It’s day 14 of Israel’s offensive in the Gaza strip and fierce ceasefire discussions are taking place in multiple locations across the globe minus one key player — Hamas. Meanwhile, rockets have been launched from Lebanon into Israel as international pressure mounts for Israel to back out of Gaza. Has Israel lost the PR war? Here’s what the pundits say:
Israel and Egypt discuss Gaza truce. Israeli officials discussed a French-Egyptian ceasefire plan in Cairo today, but Hamas officials have yet to turn up and the Islamist group reiterated its reservations about the proposal. The Israeli envoys, Amos Gilad, a defence official, and Shalom Turjeman, a senior aide to Israel’s prime minister, spent the day in talks with Egyptian officials before heading back to Israel. There were no details on who they met and what they discussed. Hamas, which has neither accepted nor rejected the plan, has yet to decide on whether to send anyone to Cairo. — The Guardian
No new Lebanon confronation over Gaza, yet. The firing of Katyusha rockets into Israel from south Lebanon this morning was not unexpected, given that the volatile border between the two countries tends to heat up during periods of heightened Israeli-Palestinian violence, but it is unlikely at this stage that it signals the beginning of a new confrontation between Israel and the militants of Lebanon’s Shia Hezbollah. No claim of responsibility has been made for the rocket salvo, although Palestinian militants — possibly with the tacit blessing of Hezbollah — are the most likely culprits. The Lebanese Government has opened an investigation into the incident and the army in southern Lebanon is on full alert. — Times Online
Pressure increases on Israel as toll rises. International pressure intensified sharply on Israel on Thursday, the 13th day of its Gaza assault, after the United Nations suspended food aid deliveries, the International Committee of the Red Cross accused the Israelis of knowingly blocking assistance to the injured, and a top Vatican official defended comments in which he compared Gaza to a concentration camp. In New York, the United Nations Security Council appeared to be nearing consensus on a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire, while in Washington, a State Department spokesman called on Israel to expand access to emergency aid into the Gaza Strip, referring to the humanitarian situation in the besieged Palestinian territory as “dire.” — International Herald Tribune
Israel wary of binding UNSC resolution. The United Nations Security Council was meeting overnight Thursday on a resolution designed to bring a speedy halt to Israel’s offensive against Hamas in Gaza. Israeli sources said at press time that no such resolution would be acceptable unless it ensured the establishment of a mechanism to prevent a resumption of arms smuggling into Gaza through tunnels under the Philadelphi Corridor from Egypt. Draft texts were being amended and shaped as the day wore on, with one British-sponsored draft circulating at press time that stressed the “urgency of an immediate, durable and fully respected cease-fire.” Other texts, however, called outright for an immediate cease-fire, to be followed by the establishment of an anti-smuggling mechanism, and then by the opening of Gaza border crossings. — The Jerusalem Post
Hamas: We will win war in Gaza. Israel’s war on Gaza has left more than 700 Palestinians dead — nearly a third of them women and children — and more than 3,000 injured. But at the organisation’s headquarters in Damascus, 100km miles from the territory, Musa Abu Marzouq, the deputy head of Hamas’ political bureau, told Al Jazeera why he believes his organisation is on the verge of victory against Israel. — Al Jazeera
Ending the War in Gaza. A war neither Israel nor Hamas truly wanted turned into a war both are willing to wage. The six-month ceasefire that expired on 19 December was far from ideal. Israel suffered through periodic rocket fire and the knowledge that its foe was amassing lethal firepower. Hamas endured a punishing economic blockade, undermining its hopes of ruling Gaza. A sensible compromise, entailing an end to rocket launches and an opening of the crossings should have been available. But without bilateral engagement, effective third party mediation or mutual trust, it inexorably came to this: a brutal military operation in which both feel they have something to gain. — International Crisis Group
Israel’s PR war. The question the foreign media really wants answered is invariably not “who’s in the right?” but “how will this round of fighting improve the overall situation?” And on that point, Israel never has a convincing argument. Given the country’s long history of engaging in wars that kill many more of its enemies than its own citizens but only buy a few months or years of calm, it’s a tough call to explain how this latest escapade will change the strategic balance, bring peace and prevent the need for another such bloodbath further down the line. Often that’s because there is in fact no good reason: Wars are fought for short-term gains. — Haaretz
