Most news from Gaza has been authored by Hamas. But the Palestinian Authority (the ACTUAL representative of the "Palestinian" people) also have a camera crew:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7kq_4y-Kts
Over the last three years Hamas have murdered hundreds of people in Gaza. NOBODY cared. The Palestinian Authority spoke up occasionally, but couldn't be heard over the world screaming at Israel. In the mean time Hamas was permitted to murder Arabs and Jews, freely and without fear of punishment.
Not all Arabs support Hamas. In fact Hamas has more supporters in the west than in "Palestine". Hamas' western supporters have it easy, they don't have to live with Hamas. Palestinian Arabs have documented what Hamas did to them, but the western media and western supporters of Hamas don't care.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7_OGhj43GAE
The pictures shown are real. They are not staged, and they are not shown selectively. (For example, the wedding party did not shoot at Hamas first and the video is not just showing Hamas' response while leaving out what prompted the response. What prompted the response was _singing_ at a wedding.)
And why do Arab children die in schools? It's simple. Hamas boobytraps schools and blows them up when ready.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uHhs9ihSmbU
This is why the civilian death tool went up dramatically after the first few days. Israelis, world-famous for being incompetent babykillers (for example, even though Israelis are evil and target civilians, only 15% of initial victims were civilians), do not actually get better at shooting civilians after a few days of fighting. What happens simply that after Hamas knew that they were under attack, they could get on with blowing up schools. Since all news reported from Gaza by the world media has been authored by Hamas (nobody else can legally report from Gaza, the PA camera crew from above have to fear for their lives and have probably fled by now), the formula is simple: you blow up a school, kill dozens of children, and then report to the world that Israelis have killed the children.
And haters everywhere, white supremacists, Muslim terrorist sympathisers, liberals, they all will believe it.
Because they know two things:
1. They are not themselves anti-Semites.
2. Israelis lie.
Often Jews speak up against Israel. But that doesn't mean those Jews are right. Those Jews are rarely from the middle east and know as much about Israel as your typical liberal. It doesn't even mean that they really think what they say. Just try to live in, say, England and speak up against Hamas and for Israel and see what will happen to you.
The Palestinian Authority sympathisers who made the first two videos cannot speak up against Hamas publicly in Gaza either.
And in most Arab countries merely BEING a Jew is a death sentence.
But until this gets better let us all remember that those who hate Israel are not anti-Semites and do not hate all Jews.
They merely hate middle-eastern Jews.
Israellycool reports that the "Foreign Press Association" actually sent out an email instructing their correspondents not to report Israeli statements on the situation in Gaza:
How is that for "fair and balanced"?
This is why we only hear Hamas' view of things and not Israel's.
An Italian journalist, who a few days ago was quoted in an Israeli newspaper (in Hebrew) that there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza (we will know once independent press will have access to Gaza), wrote in Haaretz (in English):
There is a contradiction between Israel completely blocking off access to the Gaza Strip for journalists, and the growing protests of officials in Jerusalem about the way in which many international media representatives are covering the events there. After all, if there is no way for we journalists to get to the points of conflict personally, and hence no chance for us judge the facts with our own eyes, we have no choice but to rely on the reports coming out from victims and witnesses in the Strip. For the most part, they will be are mainly Palestinians or sources close to them. There is no alternative.
[...]
I recall the exaggerated data about victims among the Palestinians during the first intifada, the perpetual comparisons between the military repression and the Holocaust, and the baseless reports about civilians dying of hunger during the previous siege of Gaza. Yasser Arafat and Palestinian sources in Beirut and Tunis were grand masters in the dissemination of this kind of disinformation.
