You don’t need to know which of these territories are occupied by Israel, so ABC won’t tell you.
ABC News (7/15/14) put a piece on its website headlined “Everything You Need to Know About the Israel/Gaza Conflict.” What’s interesting about it is all the things they think you don’t need to know.
For example, what is the relationship between Israel and Gaza? All ABC says is that Gaza has been “governed since 2007 by the militant group Hamas…which rejects the existence of Israel.” So apparently you don’t need to know that Gaza is largely populated by the descendants of refugees who used to live in what is now Israel.
Nor do you need to know that Israel invaded Gaza in 1967, establishing a military occupation and an attempt at colonization that lasted decades. Or that despite pulling troops out the territory in 2005, Israel continues to illegally occupy Gaza—according to the United Nations—because it maintains effective control over the area, maintaining an economic blockade and controlling Gaza’s airspace and territorial waters.
You also don’t need to know that Israel has previously launched full-scale military assaults on Gaza, or that the most devastating attack, in 2008–09, killed 1,391 people, including 344 children. It’s not necessary for you to be aware that over the past five years, Palestinians killed by Israelis have outnumbered Israelis killed by Palestinians by 14 to 1.
You don’t need to know any of that—so ABC didn’t tell you.
Anyone who doesn’t know the facts that you present has had their head in the sand, and simply doesn’t want to know, because they don’t want to face up to the consequences of their hypocrisy. They might not be able to face themselves in the bathroom mirror in the mornings.
Your article is as one-sided as theirs. You apparently don’t think people to know that in 1967, Egypt kicked a UN peacekeeping force out and massed troops in the Suez, preparing to attack Israel (while Jordan, Syria, and Iraq also prepared for war). Egypt closed the Suez Canal to blockade all good coming to Israel by sea. Israel “invaded” to prevent itself from being attacked on all sides. That’s context any decent journalist should mention.
It appears there’s an error in the title.
It should be
“Everything We Need You to Know About the Israel/Gaza Conflict”.
Like Sawyer’s conflation of victims
I’m sure it’s an honest mistake.
1967…1967…That was long time ago. So why doesn’t Israel go back to the position they were in 1967 because the Arab countries aren’t attacking them any more.
YOU said: “… Gaza is largely populated by the descendants of refugees who used to live in what is now Israel. …”
In Nov 1947 the indigenous Arabs began a Civil War against the ‘Yishuv’ (pre-State Israel’s name) … they were later joined by the Armies of 6 Arab/Muslim States including Egypt. When the War of Independence ended … the Gaza Strip was left in the hands of Egypt but its people were never absorbed into Egypt … Egypt ‘occupied’ Gaza from which they encouraged the locals to perpetrate ‘raids’ against Israeli civilians … so-called Fedayeen Attacks
YOU said: “… Israel invaded Gaza in 1967, establishing a military occupation and an attempt at colonization that lasted decades.”
Israel was attacked in June 1967 by Egypt, Syria and Jordan along with Iraqi troops … all organized by Egypt’s Nasser. The occupation of Gaza was a by-product of the Six Day War. Israel did allow Jews to settle in Gaza but due to many attacks the government of Sharon decided to remove ALL military and ALL settlers from Gaza while maintaining a presence on the borders … and supplying Gaza with essentials of life
YOU said: “Israel continues to illegally occupy Gaza …”
False. Israel will continue the ‘occupation’ up and until there is an End of Conflict Peace Settlement. Absent that agreement … the Israelis will continue to impose their will on the borders! The ‘occupation’ is a Military Occupation since Egypt does not want to rule it or administer it or have anything to do with it! Much like the Military Occupation of Germany and Japan after WWII … the USA kept forces on foreign soil for many years … Israel will remove the blockade and border closure when there is an End of Conflict Settlement.
YOU said: “Palestinians killed by Israelis have outnumbered Israelis killed by Palestinians by 14 to 1.”