Hamas pulling back into crowded cities, beckoning Israelis. Rather than stand and fight against the Middle East’s strongest army, the Islamist movement opted for a tactical withdrawal, with its fighters melting away into the strip’s sprawling cities and refugee camps, according to Gaza residents and Israeli military analysts and officers. Now, Hamas appears to be daring the Israeli troops to follow. For Israel, the temptation to move in is great: After 12 days of air-, sea- and land-based attacks that have weakened the Islamist movement’s capabilities, Israeli leaders are weighing whether now is the time to try to deal a death blow to Hamas. — Washington Post
For Israel, the cost of sympathy would be suicide. In the so-called International PR war, it’s no contest. Israel once again looks like Goliath, and the people inhabiting one of the poorest places on earth, Gaza, are Davids. The only way for Israel to get David status back is to allow Hamas to meet its stated objectives, the destruction of Israel. If Israel chose national suicide, it could once again be David. While the price of that prize is too high for Israel, isn’t it clear that it is precisely the price Hamas is willing to pay to win the news-cycle public relations war? — National Post
Here’s my round up of coverage noted in the domestic coverage noted in the last 24 hours:
“Regev mispeaks on tv 3 times for Israeli ‘PM’ while 7.30 fails to ask the blockade, occupation question”
at
http://www.sydneyalternativemedia.com/blog/index.blog/1871935/regev-mispeaks-on-tv-3-times-
for-israeli-pm-while-730-fails-to-ask-the-blockade-occupation-question/
Full marks to Steve Kinane of ABC RN early yesterday asking the critical question of ‘will Israel lift the blockade [completely] if the tunnels and rockets stop? Because this evoked the admission from Regev that Israel maintained “economic sanctions” during the 6 month lull or truce, which Hamas quoted mid Dec 08 as a reason the truce was not extended.
Full marks to 7.30 compere for tackling Regev, as Olmert’s man, on the weak explanations over shelling of UN school and mass carnage. What Regev might have trouble with re the IDF is admitting to himself that 30% of Israeli society apparently sympathise with the assassin of former PM Yihtzak Rabin in 1996 to the extent he should be pardoned. What proportion similarly in the IDF? 30%?
If so that segment in the IDF have little reason to NOT fire at the UN as well. Just as the IDF stalked that UN border post constantly shelled closer and closer during the 2006 Lebanon war.
Yesterday Jewish writer Sara Dowse wrote in the SMH about failure of trust in Israel’s real agenda. She’s right to be cynical: http://www.smh.com.au/text/articles/2009/01/07/1231004100045.html
I trust Tom that you have a discerning eye as well as an obviously prejudiced one!
1.Pro-Hamas Doctors Caught Faking A Civilian Death… After CNN Airs Footage
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=Q9pRu-sRPb0
Mads Gilbert, the radical Marxist Norwegian doctor that was the focus of a Fox News report earlier today for being an anti-Israeli Hamas apologist, has been positively identified as one of two doctors caught faking CPR on a Palestinian boy that “died” in video featured today on CNN.
The segment with Gilbert shows him and another doctor badly faking chest compressions and other life-saving measures on a live boy faking death in what can only be described as political theater. The video claims to be filmed by the brother of a Palestinian teen that claims the boy was one of two purposefully killed by a missile fired at them by an Israeli drone as they played.
CNN editors who swallowed the story of the poorly-acted video unquestioningly—no doubt because it fit the anti-Israeli narrative familiar to CNN viewers and critics—have now pulled the video without explanation, correction, or retraction.
It has also been determined that the videographer who filmed his brother’s “death” is the general manager of a company that hosts web sites for Hamas.
Dr. Gilbert was allowed into Gaza by the Israelis just 2 days ago to provide medical care. He was involved in faking war crimes less than 48 hours later.
2.Don’t Tell Media Attacks On Israel Increased Since Hamas Elected
http://www.newsbusters.org/blogs/noel-sheppard/2009/01/01/dont-tell-media-attacks-israel-increased-hamas-elected
3.Hamas Exploitation of Civilians as Human Shields
http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/hamas_e028.htm
4.Media bias ensures Hamas is always going to win PR battle
http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/columnists/lindy-mcdowell/media-bias-ensures-hamas-is-always-going-to-win-pr-battle-14131210.html
LittleJimmyK:
If only you WERE a man, dear boy…but alas….you are but a snivelling, childish Zionist dimwit
An endorsement from Kevboy…..
More than enough to make any man’s skin crawl
Even after a Domestos & wire brush scrubbing I’d bet Tom might justifiably still feel defiled and tainted…..
Some interesting cites all round. Points to Eleri, Jane, Tom and James, well done all.
It’s clear that neither side considers the other to have any legitimate right to exist. It’s also clear that both the IDF and Hamas will emerge strengthened by this, while civil society is the loser.