Jewish Images that Injure - M. Woodburry

Israeli Flag

Judaism - a community that must fight against prejudice. Again and again, we see images of brutal Israeli soldiers in the media, the positive headlines about Jews be left it sidelined. Woodbury clearly poses the problem of the media, because they are impartial and are unable to separate the Jews in Israel by Jews from other countries by one and cut all over a comb. Also the fight between Palestine and Israel become a public war.

Housewall in Betlehem

Woodbury begs the question: What is a Jew? Externally, this is barely visible, only if he wears the typical attire of Orthodox Jews. A Jew becomes mostly through his Jewish mother to a Jew or by a public declaration to the Jewish faith.

Jewish neighborhood in Jerusalem

 If you consider the history more accurately, you can see that Jews never adopted the religion of the ruler, because of this they were often persecuted and pushed in certain workspaces, such as the money market. Another reason for the ‘bad’ image of the Jews in the past is that they will remain among themselves and to intermarry.

In General, the most representations of Jews are negative, no matter whether the media of the United or in Hitler’s time in Germany, which occurred mainly through cartoons. You can trace how the individual stereotypes developed.

The biggest current problem is the representation in newspapers through photos. Only a moment is captured and this may distort the situation. Also the internet offer a new platform to rushing against Jews, but it can help to establish contacts to other Jews. It is important to note that there is not the Jew, but diversity. The media often manipulate this, because they equate Israel with world Judaism.

Woodbury makes clear how important it is to scrutinize for example the pictures in media. Are they representing the truth? Or is it a fogging of the real circumstance?

Israeli soldiers at the Western Wall - Jerusalem

Look at this picture: Israeli soldiers at the Western Wall. 

What are they doing there? Do they have a special mission? Or is it just normal that soldiers with their charged guns are strolling at on of the holiest places in the world? 

Pictures have always different perspectives it is difficult to find the right point of view.

Reference:

Woodbury M. 2003. Jewish Images that Injure. In PM Lester and EE Dennis, Eds., Images that Injure: Pictorial Stereotypes in the Media. 2nd edn. 121-130. London: Praeger. Ch15.