My brother Claude Salhani gave me a tremendous lesson today: to love my children more than to hate my neighbors. I love my children, but I don’t hate my neighbors.

In Israel the press is very free, but I am not sure if it is very responsible. I shall endeavor to touch upon two points relating to the role of the media in this situation.

First, what does responsible media mean? Is the media, with the tremendous power and influence it exerts, encouraging young people to commit suicide? Second, can the media contribute to a change of atmosphere in the Middle East in order to help to bring the opposite sides closer together? I shall begin by answering the first question.

Research carried out among young people who try to commit suicide, not in terrorist acts, proved conclusively that publicizing an act of suicide encourages other youngsters to attempt to end their lives. Young people with a tendency to suicide derived encouragement from the publicity. After every report about a suicide a steep rise in the number of attempted suicides was noted. At one point, the media even discussed suspending reports about young people’s suicides for the sake of the public good, to prevent other youngsters from following this example. When the suicide is not ideological, this is defined as a social trend.

Just imagine what an influence such records have among young people when ideals and glory are attached to the act of suicide. At the camps to train young suicide bombers, they are taught that they will go to Paradise and be welcomed by 70 virgins.

Regarding the second point, a free press is one of the characteristics of a democratic state. It is defined as a watchdog, a civil mechanism designed to protect democracy and the rights of individuals. In wartime, in emergencies, the eternal questions arise even more powerfully, such as: what is the objective of reporting? Does the media only report or does it create the news? Does the presence of the media contribute to increasing unrest? Should freedom of the press be limited? Can the press be selective and decide for us what should be or should not be reported?

My dear colleagues, times of war are the true test of values. At such times we must make our voices heard, even if what is said is not popular. We must remember that silence is the lie of the good man or the coward.

In recent years we are witness increasingly to the unholy trinity of capital, government and media. Even though the world is flooded by TV channels, fed by CNN, which moves news along the information superhighway and calls itself a global village, do we really know the truth? I am afraid not.

There is a great amount of rumor and gossip in the media, but I do not see even a single prophet who stands at the gate and cries out to the king about the theft of the poor man’s lamb. Jeremiah was not a celebrity. And Samuel did not go to parties with Saul. The bottom line is what the purpose of the media is.

The press has become the Roman Coliseum where the Caesar provides the masses with bread, entertainment and blood. Bread he does not supply, but blood and entertainment are there in plenty. It is an inseparable part of the battlefield of the Middle East. Instead of leading the way, the press sells what people wish to buy, uses the most loaded and harshest words, and thereby becomes part of the game.

An old Native American man said that we should look at words like beautiful stones. We should lift each one and examine it from all sides before we use it. Then, we should respect it. Words, my dear colleagues are like stones. Even if they are beautiful, if we throw them without thinking they can hurt someone. In a war situation and economic crisis, with severe unemployment, hatred, polarization, I am afraid that the press in our region misses out where it could really be able to contribute.