The first took place in the Jenin refugee camp in April 2002. Do you remember? The camp was surrounded, and the media was not allowed in. From a distance, one could see pillars of smoke and hear occasional shooting. The Palestinians spoke about 1,500 dead - a toll that later dropped to 500. There were rumors of mass graves, of entire families that had been shot in the streets by Zionist soldiers. On April 13, I succeeded in crossing through the army barricades on foot and reached the hospital bordering on the refugee camp. I was prepared to see scenes of a bloodbath. Anyone who follows what takes place in the arena of war knows that generally speaking, the ratio of dead to wounded is one to three. That is to say, if there are 500 dead, there will be at least 1,500 wounded. What did I find? Absolutely nothing. The hospital was almost deserted, doctors were playing cards in the emergency room, there were two women in labor and one old man who had had an appendectomy. In one of the wards I finally saw wounded - 25 people who had been lightly wounded. And the stories they told were indeed heart-rending. "I saw a woman and three children who were shot close by here," one of them told me. Nonetheless, when they were asked for the names of the dead and to show where the bodies were, the responses became evasive. In short, it was all talk and nothing could be verified, nothing was concrete. At the end of that day, I wrote that the death toll was not more than 50 and that most of them were combatants. And indeed, a few weeks later, following a UN investigation, it was reported that there had been 53 dead.
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1054592.html
His criticism of Israel's policy towards journalists, by the way, is noted, appreciated, and NOT regarded as anti-Semitism. While I disagree with him and believe that Israel must keep journalists away from battle zones, I do not regard criticism of that policy as anti-Semitism, despite the allegations that all criticism of Israel is decried as anti-Semitism.
Anyone still believe that the media are pro-Israeli?
From Italy:
http://www.loccidentale.it/articolo/israel+day,+italian+mps+united+in+defece+of+democracy.0064631
This is the square of the Italian Parliament in Rome, Piazza Montecitorio: you can see the Palace on top of the square, and in front a lot of Israeli flags.That was yesterday night from 6,30 to 9,30 pm. What you cannot see here, is the extraordinary number and variety of members of the Parliament, about 100 from all political sides, that took the stage during our marathon: for about three hours we have been speaking about the role of Israel, its right to self defense, its moral height, its fight in name of all of us, of our civilization and values, against the wild hate of the Islamic jihad represented by hamas.
apart from a minority of crazy leftists and fascists that took the street on anti-Semitic slogan
Well, yesterday night many people, Ministers and Members of Parliament, composed a very new, interesting puzzle of opinions. I think that when you are not overwhelmed by exotic thirdworldism, the images of children educated as hate machines, the speeches of jihad leaders, from Ahmadinejad to Nasrallah, to Hanje, that deny the holocaust and promise death to Jewish and Christians too, have on us a result of great disgust. Westerners, thanks God, can still be disgusted by an uncivilized level of political speech.
But most of all, in the Parliament square, many of the Parliament Members said: "I love Israel". You can't imagine how many.
Thank you, Italy!
This reminds me of this demonstration against Iran (or for imperial Iran, if you like) organised by Italian Muslims supporting Israel:
http://www.amislam.com/demo.htm
Thank you, Abdul Hadi Palazzi. Thank you, Italy.
There is also this German language blog site covering events in Gaza and Germany:
http://www.pi-news.net/
Unfortunately they are anti-Islam and I have a problem with that. German xenophobia now supports Israel because radical Muslims are less assimilated than Jews. I can understand their position, but I disagree with it.
(In the mean time, German Neo-Nazis support Arab nationalists and radical Islam and all their anti-foreigner rethoric doesn't seem to apply to those types of foreigners.)
From the West-Bank:
The war against Hamas is taking place not only in the Gaza Strip, but in the West Bank as well, Palestinians said on Thursday.Fatah-dominated Palestinian Authority security forces, they noted, had stepped up their crackdown on Hamas supporters and figures in the West Bank since the beginning of Operation Cast Lead.The latest anti-Hamas measures in the West Bank, which are being carried out in coordination with the IDF and under the supervision of US security experts, are designed to foil any attempt by the movement to overthrow the PA.
On the instructions of the PA leadership in Ramallah, protesters are banned from expressing solidarity with Hamas by hoisting the movement's flag or chanting slogans in its favor.
Hamas claims that the PA had already arrested more than 400 of its supporters in the West Bank prior to the IDF offensive in Gaza.
Several Palestinian journalists have also been targeted by the PA security forces in recent weeks. In Bethlehem, Hebron and Ramallah, policemen beat a number of Palestinian reporters and photographers who were covering protests against the IDF operation. Other journalists have been receiving threats almost on a daily basis from the PA security forces in the West Bank.
In Ramallah last week, the PA deployed more than 1,000 policemen to stop a relatively small number of demonstrators from identifying with Hamas.
