Major radio franchise declares war on truth in trip to Israel
American radio network declares war on truth and will visit Israel to shore up its propaganda assault against Christian Palestinians and Muslim Palestinians who are under siege in the Israeli Occupied West Bank and Occupied Jerusalem
By Ray Hanania
Ray Hanania
covering Chicago
City Hall
(1976-1992)
The mainstream American news media is complicit in fomenting violence in the Middle East. Much of the American news media is biased. A good example is Salem Media Group which announced this week a partisan trip to Israel to rally in support of the country’s brutal policies killing Palestinian civilians.
Salem describes itself as a “Christian Broadcasting Network” and syndicates programs to more than 2,600 radio stations across the United States.
Salem Media Group is a radio broadcaster, Internet content provider, and magazine and book publisher that targets Christian American audiences and conservative values. In addition to its radio properties, Salem owns Salem Radio Network, which syndicates talk, news and music programming to approximately 2,600 affiliates; Salem Radio Representatives, a national radio advertising sales force; Salem Web Network, a leading Internet provider of Christian content and online streaming; and Salem Publishing, a leading publisher of Christian themed magazines.
Salem owns and operates 117 radio stations, with 72 stations in the nation’s top 25 markets – and 30 in the top 10, according to Salem’s website.
Yet, Salem’s agenda seems to be very unChristian-like as it seeks to support the oppressive policies of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu which have targeted not only Muslims living as second class citizens in Israel and under Israel’s occupation, but also Christian Palestinians who are brutalized not only in Israel but in the Israeli occupied West Bank.
Salem Broadcasting has made it clear that it doesn’t care about the suffering of Christians, unless they can spin it to support Israel and whitewash Israel’s violent atrocities against the Palestinian civilians.
Among the many talk show hosts on Salem’s syndication are the notoriously anti-Muslim and anti-Arab Michael Medved, Dennis Prager, Bill Bennett and Mike Gallagher.
American radio talk show host, columnist, and author Dennis Prager at the menorah lighting at the California Capitol Building, Sacramento. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The truth is that Salem Broadcasting is cowardly and afraid to tackle real issues, discriminating against individuals who challenge their biased propaganda broadcasts. The radio network is not supportive of Christians because if they were, they would be at the forefront denouncing Israel’s brutality against the fast-diminshing Christian population in Israel and in the Israeli Occupied Territories.
Despite the claims of a small handful of pro-Israeli Christian activists in Israel, the majority of Christians are victimized by Israel. Israel’s government has not only confiscated lands belonging to Muslim Palestinians but they are also engaged in confiscating the lands of Christians in and around Bethlehem, the Birthplace of Christianity and Jesus Christ.
If Jesus were here today, he would be blasting Salem Broadcasting for their unHoly propaganda and one-sided, pro-Israel lies that seek to shield Israel’s atrocities and to cast the conflict as one being led by Arab terrorism instead of being a conflict led by extremism that exists on both sides.
Yes, there is extremism in the Arab community and Arab World, but there is just as much extremism in Israeli society, too, something Salem Broadcasting is fearful of addressing.
Here is the press release issued by Salem this week detailing the anti-Arab Christian/Muslim rally that Salem plans to hold in Occupied Jerusalem:
Salem Media Group (NASDAQ: SALM), announced today that it is bringing nearly 500 of its listeners on a historic “Stand with Israel” trip to the Holy Land. The listeners will be joined by Salem Radio Network hosts Dennis Prager and Mike Gallagher, who will both broadcast their shows on two days in front of hundreds of those listeners.
The shows will broadcast from the Dan Hotel on Monday, November 9th and Tuesday, November 10th. Gallagher will air 9am-Noon ET and Prager will air Noon-3pm ET.