This ratio is the reason Israel bashers preach the idea of ‘proportionality’ … that is, more Israelis need to die in order to somehow be fair? The whole idea of war is to inflict as many casualties on the enemy in order to change their calculation for going to war. Israel provides its people with the ability to fight well and live well … despite the rocket fire aimed at their cities. This is a benefit that Israel and Israelis demand of their leaders … Gazans are caught in a war which Hamas cannot win yet it wages this war from inside residential areas … stores rockets under apartment buildings and Mosques and Hospitals … thereby making these places legitimate targets! Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood Islamist Group whose grip on Gaza resembles that of a POLICE STATE …
Hamas does not want Peace with Israel … they want to replace Israel with an Arab/Muslim Palestine and kill or expel all the Jews … obviously this is an untenable idea … Islamists like Hamas are NOT democratic or ‘reasonable’ or cannot be brought into a political process … they must be beaten on the battlefield and in the minds of the Palestinian People … there can be NO APPEASEMENT!
You Also Don’t Need to Know … that Gaza residents elected Hamas over the corrupt Fatah party (that runs the West Bank for Israel) the last time they were permitted to vote.
You Need to Know … that ABC/Disney is dedicated to fantasy.
Context, people, context. This is the blog of FAIR, an organization I admire, whose mission it is to point out bias in U.S. media. We are not discussing whose fault the current situation is. We are discussing the news coverage. And in that context, I observe that saying Israel “invaded” Gaza without mentioning the circumstances leaves the misleading impression that Israeli leaders just woke up one morning and decided to take it over. That’s neither fair nor accurate. You can strongly agree or strongly disagree with Israeli actions and still want FAIR to live up to its name.
@Dennis Fischman. You contradict yourself. First you say that the FAIR article is “one-sided” and then start spouting pro-Zionist revisionist history. Then in your second post, you say “we are not discussing whose fault the current situation is.”
The FAIR article simply claimed that the current press coverage over Israel and Gaza is one-sided. That is a valid point that needed to be made.
FAIR IS not!
The New York Times, known for pro-Israel reporting, nonetheless published an excellent op-ed piece today by Nathan Thrall of the “International Crisis Group covering Gaza, Israel, Jordan and the West Bank.” (url at end of my comment.) I would like to see FAIR not only criticize the mainstream media (which it does very well), but do more to highlight and give credit to journalism– in the mainstream media and otherwise– that is truly informative and eye-opening. See Thrall’s op-ed piece at http://www.nytimes.com/2014/07/18/opinion/gaza-and-israel-the-road-to-war-paved-by-the-west.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0
Yes..people don’t realize Zionists are not the Jews. Zionists have plans for Palestine and that is that. They are doing genocide and the people of the world see that.
Everyone should read and re-read Rep Press’ remarks in the middle of this page. Israel was indeed the aggressor oi the June 1967 war, no doubt about it, as even the former terrorist Menachem Begin admitted so in 1982.
Thanks to Rep Press for setting the historical record straight and discrediting the apologists Dennis and tzatz
Thank you, Rep Press – that was a real eye-opener.
@tzatz- Spoken like a true Zionist revisionist. Let’s examine some of your remarks.
You said, “Israel will [do such and such] when there is an End of Conflict Settlement.”
Which will be NEVER. Despite their rhetoric, Israel has shown time and again it has NO intention of seeking peace with Palestine.
You said, “This ratio is the reason Israel bashers preach the idea of ‘proportionality’ … that is, more Israelis need to die in order to somehow be fair?”
Um, NO. It means LESS Palestinians need to die.
You said, “The whole idea of war is to inflict as many casualties on the enemy in order to change their calculation for going to war.”
Again, no. Wars are imperialistic endeavors, with greed ALWAYS the underlying motivator. Ever heard the phrase, “Follow the money?”
You said, “Hamas is a Muslim Brotherhood Islamist Group whose grip on Gaza resembles that of a POLICE STATE …”
You got the “police state” part right. But Israel is the law enforcer, not Hamas.
You said, “Hamas does not want Peace with Israel … they want to replace Israel with an Arab/Muslim Palestine and kill or expel all the Jews.”
More Zionist propaganda. But for the sake of argument, even if it were true (which it’s not), the reality is they have absolutely NO way to accomplish this goal. So, it’s a non-issue.
In order for one to fully understand this “conflict” is to examine this from its ancient perspective.
Only 4% of articles on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict the US point out that the West Bank is under an Israeli occupation, and that settlements built on lands under military occupation are a violation of UN laws.
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it’s not ISRAEL it’s PALESTINE!!