The anti-Hamas campaign in the West Bank is taking place not only on the ground, but also in the PA-controlled media that continues to blame Hamas for the "massacres" in Gaza.
Abdel Rahim expressed hope that Hamas would not be invited to any Arab summit or gathering to discuss the situation in the Gaza Strip. "Hamas launched a coup against the legitimate authority of the Palestinians and as such it does not have the right to represent the Palestinians at any summit," he said.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1231950868927&pagename=JPost/JPArticle/ShowFull
"a relatively small number of demonstrators"
It seems to me that western "pro-Palestinian" liberals and neo-Nazis are demanding to fight this war to the last "Palestinian". I can believe that most "Palestinians" want peace. But I cannot believe that western anti-war activists will ever accept peace with Israel.
peace: n. the death of every last jewish man woman and child in israel.
(not my opinion)
Casualty numbers still fluctuate:
What really is behind the numbers reported on the number of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip? Italian newspaper Corriere Della Sera reported Thursday that a doctor working in Gaza's Shifa Hospital claimed that Hamas has intentionally inflated the number of casualties resulting from Israel's Operation Cast Lead. "The number of deceased stands at no more than 500 to 600. Most of them are youths between the ages of 17 to 23 who were recruited to the ranks of Hamas, who sent them to the slaughter," according to the newspaper article.
A Tal al-Hawa resident told the newspaper's reporter, "Armed Hamas men sought out a good position for provoking the Israelis. There were mostly teenagers, aged 16 or 17, and armed. They couldn't do a thing against a tank or a jet. They knew they are much weaker, but they fired at our houses so that they could blame Israel for war crimes." The reporter for the Italian newspaper also quoted reporters in the Strip who told of Hamas' exaggerated figures, "We have already said to Hamas commanders – why do you insist on inflating the number of victims?" These same reporters mentioned that the truth that will come out is likely to be similar to what occurred in Operation Defensive Shield in Jenin. "Then, there was first talk of 1,500 deaths. But then it turned out that there were only 54, 45 of which were armed men," the Palestinian reporters told the Italian newspaper.
A Tal al-Hawa resident told the newspaper's reporter, "Armed Hamas men sought out a good position for provoking the Israelis. There were mostly teenagers, aged 16 or 17, and armed. They couldn't do a thing against a tank or a jet. They knew they are much weaker, but they fired at our houses so that they could blame Israel for war crimes."
The reporter for the Italian newspaper also quoted reporters in the Strip who told of Hamas' exaggerated figures, "We have already said to Hamas commanders – why do you insist on inflating the number of victims?"
These same reporters mentioned that the truth that will come out is likely to be similar to what occurred in Operation Defensive Shield in Jenin. "Then, there was first talk of 1,500 deaths. But then it turned out that there were only 54, 45 of which were armed men," the Palestinian reporters told the Italian newspaper.
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3660423,00.html
The Palestinian Authority authority about the conflict:
Israel made a "big mistake" by ending Operation Cast Lead without overthrowing the Hamas regime in the Gaza Strip, a Palestinian Authority official in Ramallah said on Thursday.His remarks came as the PA security forces intensified their crackdown on Hamas in the West Bank."It was a big mistake to end the war this way," the official said. "The fact that Hamas is still in power is bad for all."The PA leadership had decided to take draconian measures to thwart any attempt by Hamas to stir unrest in the West Bank, the official also said."There's no room for these Hamas thugs in the West Bank," he said. "We won't allow Hamas to turn the West Bank into another Islamic republic."PA representatives have accused Hamas of killing and kneecapping dozens of Fatah activists in the Gaza Strip over the past few weeks.
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1232643727590&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
I fear he is right. But the world succeeded in stopping Israel. The pro-war people (i.e. those who want the war to continue) succeeded.
hi leuki, I have completely avoided all news in regards to the latest incursion because, well, it really depresses me and I don't need it right now in my life. So, can you please sum it up for me real quick? I want to know from someone I can trust. It is not as good as following it from day 1, which is what I normally do, but this one time I can make an exception, especially since its you.
I understand your sentiments.
This Web log has an excellent coverage of events. I get a lot of my information from links provided there. The author also summarises events himself.
http://www.israellycool.com/
I am like you. These events depress me.
