Shooting from the Lip

While speaking at a Republican Jewish Coalition event in Las Vegas, Governor Chris Christie referred to the West Bank of Israel as ‘the Occupied Territories.’  The use of the term upset those in attendance.  Supporters of Israel believe Israel has a legitimate claim to the region and to refer to them as ‘occupied territories’ legitimizes Palestinian resistance (Reilly, 2014).

According to Curtin (2007), culture is the process of meaning making: language, culture and meaning are all linked.  International public relations crosses national boundaries and audiences create meaning as they consume messages.  Curtin describes this as ‘hyperreality’ where there is no actual truth but an interrelated series of signs and symbols that create meaning.

Governor Christie is well known for ‘shooting from the hip.’ He speaks spontaneously and bluntly.  This may work well in the local context of New Jersey, but in this situation it is clear that this style is risky.  In a global setting, words need to be chosen carefully.  One must understand the different meanings and identities associated with different terms.

Christie quickly issued an apology that was accepted.  Likely, those involved understood the intent was not to make a statement regarding Israel’s stance in the West Bank.  But it was an indication that to make the leap from local to global politics one must possess thorough understanding of how messages are interpreted and reinterpreted across different cultural contexts.

References

Curtin, P. A., & Gaither, K. T. (2007). International public relations: Negotiating culture, identity, and power (chapters 1, 2, 3, 5). New York: Sage.

Reilly, M. (2014, March, 30). Chris Christie Apologies for ‘Occupied Territories’ Remark, Says He   ‘Misspoke’. Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/03/30/chris-christie-apologizes_n_5058758.html