WHY?

In this blog you can listen to and read about our
newborn program, This Week In Jerusalem
TWIJ
,
produced by Zion Public Radio,
an educational nonprofit.

But why? Why this program?
Does TWIJ have a right to life?


I propose 10 reasons why it does. What do you think?


  1. Virtually all U.S. news, opinion-shows and other Western media talk about Israel. None of them focus on listening to her. As a result we've all but forgotten that news about Israel involves real people, real families.
    TWIJ believes it is impossible to see anyone's humanity without listening to them. That's why our commitment is to hear and understand what Israelis have to say.

  2. From Fox to PBS to Britain's BBC, Western news revolves around the question, "What is in our country's best interest?"
    TWIJ gives Israelis a platform to address topics centered on the question, "How do these issues affect the men, women and children of Israel?"

  3. Secular news, talk-shows and religious programming align themselves with various opinions about Israel.
    In contrast, TWIJ's top priority is building a relationship with the people of Israel by hearing what they have to say: the kind of relationship that makes allowance for very different convictions.

    Yes, we encounter conflicting beliefs. When we differ, those differences matter. And yes, we too have strong convictions (in case you haven't noticed
    ). But take note: near the top is this one: listening to our neighbor is a moral obligation, not a moral compromise.

  4. Mainstream secular media is rabidly PC. And today's PC is that Israel is morally responsible for Radical Islam's murderous rage. This conviction is so pervasive in the news that Israel's right to exist is regarded dubious. What the Washington Post calls Britain's New Anti-Semitism is taking root in the U.S. too.
    TWIJ explicitly affirms Israel's right to exist, no less than the USA or any other country, as a fully sovereign nation under G-d.

  5. Radical Islam is spending petro-billions to sell its spin to Western News consumers. It...

    • ...underwrites its own networks: like Iran's super-slick and scary IRIB, along with the "respectable" Al Jezerra through whom all Radical Islamic terror groups funnel threats and claims;

    • ...trains and sends polished lobbyists to Washington, DC loaded with money; and

    • ...educates and bankroles what might be called, Media Reps At-Large—like the super-smooth Adel al-Jubeir. Click his name; trust me, you'll recognize this guy.
    TWIJ is like Tom Thumb going against these Goliaths. But we're willing. All we need, relative to them, is a slingshot and some stones (also known as Resources).

  6. Articulate opponents of Israel get tons of air time and print space in the Western press. And the opinions they express, no matter how inconsistent or factually wrong, are enhanced by a tone, an atmosphere, of credibility.
    TWIJ provides a desperately needed counter-balance, broadcasting the opinions of patriotic Israelis—including a wide variety of pros and cons about all kinds of issues.

  7. From the White House to the United Nations and even to the Knesset, Israel's existence and policies are measured against the shifty, blurry standards of global sensibilities. Call it the All-Arguments-Have-Equal-Moral-Merit point of view.
    TWIJ regards this perspective as logically absurd, and its self-righteous expressions, hypocritical. Every program we produce assumes that Israel's existence, policies and future, are measured against independent standards that never change: universal moral laws revealed in the Bible—the only holy book among all the world's religions that explicitly endows a Specific People with a Specific Land.

  8. In the West and at best, Jewish people—especially citizens of Israel—are regarded odd.
    TWIJ looks at the Bible and concludes that all Jewish people are G-d's people in a unique way: they are the apple of his eye.

  9. More often than not, Western politicians and newsmakers see their cultures' survival relative to appeasing Radical Islam. No wonder they insist that Israel make concessions to her publicly sworn enemies.
    TWIJ regards Israel's existence as fundamental to the West's survival. Sacrificing Israel, all at once or piece by piece, is nothing less than cutting off one's own legs in order to cure a headache.

  10. Western culture takes its existence for granted, independent of the past.
    TWIJ recognizes that Western culture owes its existence to Israel's history and culture. And not only to Israel's past-history, but also to her current and future history.

    That's why, after listening to Israel, TWIJ encourages it audience to act: for our own sake, doing everything we can to ensure Israel's prosperity.

Does This Week In Jerusalem fill a need? Does it have a right to life? Should it grow and thrive? These 10 reasons compel us to answer, ...Yes.

