France, that high-and-mighty bastion of European enlightenment, may be beginning to grasp the danger of the propaganda being broadcast within its borders — the propaganda of the radical enemy we are currently struggling with throughout the globe and Israel has wrestled with for decades.
France’s highest administrative body on Monday ordered the TV station of Lebanon’s militant Hezbollah group off French airwaves within 48 hours for broadcasting hateful content in some shows and posing risks to public order.
The decision came after a Nov. 23 Al-Manar program quoted someone described as an expert on Zionist affairs warning of “Zionist attempts” to transmit dangerous diseases like AIDS to Arab countries. Another program the same day glorified attacks against Israel, the administrative body said.
Well, obviously something needs to be done here. Some kind of strong message needs to be sent.
The Council of State ordered Paris-based satellite operator Eutelsat to stop broadcasting Al-Manar within two days or pay a fine of $6,600 a day.
$6,600? Well, that ain’t much of a message.
The station broadcast some programs that were “openly contrary” to a French law banning incitement to hate, a situation that poses “risks to maintaining public order,” the council said in its 11-page ruling.
However, the council left open the possibility that Al-Manar could keep operating if the company that airs the station, the Lebanese Communication Group, shows itself ready to modify its programs to conform with French law.
In Beirut, Al-Manar TV condemned the French ban as “a dangerous precedent” against the Arab media and blamed Israeli pressure for it.
Ah yes, I thought we had gotten too far into the story without Israel being blamed. It is obviously the Jews that made the Arabs lie.
The threat of $6,600 a day apparently is not enough to bring on any honest self-examination or even a moment of pretended contrition. Hey, France, just let it air and get back to me when you really understand the threat civilization is facing.