“America and Israel have had a special bond since Israel was originally founded,” said Salem President of Broadcast Media, Dave Santrella. “Our hosts have enormous affection for this country. We decided to invite our listeners to join some of our hosts on a legendary trip to the Holy Land.” Santrella added, “Nearly 500 of Salem’s listeners who are devoted to our stations and our hosts will be joining us on two trips. We are honored to lead this group on a trip they will never forget.”
“Ever since having the privilege of broadcasting from Israel 16 years ago, I’ve really longed for the chance to go back,” said SRN host Mike Gallagher. “To be able to experience the Holy Land with hundreds of listeners is humbling and exciting. Thanks to this partnership between Salem and Genesis Tours, I’m blessed to be able to fulfill yet another item on my bucket list.”
“It is an honor to accompany some nearly 500 listeners to Israel,” said SRN host Dennis Prager. “Unlike Secretary of State John Kerry and, for that matter, far too many academics, most Salem Radio listeners know the difference between right and wrong,” added Prager. “Salem listeners are going to Israel to demonstrate in the most powerful and personal way their support of Israel — the only country in the world targeted for annihilation.”
Dennis Prager has made 20 previous trips to Israel, many of them with listeners. This is Mike Gallagher’s second trip.
Follow us on Twitter @SalemMediaGrp.
ABOUT SALEM MEDIA GROUP:
Salem Media Group is America’s leading Christian and conservative multi-media corporation, with media properties comprising radio, digital media and book, magazine and newsletter publishing. Each day Salem serves a loyal and dedicated audience of listeners and readers numbering in the millions nationally. With its unique programming focus, Salem provides compelling content, fresh commentary and relevant information from some of the most respected figures across the media landscape.
The company, through its Salem Radio Group, is the largest commercial U.S. radio broadcasting company providing Christian and conservative programming. Salem owns and operates 117 local radio stations, with 72 stations in the top 25 media markets. Salem Radio Network (“SRN”) is a full-service national radio network, with nationally syndicated programs comprising Christian teaching and talk, conservative talk, news, and music. SRN is home to many industry-leading hosts including: Bill Bennett, Mike Gallagher, Hugh Hewitt, Michael Medved, Dennis Prager and Eric Metaxas.
Salem New Media is a powerful source of Christian and conservative themed news, analysis, and commentary. Salem’s Christian sites include: Christianity.com®, BibleStudyTools.com, GodTube.com, GodVine.com, WorshipHouseMedia.com and OnePlace.com. Considered by many to be a consolidation of the conservative news and opinion sector’s most influential brands, Salem’s conservative sites include RedState.com, Townhall.com®, HotAir.com, Twitchy.com, BearingArms.com and HumanEvents.com.
Salem’s Regnery Publishing unit, with a 65-year history, remains the nation’s leading publisher of conservative books. Having published many of the seminal works of the early conservative movement, Regnery today continues as the dominant publisher in the conservative space, with leading authors including: Ann Coulter, Dinesh D’Souza, Newt Gingrich, David Limbaugh, Ed Klein and Mark Steyn. Salem’s book publishing business also includes Xulon Press™, a leading provider of self-publishing services for Christian and conservative authors.
Salem Publishing™ publishes Christian and conservative magazines including Homecoming®, YouthWorker Journal™, The Singing News, and Preaching.
Salem’s Eagle Financial Publications provides market analysis and specific investment advice for individual investors from financial commentators Mark Skousen, Nicholas Vardy, Chris Versace, Doug Fabian and Bryan Perry, as well as a stock screening website for dividend investors (DividendInvestor.com). The business unit’s other financial websites include EagleDailyInvestor.com and ETFU.com.
Eagle Wellness provides insightful health advice and is a trusted source of high quality nutritional supplements from some of the country’s leading health experts. Leigh Erin Connealy MD, at NewportNaturalHealth.com, is the medical director of one of the largest medical practices in the country where she practices integrative medicine. Ski Chilton PhD, at GeneSmart.com, is a scientist and full professor at Wake Forest Medical School. He is a leading authority on the impact of diet and nutrition on health.
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.
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