq invasion, polling showed more than 72 percent of Americans believed Iraq’s Saddam Hussein was directly involved in the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Of course, more than a decade later, we know that was a lie Cheney pushed to justify the unjustified invasion.

Americans will believe anything, including lies, if those lies are presented persuasively, effectively and wrapped into a message that they believe. Imagine for a moment, if you present the truth? Without good PR spin, Americans won’t believe it.

Americans wanted revenge against someone, but the 19 hijackers, most from Saudi Arabia, a key ally of the Bush-Cheney administration, had denied that revenge by committing suicide.

Americans were craving for revenge. Cheney gave it to them someplace else.

President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, Vic...
President George W. Bush, Mrs. Laura Bush, Vice President Dick Cheney and Mrs. Lynne Cheney bow their heads for a moment of silence on the South Lawn of the White House Tuesday, Sept. 11, 2007, in memory of those whose lives were lost on Sept. 11, 2001. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Cheney got help reinforcing this false thesis from Israel, which has mastered the art of strategic communications propaganda, twisting facts into lies and lies into facts.

A Palestinian militant driven by vengeance fires a makeshift rocket into Israel that has little chance of doing any real damage, and Israel launches a massive airstrike with hundreds of missiles killing scores of Palestinian civilians.

The Americans blame Hamas, the same way the American blamed Saddam Hussein for Sept. 11.

Iraq was Israel’s worst enemy. Israel’s lobby, AIPAC, was actively engaged in strategizing to build anti-Iraqi sentiment among Americans. Israel was behind the 1990 war against Iraq, the decade long embargo which resulted in the killing of millions of Iraq civilians including hundreds of thousands of children, and positioning Iraq as the fall-guy for the Sept. 11 American retribution.

Israel’s lobby has America’s national government in a political headlock. Anything Israel wants, Israel gets by bullying members of Congress, throwing around accusations of “anti-Semitism” against its critics, and using strategic communications to wrap their false claims in the cover of sensibility.

Cheney, who was very close to the Israeli lobby and Israel’s growing rightwing, recognized all this. He quickly exploited what is essentially a flaw in the American mind. Strategic communications directs that you take your message and wrap it up in an issue that the target audience believes is important. He focused the American need for revenge against Saddam Hussein and Iraq.

And while the leadership of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorists was based in Afghanistan and Pakistan, where Osama Bin Laden was finally assassinated more than eight years later, the major military thrust of manpower and taxpayer dollars was directed instead towards Iraq, Cheney’s priority.

Iraq continues to remain out greatest threat, where the rise of the Islamic State terrorists have easily carved out a base founded on the growing anger of the Arab World over Cheney’s obvious lies.

All Cheney did was employ strategic communications to achieve his goals.

So you have to ask, why don’t the pro-Arab activists do it, too? Why don’t they use strategic communications not only to counter the pro-Israel lies but to also show the American people how Palestinians are the real victims?

Unfortunately, the Arabs don’t believe in strategic communications, for an array of reasons.

Arabs come from a region of the world controlled by dictators and tyrants – all imposed on the Arab people by so-called Democracies like America, Britain and France. Arab tyrants punish free speech involving politics, and thereby cripple the rise of political public relations and destroy politically-based strategic messaging. PR is anathema to Arabs.

Pro-Palestinian activists are constantly under siege. They are oppressed and sold out by their own governments. They are up against what appears to be an insurmountable force by the pro-Israel lobby.

The pro-Israel lobby and Israel’s government spend hundreds of millions each year on a wide range of strategic communications, and sophisticated public relations that includes press releases, movies, television programs, books, news media stories and radio.

Israelis have built an industry identifying issues embraced by their target audience (the American people) that can easily and effectively deliver their messages to the American people.

For example, Americans are predominantly a Christian people. And yet, Israel, through strategic communications backed by millions of dollars in investments and assets, have convinced Americans that Arab Christians are not worth saving.

Israel is engaged in widespread theft of land from Christian Palestinians in Bethlehem, the birthplace of Jesus and Christianity itself. Bethlehem is under siege and yet the Israelis have convinced the feeble-minded, easily brainwashed American people through clever and cunning public relations spin, that the Islamic extremists threaten the survival of Christianity.

