As Israel Levels Gaza, the U.S. Media Fuels the Fire
MEDIA, 23 Oct 2023
Amy Goodman and Denis Moynihan | Democracy NOW! – TRANSCEND Media Service
Democracy NOW!
12 Oct 2023 – As Israel intensifies its brutal response to Hamas’ brutal October 7th attack, it is important to hear from those at the target end of the weapons – from both sides of the conflict. The mainstream media in the United States consistently brings us the voices of Israelis who have suffered violence at the hands of Hamas gunmen. Let that be a model for coverage of Palestinian grief. We rarely hear from Palestinian civilians. Hearing people speak for themselves is the first step to breaking down barriers, to fostering understanding that can lead to a just peace.
Not long after the Hamas attack, Israel began its latest intense bombardment of the Gaza Strip. Bearing the full force of that retaliation are the 2.4 million Palestinians who Israel has blockaded in Gaza, almost half of whom are children. The Gaza Strip, roughly four miles wide and 25 miles long, is one of the most densely populated places on earth and has long been described as the world’s largest open-air prison. Under “normal” conditions, Gazans live under a severe military occupation. No one gets in or out without Israel’s permission. Israel controls Gaza’s water, food and fuel. Now, in the wake of the Hamas attack, the Israeli siege and bombardment of Gaza has become cataclysmic.
“We are imposing a complete siege in Gaza. There will be no food, no water, no fuel; everything will be closed. We are fighting against human animals,” Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant announced.
As of the time of this writing, 1,300 Israelis been confirmed killed and thousands injured, with an estimated 150 people kidnapped. More than 1,350 Palestinians have been killed and 6,000 wounded as Israel devastates Gaza in an act of collective punishment that is illegal under international law.
“There is no single place you can call a safe haven in Gaza, airplane fighters, drones ruling all over the sky…whether it’s an apartment, whether it’s a tower with hundreds of apartments, whether it’s a house, whether it’s a hospital, whether it’s a school, a shelter used by UNRWA [the UN’s Palestinian relief agency],” Raji Sourani, director of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights in Gaza and winner of the Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award, said on the Democracy Now! news hour. As he spoke, his house shook from an explosion.
“Netanyahu says Gazans should leave Gaza. Where to? We don’t have safe passage… it’s genocidal.”
Ofer Cassif, an Israeli Jewish member of the Knesset, or parliament, said on Democracy Now!:
“I got a WhatsApp message from a very good friend of mine who was hiding with her husband in the kibbutz. She told me she was very afraid and she could hear the Hamas fighters outside. Unfortunately, those were probably the last words she ever wrote, because she was murdered with her husband just after she sent me that message — a very good friend of mine who was also against the occupation, a voter with our party. Innocent people, innocent civilians on both sides, Israelis and Palestinians, pay the price of the arrogant, criminal, ongoing occupation that Israel refuses to end.”
U.S. news networks have dispatched correspondents to Israel to cover the violence, but there are few Palestinians being interviewed, or Israeli peace activists or reporters who oppose the occupation. Reports that Hamas beheaded babies are widely circulated on major news channels, by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and by President Biden. When questioned, the White House walked back the claim, saying they “could not confirm” the reports.
The actual violence is horrible enough: 260 young people were massacred at a music festival dedicated to “unity and love.” A kibbutz described by one resident as home to Israeli “peaceniks” was destroyed, with over 100 killed and many kidnapped by Hamas. In Gaza, entire families, entire neighborhoods, are being erased by Israeli bombs. Hospitals and ambulances are being attacked. At least six journalists have been killed in Gaza attempting to report on the Israeli assault that is only expected to worsen.
“The idea that you can coop up 5 million people, put them behind walls, tighten the siege on them, use an eyedropper to allow them some food, some water, some electricity, that idea has exploded as a result of the horrific events…This cannot continue,” Rashid Khalidi, renowned Palestinian American scholar and the Edward Said Professor of Modern Arab Studies at Columbia University, said on Democracy Now!:
“The United States should be trying to defuse the situation…We finance this occupation. We finance this violence. There are American weapons that are being used today, right now, in Gaza to kill innocent civilians in violation of U.S. law.”
The United States has the power to pressure Israel to end its occupation of Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem. First the media must allow the American public to hear the voices of victims from all sides of this conflict.
___________________________________________
Denis Moynihan is the co-founder of Democracy Now! Since 2002, he has participated in the organization’s worldwide distribution, infrastructure development, and the coordination of complex live broadcasts from many continents. He lives in Denver where he is developing a new noncommercial community radio station.
The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License.
Go to Original – democracynow.org
Join the BDS-BOYCOTT, DIVESTMENT, SANCTIONS campaign to protest the Israeli barbaric siege of Gaza, illegal occupation of the Palestine nation’s territory, the apartheid wall, its inhuman and degrading treatment of the Palestinian people, and the more than 7,000 Palestinian men, women, elderly and children arbitrarily locked up in Israeli prisons.
DON’T BUY PRODUCTS WHOSE BARCODE STARTS WITH 729, which indicates that it is produced in Israel. DO YOUR PART! MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
7 2 9: BOYCOTT FOR JUSTICE!
Tags: Bias, Gaza, Media, Palestine/Israel, USA
DISCLAIMER: The statements, views and opinions expressed in pieces republished here are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of TMS. In accordance with title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. TMS has no affiliation whatsoever with the originator of this article nor is TMS endorsed or sponsored by the originator. “GO TO ORIGINAL” links are provided as a convenience to our readers and allow for verification of authenticity. However, as originating pages are often updated by their originating host sites, the versions posted may not match the versions our readers view when clicking the “GO TO ORIGINAL” links. This site contains copyrighted material the use of which has not always been specifically authorized by the copyright owner. We are making such material available in our efforts to advance understanding of environmental, political, human rights, economic, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues, etc. We believe this constitutes a ‘fair use’ of any such copyrighted material as provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107, the material on this site is distributed without profit to those who have expressed a prior interest in receiving the included information for research and educational purposes. For more information go to: http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml. If you wish to use copyrighted material from this site for purposes of your own that go beyond ‘fair use’, you must obtain permission from the copyright owner.