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Cory Carbone
Professor Guenzel
ENC 1102 Composition II
June 16, 2014 - Workshop Draft
RHETORICAL ANALYSIS PAPER
Prime Minister Netanyahu Meets with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon.

When deciding which one of my verbal or visual texts I should use for my Rhetorical
Analysis paper, the choice was quite easy for me. There was one source in my annotated
bibliography, which stood out from the rest, and showed diplomacy literally in action. I chose the
text entitled, Prime Minister Netanyahu Meets with United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-
moon, which I located using the Google search engine. I must admit though that this text has
two components, one being the actual video footage of the encounter thus serving as the primary
source, while the second one serves as the transcript of what was said. Nonetheless, this is a
visual text, which shows the opening remarks made between the Prime Minister of Israel,
Benjamin Netanyahu and the Secretary General of the United Nations Ban Ki-moon during his
visit to Jerusalem, Israel in August of 2013 in order to discuss the current events taking place in
the Middle East region.
In relation to my research, this text is quite a valuable insight into my argument posed and
question asked. The United Nations is after all one of my three perspectives on the topic, and the
Secretary General is their highest official in power. Of equal significance is also the fact that
Israel is one half of the conflict I am writing about and their Prime Minister represents their
government at the highest level. Aside from why this text is important for my own devices, the
background information is that when this video footage was taken, it was at the time when the
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peace talks between the Israelis and the Palestinians resumed and picked back up again after
having previously failed. And in order to show solidarity and support for the ongoing peace
process and talks, Ban Ki-moon wanted to personally pay a visit to Israel and the Palestinian
Territories representing his organization, the United Nations.
As is customary when a foreign delegate, ambassador, or head of state visits another country,
it is normal political protocol to have a welcoming ceremony usually at the official government
building of the host Nation. Whereby photographs are taken, handshakes are given and brief
remarks are made to sum up the purpose of the visiting delegations visit as well as keynotes on
what the host nation wishes to see accomplished. In this video, all of these gestures are played
out, creating a text of eight minutes and fifty-four seconds in length where both Leaders share a
discourse with each other and their primary audience, the media, who in turn conveys their
messages to the general publics citizens the World over. This text technically does not have an
author so to speak, yet it does have two rhetors in the form of the two leaders mentioned
previously. Both gave speeches of their own and these words create the rhetorical situation for
the text.
Delving deeper than the background information for my selected text, are the claims, which
are made by both persons involved. Of course it goes without saying that each of the Leaders has
a specific agenda to carry forth and have certain things that they are trying to sponsor and
promote with their allotted time in front of the cameras. Upon initially watching the footage
myself, what was evident was certain syntax to their message. What I mean by this is that
breaking the text down, both Leaders split the entire length of the writing space almost right
down the middle. The first person to speak was Prime Minister Netanyahu who spoke for nearly
four and a half minutes. Secretary General Ki-moon took up the remaining time. With each of
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their four and a half minutes, what they were both able to transmit to their audience was one
encompassing message, with several smaller claims as support for the overall message of their
intents.
First to speak was the host, Prime Minister Netanyahu. Going along with traditional decorum,
he warmly welcomed Secretary General Ki-moon to Israel and made the normal pleasantries.
Then he moved straight into his Claim that the root of the Israeli-Palestinian problem is not in
the settlements issue nor is it the borders issue that is inhibiting a peace deal to be reached, but
rather it is, and has always been the adamant refusal of the Palestinians and most Arab States to
recognize the existence of a Jewish State. This he states, is the core of the long-standing
conflict and is what has created adamant resistance from the Palestinians. Prime Minister
Netanyahus way of backing up his claims is by using all three modes of persuasion in almost
polished form.
He maximizes his Ethos and authority by playing his political position into his argument.
Giving off the vibe that he is a first hand expert on what he is talking about. He uses Pathos in
appealing to his audiences emotions by taking the present context of Iran developing nuclear
grade enrichment capabilities and presenting it as a clear and present danger to not just Israeli
security but to World security. Thus creating a scare value to his message. And he ties in Logos
and logic into his argument, by stating facts from his perspective in an attempt to persuade the
United Nations to begin taking more immediate action into misuse of their funds and resources.
An example of this was when he brought up the perceived Palestinian abuse of United Nations
funded peace camps designated for refugees, by using them as camps used to foster animosity
and hatred towards Jews and the Israeli state.
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In his own words, It is very hard to obituate and prepare the next generation for peace when
they say the Jewish State has no right to exist. On another note, he does not use any non-rational
appeals in his dialogue as he is trying to show a serious light on the purpose of the Secretarys
visit to his country and in the cause of peace in the Middle East. Instead he relies on using
rational appeals to convince people of his arguments merit. Citing the reasoning of why the
conflict between his people and the Palestinians has endured for so long, and in this he makes the
attempt to persuade those listening of his claim that what the media has portrayed as the causes
of the conflict are not the truth but a distortion.
Once the Prime Minister finished his brief remarks, Secretary General Ban Ki-moon
responded with his words for those assembled and to the Prime Minister of Israel. His claim was
one of continued support from himself and the United Nations and a renewed hope for peace
between Israelis and Palestinians as well as the Middle East region in general. He stated, I think
my visit is taking place at a crucially important timing for the Middle East peace process. The
underlying argument he presents, though it does not really seem like an argument so much as it is
his hopes and expectations, is that in order to achieve a lasting peace, courageous comprises and
actions must be made. Taken in the context of the political situation at that time, his words were
nothing more than repetitive in the ears of the World, but especially to the Israeli camp.
On the surface, his message in a way represents what his organizations stance on the matter
really is. They are meant to serve as a mediator and support system for security, diplomacy and
recognition. So it would be fairly said that his text is nothing more than a carefully worded press
statement for sake of gesture. Yet to someone like myself who is looking for a position an
organization like the United Nations is taking in a conflict, this text is significant. Essentially his
organizations stance on the matter is that they highly encourage the resumption of peace talks
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while also acknowledging their role as neutral peacekeepers in the meantime. Yet what stood out
in his speech more than anything else was when he said, The time is now for Israel to be fully
respected as a member of the international community. Heavily appealing to the sentiments of
the location in Jerusalem where he is addressing mostly Israelis. In so doing he is hoping to gain
a better ethos for himself.
Addressing the take home points for the reader, what must be said is how both people
involved in this visual / verbal text almost played the identical game of persuasion for their
argument and claim. This was mostly due to the constraints of their space because they were in a
formal ceremony where protocol and tradition takes precedence and only having about four
minutes allows the speaker to say just so much. Ultimately, the text contained two World
Leaders who carry large amounts of ethos in their words and messages. Both of which also are
trying to attain the same end game of peace for the Middle East and between Israel and Palestine,
while one is trying to influence the neutral party in Ban Ki-moon. And on a last point to make, is
the larger picture in perspective.
As the head of the United Nations, Ban Ki-moon holds a largely influential role when it
comes to the peace process. He cannot intervene directly because of his neutrality in World
diplomacy. At best what he is capable of doing is supporting reconciliation with gestures and
direct one on one talk. The Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu has an incredibly
vested interest in achieving peace, yielding direct impact for his people.
WORKS CITED:
PM Netanyahu meets with UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. (2013, August 16). . Retrieved
June 1, 2014, from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SPhIOlLokNc


Ki-moon, B. (2013, August 16). Opening remarks at press encounter with Israeli Prime Minister
Benjamin Netanyahu. . Retrieved June 1, 2014, from
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http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocus/sgspeeches/statments_full.asp?statID=1940#.U5
OERa47wI