But when it comes to TWIJ, it really does take a village—a community of people who share our values and our vision.

Are you part of this village, this community? If so, no matter who you are, TWIJ's viability and growth depend on your encouragement. And participation.

Share the dream. Join the team.
Become a Charter Member of Zion Public Radio.








Brian


This Week In Jerusalem
is a production of ZION PUBLIC RADIO,
an educational 501(c)(3) U.S. nonprofit organization
incorporated in the State of Texas

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

The question is, why is this topic still being discussed when there are real tragedies in life and real battles to win (cancer, hunger, poverty, cruelty the list goes on)? Here are a group of people who have been battling over a small piece of land for centuries, it is ridiculous. I can’t be the only one who turns off the radio or TV when this subject arises. It has gone on too long and to me it epitomizes all that is wrong with man.

Anonymous said...

Fascinating stuff, Brian! Thanks for keeping me on your list. Not only for this, but for the opportunity to follow the paths that you find yourself on throughout life's journey. I find actually myself unwittingly quoting you from time to time. I know, that's a scary thing, and it surprises me, too! One of your quotes, "...even among those who are devoutly religious, the human body is automatically regarded as more important than the spirit or the soul," finds itself into my lectures and conversations on a regular basis. Hope this finds you well.

Gardenbuzzy said...

C.S.Lewis made a statement that I have used as a signature quote from time to time. "You do not have a soul. You ARE a soul. You HAVE a body." I think that is the way we are to think of ourselves. When our physical body dies (and they all do) our eternal self will go on to live forever.

I firmly believe in Israel's right to exist, in spite of the rest of the world's opinions (opinions engendered by Satan himself).

Anonymous said...

The site looks great. The content, heartfelt and thought-provoking.

Looks like you're having fun while trying to contribute something to this crazy world.

Nice work. Shalom.

Anonymous said...

Respectfully D, you are missing a vital point. The Arab-Israeli conflict is the epicenter of the current global war that Islamic Fascism has initiated against ALL non-Muslims. *And* against fellow Muslims who don't subscribe to their particular brand of bloodthirsty barbarism. Just look at today's mosque bombing in Pakistan by Al Queada (Gregorian: 2007.12.21).

It is all connected; don't you see? Ahmandinijad, Al Quaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas, Fatah, Islamic Jihad... All have frequently and forcefully stated their goal of our destruction. Which means not only the destruction of Israel and the United States, but also the destruction of global democracy, global liberty, global freedom. All countries who cherish these ideals should be united to stop this scourge upon the earth. If these fanatics gain possession of nuclear weapons, all bets are off.

It's a matter of seeing the big picture; ignoring this real and present danger would make many other points moot.

I'm a teacher, mother, grandmother, and lifelong volunteer. There are many causes I support; but I believe the most vital one is doing what I can to raise awareness about a uniquely heinous and dangerous kind of child abuse: Muslim fanatics teaching their their children that comitting suicide in order to kill as many others as possible is the greatest success they could achieve in life. They rob these innocent human beings of their childhood and their lives and teach them lies and hatred.

I saw a video demonstration of good simple mathematical reasoning to explain why it is in our best interest to try to stop global warming rather than ignore it: because the stakes are nothing less than life as we know it.

The same argument applies to another global threat that is, in fact, one of the greatest dangers the people of the world have ever faced; Islamic Fascism. You've heard the famous quote from a Holocaust survivor - "If someone tells you they're going to kill you, believe them."

Yes, I do believe that there are many good reasons why the people of the world should be discussing what needs to be done to stop Islamo-Fascist madness. That, I believe, is what we are supposed to do.

Another famous quote that is pertinent here: "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do nothing." The Bible teaches us that it is our job to repair the world as much as we are able.

And that is why I think THIS WEEK IN JERUSALEM is such a worthy project. Success and blessings on the endeavor. B"H

Anonymous said...

The question is, why is this topic still being discussed when there are real tragedies in life and real battles to win (cancer, hunger, poverty, cruelty the list goes on)? Here are a group of people who have been battling over a small piece of land for centuries, it is ridiculous. I can’t be the only one who turns off the radio or TV when this subject arises. It has gone on too long and to me it epitomizes all that is wrong with man.