 After the 1967 Six Day War , Said entered the public sphere to counter what he perceived as the stereotyped misrepresentations in which the U.S. news media explained the Arab – Israeli wars ; he claimed this reportage was divorced from the historical realities of the Middle East , in general , and Palestine and Israel , in particular . To address , explain , and correct the issue , Said published " The Arab Portrayed " in 1968 , a descriptive essay about images of " the Arab " that are meant to evade specific discussion of the historical and cultural realities of the peoples who live in the Middle East , featured in journalism and scholarship . 