Our synagogue now has police protection, probably to protect white supremacists and Muslim fundamentalists from evil Zionists.
I don't think the liberals demonising Israel pay any attention to what the hell they are doing.
And we have to choose between living in bunkers in Israel and living in fear elsewhere.
Note this interesting article, in Germany's "Spiegel" of all places:
What is left over when a person is hit by a tank shell. Blood, tissue, bone splinters, splatters on the wall.
And anger.
Mohammed Sadala's rage is aimed at the man, whose remains he found in his bedroom: a Hamas fighter. He and a comrade broke into the home which had long stood empty after the Sadala family fled. The Hamas men shot at the approaching Israelis from the balcony. The soldiers fired back, killing the militants and destroying the house of the 10-strong family in the process.
"I used to support Hamas because they fought for our country, for Palestine," says Sadala. Hamas stood for a new start, for an end of corruption, which had spread like cancer under the moderate Fatah. In the 2006 elections Hamas won the majority with their message of change, said Sadala, who earned a living in the building business. Gesticulating wildly, the 52-year-old surveyed the ruins of the bedroom: "That is the change that they brought about. We were blasted back 2,000 years."
"I've changed my mind about Hamas," Abu Abed says. "I can't support any party that wages a war that destroys our lives." He is particularly pained by the fact that Hamas is still selling the cease-fire as a victory.
"Who has won here?" he asks and points to the debris that was once his home.
One of his neighbors weighs in: "Many people are now against Hamas but that won't change anything," he says. "Because anyone who stands up to them is killed." Since they took power Hamas has used brutal force against any dissenters in the Gaza Strip. There were news agency reports that during the war they allegedly executed suspected collaborators with Israel. The reign of terror will go on for some time, says the neighbor who doesn't want to give his name. "There will never be a rebellion against Hamas. It would be suicide."
As Hail, in his mid-30s, sat on his porch and thought about what to do a man came by: He was from Hamas and had left something in Hail's home. He let him in and the man then emerged with a bullet proof vest, a rocket launcher and an ammunitions belt. An hour later a fighter with Islamic Jihad called to the door, then disappeared onto the roof and reappeared with a box of ammunition. "The abused civilians' homes for their own purposes. That is not right," Hail says with disgust while trying to remain polite.
The worst is that he now knows who died in the room. It was Bilal Haj Ali. Sadala knows this because the young mans brothers came to visit a few days ago. They wanted to see the place where Bilal became a martyr. "I did let them in but I hardly spoke a word with them," he says.
The young men took photos of the remains of their brother with their mobile phones. "But they didn't want to clean it up," Sadala says. "I told them not to show their faces here ever again."
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,603203,00.html
civilians living in Gaza during the three-week war with Israel have spoken of the challenge of being caught between Hamas and Israeli soldiers as the radical Islamic movement that controls the Gaza strip attempted to hijack ambulances.
Mohammed Shriteh, 30, is an ambulance driver registered with and trained by the Palestinian Red Crescent Society.
His first day of work in the al-Quds neighbourhood was January 1, the sixth day of the war. "Mostly the war was not as fast or as chaotic as I expected," Mr Shriteh told the Herald. "We would co-ordinate with the Israelis before we pick up patients, because they have all our names, and our IDs, so they would not shoot at us."
Mr Shriteh said the more immediate threat was from Hamas, who would lure the ambulances into the heart of a battle to transport fighters to safety.
Getting out of the ambulance and entering the house, he saw there were three Hamas fighters taking cover inside. One half of the building had already been destroyed.
"They were very scared, and very nervous … They dropped their weapons and ordered me to get them out, to put them in the ambulance and take them away. I refused, because if the IDF sees me doing this I am finished, I cannot pick up any more wounded people.
"And then one of the fighters picked up a gun and held it to my head, to force me. I still refused, and then they allowed me to leave."
Mr Shriteh says Hamas made several attempts to hijack the al-Quds Hospital's fleet of ambulances during the war.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/hamas-tried-to-hijack-ambulances-during-gaza-war/2009/01/25/1232818246374.html
Any reason why most media report that Israel attacked ambulances but so few report why?
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