QuoteProject
Hamas is regularly described as 'Iranian-backed Hamas, which is dedicated to the destruction of Israel.' One will be hard put to find something like 'democratically elected Hamas, which has long been calling for a two-state settlement in accord with the international consensus'—blocked for over 30 years by the US and Israel. All true, but not a useful contribution to the Party Line, hence dispensable.
Noam Chomsky
ShareWTF𝕏

Interpretation

What this quote means

The quote critiques the biased representation of Hamas in media, emphasizing the lack of focus on its democratic status and peace proposals.

Noam Chomsky highlights the selective portrayal of Hamas in political discussions, noting how the narrative around the group often emphasizes its militant aspects while downplaying its democratic election and calls for a peaceful resolution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This critique suggests that media and political narratives can be influenced by agendas that overlook complex realities in favor of simpler, more divisive narratives.

Themes

HamasMediaPoliticsConflictTruthNarrative

In practice

Example use cases

In a debate about media bias, one could invoke this quote to illustrate how narratives can marginalize important political contexts.

More from Noam Chomsky

There is no plausible theory under which the record of the Pentagon Papers can be interpreted as relating to the national defense.
Noam ChomskyRead
The 'free-floating intellectual' may occupy himself with problems because of their inherent interest and importance, perhaps to little effect.
Noam ChomskyRead
If you're teaching today what you were teaching five years ago, either the field is dead or you are.
Noam ChomskyRead
There are very few people who are going to look into the mirror and say, 'That person I see is a savage monster;' instead, they make up some construction that justifies what they do.
Noam ChomskyRead
The Republican Party has become overwhelmingly so extreme that it's hardly a traditional political party anymore.
Noam ChomskyRead
There is still much debate about whether torture has been effective in eliciting information - the assumption being, apparently, that if it is effective, then it may be justified.
Noam ChomskyRead

Similar quotes

Politically speaking, it's always easier to shell out money for a disaster that has already happened, with clearly identifiable victims, than to invest money in protecting against something that may or may not happen in the future.
James SurowieckiRead
The U.S. is the last country that should see itself as an ally of the apartheid system.
Oliver TamboRead
There might be a lot of difference between Republicans and Democrats on key social issues like women's rights and health care. But when it comes to taking corporate cash, they're pretty much the same beast.
MobyRead
No wonder Americans hate politics when, year in and year out, they hear politicians make promises that won't come true because they don't even mean them - campaign fantasies that win elections but don't get nations moving again
William J. ClintonRead
Political tags - such as royalist, communist, democrat, populist, fascist, liberal, conservative, and so forth - are never basic criteria. The human race divides politically into those who want people to be controlled and those who have no such desire.
Robert A. HeinleinRead
Broadly speaking, the Southern and Western desert and mountain states will vote for the candidate who endorses an aggressive military, a role for religion in public life, laissez-faire economic policies, private ownership of guns and relaxed conditions for using them, less regulation and taxation, and a valorization of the traditional family.
Steven PinkerRead

A little wisdom, now and then

Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.