Weekly Commentary: Please do not use the extremist label

Dr. Aaron Lerner Date: 3 January 2012

I was just watching Labor Party leader Shelley Yichimovitz on Channel Two
Television News and I lost count how many times she used the word
"extremist" to describe rival parties from the national camp.

The report was followed by a quote from Yair Lapid – saying that he won't
join an "extreme right" coalition.

And the politicians aren’t alone.

Many reporters are using the term "extreme right" to describe Bayit Yehudi –
some even the Likud!

Throwing around the "extremist" label is a mistake on several counts:

On a factual level, it simply isn't a reasonable label to apply to these
groups.

The wholesale use of the "extremist" label also creates a situation that
when one wants to identify someone who truly warrants to be termed an
"extremist", the classification has been so debased that it no longer has
much meaning to the public.

Perhaps just as important: here, "inside the family", we all really know
that Ms. Yichimovitz, Mr. Lapid and all the others spewing out the
"extremist" label don't honestly believe that the people and groups they are
slinging mud at are indeed "extremists", but there is a whole world out
there following the campaign. And they don't know.

And the last thing we need, the morning after election day, is for the rest
of the world to actually think that our country is being led by a bunch of
"extremists".

Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis)
(Mail POB 982 Kfar Sava)
Tel 972-9-7604719/Fax 972-3-7255730
INTERNET ADDRESS: imra@netvision.net.il
Website: http://www.imra.org.il