Badge Books Blog

Language that kills

Robert Fisk's book on Israeli foreign relations shows how the rhetoric of 'terrorism' is as dangerous as the people it describes.

Last week, Israel declared Gaza an "enemy entity", following almost daily rocket attacks. Like most of what passes for diplomatic relations in Palestine, the declaration produces a sense of weary déjà vu.

To my mind, the quintessential book on Israel's relations with its neighbours remains journalist Robert Fisk's Pity the Nation, originally published in 1990. It is primarily set in Lebanon, the focus of most Israeli anti-Palestinian fighting since, oh, probably the founding of the PLO in 1964. Although it's unlikely that the Israelis will once again turn to proxy militias, the consequences of Israeli intervention are made clear: armies cannot help but kill civilians, whether through "reconnaissance by fire", artillery bombardment, troops momentarily beyond control, bad communications, or dropping cluster bombs over tower blocks believed to harbour one or two terrorists.

There are moments of black farce too: "The Israelis were planning to occupy Lebanon up to the Litani River. They had helpfully named their invasion 'Operation Litani', thus informing the Palestinians of their strategic objectives before they reached them. The result was predictable. The PLO pulled the majority of its forces back across the river... the casualties were thus almost all civilians."

But, although my edition was published in 2001, what strikes you most is the way the British and Americans have been suckered since, in exactly the same way, and how they now use the same dishonest, dangerous language. "Terrorists, terrorists, terrorists", repeats Fisk throughout. "It is a political contrivance. 'Terrorists' are those who use violence against the side that is using the word. The only terrorists whom Israel acknowledges are those who oppose Israel... The only terrorists Palestinians acknowledge - for they too use the word - are those opposed to the Palestinians." And by labelling people as terrorists, of course, you can justify any action taken against them. Terrorists aren't humans. They're relentless, animal, merciless, and you have to deal with them without mercy, right?

The mark of great reportage is that it addresses issues bigger than the conflict it documents. I hope there are no further chapters to be written for Pity the Nation. But it's a book that everyone should read, not just for an understanding of the rights and wrongs of Israel's actions against the Palestinians, but to see how easily language - specifically through idle labels and excuses - leads to murder. How a sense of righteousness corrupts and excuses. And also to get a glimpse, perhaps, of what's happening in Iraq beyond the Green Zone.

Hollywood, it's been reported breathlessly, has several slates of Iraq movies ready to roll. But where's the reportage? Where are the books? Or can we trust that it's just history repeating itself and we've seen it all before - in Lebanon...?

Today's best video