The JCRC of Greater Washington Decries Baseless Attacks Against Israel in National Geographic Exhibit

WASHINGTON, May 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) today sent a letter to National Geographic expressing dismay at the biased, anti-Israel nature of a photography exhibit currently on display at the Annenberg Space for Photography in Century City, CA

The letter can be viewed at: www.jcouncil.org/NationalGeographic

The exhibit, Water: Our Thirsty World, presents a distorted view of water in the Middle East, fostering hostility and perpetuating regional conflict.  The exhibit devotes a disproportionate amount of space to one country, singling out and negatively portraying the State of Israel with a series of false accusations and political distortions. In a blatant misrepresentation of the truth the photos and captions suggest that the Israelis frivolously consume water while denying it to—even stealing it from—their neighbors.

The Annenberg-National Geographic exhibit fails to use the exhibit to educate viewers about Israel's world leadership in water resource management and Israel's contributions and advances in the field of water technology and conservation.  The JCRC posed the following question to National Geographic: Where are the pictures highlighting Israel's extraordinary efforts to conserve and recycle water, its global leadership in cutting-edge desalination or water-saving drip-irrigation technology, or its collaborative efforts with neighbors including Jordan and the Palestinian Authority to cooperate in water sharing ventures, even in times of political conflict?

The JCRC called on National Geographic to further review its involvement with this exhibit and to show more attention to accuracy and fairness in the future.  

The Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington (JCRC) is the public affairs and community relations arm of the Jewish community representing 210 Jewish organizations and synagogues throughout DC, Maryland, and Virginia. The JCRC focuses on government relations, Israel advocacy, inter-group relations, and social justice.

SOURCE Jewish Community Relations Council of Greater Washington