Islamic extremists do threaten the survival of Christians throughout the Arab and Muslim World, but not in Israel. In Israel, Israel threatens the existence of Christianity.

Israel doesn’t care about Christians in Iraq or Syria. It cares about the lands it wants in Palestine. Israel’s government goes to great lengths to push Christians, and Muslims and all non-Jews, out of those lands.

There is no such thing as an Israeli “Christian Settlement” in the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. All of the settlements are Jewish-only!

The pro-Palestinian activists are frustrated in their failed communications so often that they have become accustomed to allowing their emotions to drive their activism.

Emotion is the death knell of effective communications, which is why Israel always wins and the pro-Palestinian activists always lose.

And, of course, strategic communications can’t work, if you don’t use it.

The Arabs spend billions of everything, but not on penny on effective communications, public relations spin, or lobbying the American people.

Blame Israel all you want. But I know where the real blame lies.

Ray Hanania is an award-winning Palestinian American columnist managing editor of The Arab Daily News at www.TheArabDailyNews.com. Follow him on Twitter @RayHanania. To find out more about Ray Hanania and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit www.creators.com. COPYRIGHT 2015 CREATORS.COM.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States - January 19, 2023
  • Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 - January 18, 2023
  • CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd - January 12, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Arab World, Bloggers, Christian & Muslim, Commentary, Gulf States, Israel, North Africa, Palestine & Jordan, Ray Hanania, Syria Tags:Dick Cheney, Iraq, Israel, Palestine, strategic communications

Post navigation

Previous Post: What are Christians Doing Today in the Holy Land?
Next Post: Gaza schools in shambles as children return

Related Posts

  • Easter Message and Christian Fundamentalism American Arabs
  • Government Accountability Project and Mordechai Vanunu Google Alerts Arab World
  • Taking it to the Streets: March and Rally for The Nuclear Ban American Arabs
  • Like an Eagle for the USS LIBERTY American Arabs
  • Hamas Israel Ceasefire International Court and Palestinian Resistance Unity Arab World
  • Rouhy Shalabi sworn in as an Associate Judge in the Circuit Court of Cook County on Monday Jan. 6, 2020. Photo courtesy of Dave Shalabi.
    Rouhy Shalabi named Associate Judge in Cook County American Arabs

More Related Articles

Holy Week registration begins for Orthodox Christians American Arabs
If Bob Dylan Were Palestinian “Blowin’ in the Wind” Would Blow the Doors off Israel’s Occupation Arab World
Palestinian Leader Dr. Hanan Ashrawi. Photo courtesy of the PLO Ashrawi: Palestinians will not surrender to permanent dispossession and subjugation Arab World
Two months in Palestine: A Snapshot of oppression Arab World
Like an Eagle for the USS LIBERTY American Arabs
Radio Interview with Arab American publisher Mansour Tadros American Arabs

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • Tiktok.com/@RayHanania
    Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States
    January 19, 2023
  • Ghassan Rubeiz
    To what extent is Hezbollah responsible for the current crisis in Lebanon?
    January 17, 2023
  • Image from Rashid-al-Din Hamadani's "A Compendium of Chronicles. Image courtesy of Wikipedia
    Why allow religious extremists to re-define Islam in the West?
    January 10, 2023
  • CAIR Executive Director and co-founder Nihad Awad
    This Thanksgiving, let’s use our Blessings for good
    November 23, 2022
  • NEWS
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022
    January 4, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd
    January 12, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action
    January 11, 2023
  • Stand up For Human Rights website, United Nations
    UN experts condemn Israel’s ‘sadistic’ punitive measures against French-Palestinian rights defender Salah Hammouri
    October 19, 2022

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Ad-Pantry-essentials.jpg
  • ZiyadBrandLogo-2016BlackRedBackgrnd.jpg
  • 08-09-21-Ziyad-Sices-Ad.jpg
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib, book cover. Photo courtesy of Cune Press
    Stories My Father Told Me by author and artist Helen Zughaib
    November 1, 2021
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme