Wreckage from Israeli bombing of Gaza, November 2012 (cc photo: Norsk Folkehjelp)
An Israeli airstrike on Gaza yesterday is being reported as a breach of the cease-fire agreement that was reached after violence last November between the Israeli military and Hamas forces killed six Israelis and at least 160 Palestinians. But the new accounts are misleading, in that they give the impression that Israel hasn’t regularly violated the agreement already.
In the New York Times (4/3/13), Isabel Kershner writes:
In response to rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel, apparently in support of the Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike in Gaza late Tuesday night, its first since a cease-fire that ended eight days of fierce cross-border fighting in November. Warplanes struck two open areas in northern Gaza, causing no damage or casualties, the military said.
She added:
The rocket fire from Gaza was the third such violation of the cease-fire brokered by Egypt in November, evidence of its fragility.
As the Palestine Center’s Yousef Munayyer pointed out, this is true only in a very narrow sense–this would be the first Israeli airstrike. But Israel has violated the cease fire a number of times, as his organization has documented in a very helpful timeline–tacks that appear to have killed four Palestinians. In fact, the first incident occurred within 24 hours of the “cease fire.”
The Times seems less interested in this history than in keeping track of precisely how many rockets have been fired at Israel.
And it’s not just a Times problem. This morning, the Associated Press (4/3/13) reported:
There were no casualties reported, but the violence nonetheless threatened to shatter the calm that has prevailed for more than four months.
Of course, “calm” here means, as is often the case, the feeling that might prevail among Israelis. Palestinians dying is just part of the “calm.”
It really is troubling that unless read in-depth that these reports give the impression that Israel’s response to an attack was a volition of the truce. Almost all the headlines relating to this incident give that false impression. Whereas in reality it is the terrorists firing rockets from Gaza that violated the truce. Something that is only mentioned in the last few lines of these reports.
Another disturbing aspect is that most major new sources don’t consider rockets launched into Israel with the express purpose of killing civilians to be newsworthy – it only makes headlines when Israel responds.
Clive1 your filter is on. Through it you see ratios like 160 palestinians dead to 6 Israelis defies logic and compassion.
clivel your full of crap!
did you even read the timeline of well over a dozen breaches of “peace” by israel? (during which time palestinians never targeted israel) If you really need it worded simply-ISRAEL was the first to use violence since the “truce”.
The thing that “really is troubling” is that this simple truth is not conveyed in most mainstream news reports!
FAIR often reports on what groups are UNDERrepresented in the media establishment… but it’s logical that, if some groups are UNDERrepresented, then other groups are OVERrepresented. I wonder when FAIR will do a story on that and how that impacts coverage of – to take a topic entirely at random – “Israel”/Palestine. If FAIR can’t do it, Mondoweiss.net does a creditable job covering this issue.
The US press almost universally side with Israel, even help them in how they report (or don’t report) all the news that puts things in context.
the US media displays the same blindness the administration shows towards the Palestinian narrative: I found this article to be very useful: http://www.counterpunch.org/2013/04/05/obamas-empathy-deficit-in-palestine/
The “four Palestinians” were terrorists who reached the border’s fence ant tried to fire of IDF border patrol. I hope that “Fair” will be more fair and accurate the next time that Islrael fuck out the ISLAMIC TERRORISTS!
I have a friend who is a doctor in the Israeli army on the boarder areas.He tells me that though you read nothing in the press about it that the missiles continue to fly over the boarder…… along with incursions.And that every time it happens(remember that word “every time”)that the IDF responds in kind.He says it is ongoing.To quote the untouchables “they put one of ours in the hospital,we put one of theirs in the morgue.”And so it goes on.Anyone who believes the Israelis believe in turning the other cheek have their religions mixed up.They are more an eye for an eye people.From what I have seen in my time there,and in my studies ,They can take it and dish it out ten fold.Word to the wise.
I call bullshit on you, Clivel. You wrote this: “Another disturbing aspect is that most major new sources don’t consider rockets launched into Israel with the express purpose of killing civilians to be newsworthy – it only makes headlines when Israel responds.” That’s the very exact opposite of the truth.
@aBEbIRD: Huh? Did you read the article? And, it’s “FAIR”, dummy.
You notice how the Dood always has some friend exactly in the right spot so he can then get this other dood’s forthright and close opinion on how right the Dood is? Well, as it turns out, Bibi Netanyahu and myself got into a tremendous shouting match at O’Hare airport in Chcago last month (Netanyahu was in town to hear our great mayor, The Rahm, speak at a local synagogue). I was painting some hallway by a men’s room when Bibi emerged. “Hey,” I said, “You’re Bibi Netanyahu.” He looked me over, and two of the goons who accompanied him whispered into their hidden mics and then whispered into Bibi’s left ear. “Yeah,” he smiled, “I’m the Beeb.” His smile dimmed, and he stepped closer to me. I was a bit intimidated, let me tell you, but I didn’t back away. “The Beeb”? His goons smiled. “We’ve got the book on you, dickhead,” Bibi said, chuckling. “We know who you are, and we know all about your punk-ass bullshit postings at lib-rags like FAIR and The Guardian and Salon.” He said the word “FAIR” wth particular venom and malevolence. ” Okay? So watch it, uh . . . ” And here he paused, and one of his sun-glassed goons whispered into his right ear, and then he frowned and said, ” . . .Timmy n.” He and his goons then laughed, and hurried down the hall. But on the way, Bibi brushed against a doorway I had just painted. “Goddammit!” he bellowed. “Serves you right . . . dickhead!” I shouted after him. “Send me a bill! You know were I live, right . . . pal?” I laughed again as they disappeared around the corner. “Jerk!” I heard one of the goons say as they moved farther away. Ten minutes later, a phalanx of Chicago cops “escorted” me to a windowless room where, for the next four hours, they harangued me about being nice to visitors to our great city, and didn’t I know who my friends were, who the mayor’s friends were, and who our country’s friends were? When I got to my truck, there were fourteen tickets on it. There was also an old 1 shekel note under the wiper. On one side, a careful hand had written, “Try paying with this . . . pal.” And that’s a true story. Just like the Dood’s above.
Too often this tit-for-tat news coverage is a misrepresentation, because it leaves out context: Israel, a country 1/6 the size of California, with the world’s 4th largest military, is presented as somehow equivalent to the Palestinians. The U.S. is complicit in maintaining the occupation of the post-1967 Territories by funding Israel to the tune of $3 billion a year. If Palestinian leadership does something the U.S. does not like, they threaten to cut off even humanitarian (U.N.) aid; if Israel continues to build settlements on Palestinian land — in contravention of peace agreements — the U.S. does nothing.
Tim although I am well traveled in my life (relatively)and have a diverse crowd of aquaintances ,i hope I don’t come off as “knowing everyone” as so many politicians do .The VP being the best example.If somebody talked about roots and the whippings in it im sure he would step up saying yeah it happened to him as well.Recently I became friends with a man and woman who live in china.They open companies there.I have been picking their brains about everything I can think of because i am not so educated on what life is like there.So I open my ears ,my mind,and my heart to learn.Ive learned that as far as opening a lage manufacturing business goes America is a hard nut to crack with China being far for free market shall we say.of course i asked about his workers and he tells me they are treated in a way that would shame any union here.Far better.They are happy and productive.To you that is a sham of course.Because like every progressive it is your way or the highway.So you keep mocking anyone who does not tow the company(government) line.Sheeple!!!!!!
Ps…he says if this government cut corporate taxes he like so many of his strata would come roaring home.Of course you would never believe something so simple would work
I think the fly-over done by Israel into Gaza (I don’t know how to search for the story) was the breaking point.