Coincidentally or not, there’s been a noticeable increase in media attention to the tunnels in Gaza, many of which lead to Israel and are used by Hamas militants for attacks. The Israeli government has said that destroying the tunnels is one of the rationales for the war.
CNN’s Wolf Blitzer (7/28/14) touted his exclusive on the Situation Room:
Earlier today, CNN was the only US television network to get a look inside one of the tunnels used by Hamas to infiltrate Israel. This is an exclusive report no other American television network can bring you.
Blitzer’s guide was Israel Defense Forces Lt. Col. Oshik Azouli.
BLITZER: The IDF says the underground passages into Israel have only one purpose. From what you know, what was the purpose of this tunnel?
AZOULI: I think soldiers, they want to attack regular people, children, women, men.
BLITZER: So they wanted to go in, attack, kill Israelis.
AZOULI: Yes.
BLITZER: But also kidnap Israelis.
AZOULI: Yes.
He also interviewed Israeli spokesperson Mark Regev, who told CNN of the dangers of the tunnels:
A group of terrorists with automatic weapons, explosives and rocket-propelled grenades. The idea that they just pop out of the ground on our side of the frontier to murder and kidnap, that’s unacceptable.
The New York Times followed up with a piece by Jodi Rudoren (7/28/14) headlined “Tunnels Lead Right to the Heart of Israeli Fear.” She writes that these tunnels “have lurked in the dark spaces of Israeli imagination at least since 2006, when Hamas, the militant Islamic movement that dominates Gaza, used one to abduct an Israeli soldier.” Such attacks “have shaken the collective psyche and stiffened resolve to continue or even expand the fight.”
She goes on:
In cafes and playgrounds, on social-media sites and in the privacy of pillow talk, Israelis exchange nightmare scenarios that are the stuff of action movies: armed enemies popping up under a day care center or dining room, spraying a crowd with a machine gun fire or maybe some chemical, exploding a suicide belt or snatching captives and ducking back into the dirt.
The Times story even notes: “As part of the propaganda push, the military has also invited a few journalists underground for a tour.”
That is revealing, since the only thing missing from these nightmarish scenarios of terrorists emerging from the ground to kill innocents is any evidence that anything like this has ever happened. The Times story quotes Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying the “sole purpose” of the tunnels “is the destruction of our civilians and the killing of our children.” But have there been any such attacks?
Journalist and media critic Greg Mitchell has posed this question on his blog (Pressing Issues, 7/29/14), where he reports that CNN‘s Jake Tapper responded to his queries on Twitter by noting that all of the the tunnel deaths he was aware of have been Israeli military.
Glenn Greenwald (Intercept, 7/29/14) notes that the Israel—often credited in US media with taking great care to avoid civilian casualties—has actually killed three noncombatant for every “militant.” Meanwhile, only 5 percent of the much smaller number of deaths caused by Palestinian fighters have been civilians, even though Hamas’s disregard for innocent life is taken for granted by US journalists.
If outlets like CNN and the Times are going to give so much attention to these Hamas-built tunnels, shouldn’t they add this context to their reporting? Or is the “propaganda push” just more effective when these inconvenient facts aren’t mentioned?
When is Steve McQueen going to pop out of one of the tunnels on his motorcycle and lead the Israeli’s on a wildgoose chase?? I can’t wait. (Sorry for the humor, but if I can’t laugh once in a while, then I’d be dead. I went to a protest rally last Sunday in SF with both sides [Israeli sympathizers and Palestinian sympathizers] hurling insults at each other. The only folks that I noticed there who had a non-hateful view on things there [and my perceptions might be excluding some groups] were the Jews For Peace. The ghettoization of the Palestinians, the herding of Palestinians into smaller and smaller concentration zones, the murder of Palestinian civilians by Israel’s overwhelmingly superior military force – all this will never end until, at a minimum, the US media stop their unremitting and prejudiced campaign against Palestinians.)
Tunnel vision
And the truth lost in it
Not to burst the MSM-generated bubble, but it looks like the tunnel in the picture has a large industrial conduit bolted to the right hand wall. That is how you move communications cables or power cables or both (not usually in the same conduit but beggars can’t be choosers). So, just sitting here in my home office, I can see a MUCH more likely scenario for the tunnels: siphoning power or internet access from Israel into Gaza
The tunnels terminate a short distance from Israeli civilian communities/kibbutzes, not, military installations. http://www.thetower.org/0796-for-kibbutz-residents…/
There is even more to say about this tunnel hysteria. The tunnels have been around for a long time, for months and years. One found last October was estimated to have been built the year before. But in spite of the opportunity this afforded Hamas, there has been no reported “terror” attack. See http://www.TimesWarp.org, “The NY Times and Israel’s ‘Terror Tunnel’ Myth” http://timeswarp.org/2014/07/20/the-ny-times-and-israels-terror-tunnel-myth/
After a brief respite, we EXTRA subscribers have now faced a renewed barrage of anti-Zionist attacks from Hart over the last few days, each more preposterous than the last.
Here Hart tries to argue that the small number of Israeli civilian casualties must reflect Hamas’ desire to avoid inflicting such casualties.
This is absurd. It is beyond dispute that Hamas deliberately directs its missiles at Israel’s civilian population. Not surprising given Hamas’ charter, which calls for the murder of all Jews, and its slogan, “We love death more than the Jews love life.” Accordingly, Hart is more than a little disingenuous when he scolds his colleagues: “Hamas’s disregard for innocent life is taken for granted by US journalists.”
So why have so few Israeli civilians been killed in the latest conflict?
Again, this is not rocket science (no pun intended) – it’s because Israel goes to great lengths to protect them, including through missile defense systems and the use of bomb shelters. Hamas, on the other hand, uses its civilians as human shields, as has been extensively documented.
But to indict Hamas for its utter lack of regard for fundamental human rights will elicit Hart’s trump card: “It’s Islamophobic to criticize Hamas!”
That’s how far FAIR has devolved – lambasting a fascist, terrorist militia is now considered offensive to the delicate sensibilities of this purportedly progressive media watchdog. How sad.
Of course when you criticize Israel it automatically means you support Hamas. William, your comments are repeating all of the medias talking points. Instead, why don’t you explain why it’s ok to kill so many children? Why don’t you (and all Israel supporters) respond to the main argument in the article? There’s no evidence for one of the MAIN arguments for war. Why don’t you comment on how the Palestinians don’t get basic freedoms? If anything is disingenuous, it’s people acting like israel is completely innocent and they were just minding their own business when rockets just started raining down. Also, Israelis hate Palestinians just as much as they are hated (clearly). There’s plenty of blame to go around. Nobody is arguing that Hamas is innocent, but if israel is such a sophisticated and morally superior country, they wouldn’t be contributing so much to the violence.
Surely Netanyahoo’s graphic arts brigade can conjure up a cartoon of “terrorists” “popping up”.
Where is the physical evidence that Hamas is popping up under the beds of Israelis and killing them as they sleep? Israel 1,000+, Palestinians 45. Hamas rockets BA 2 for 2,000+. It’s really difficult to see the Israelis as defenseless victims given these stats.
They got the idea for this propaganda from the movie C.H.U.D. Not their best effort. https://twitter.com/PresumptuousBug/status/493422847172149249
This commentary doesn’t go far enough! There already IS proof that the so-called “terror tunnels” serve a legitimate military purpose. A video this week shows such a raid on an IDF outpost, with strictly military casualties. This exposes Israel’s repeated claims that the tunnels are only for harming civilians as outright lies. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5NAhozItSq0
Previously, as mentioned, the best-known use of such a tunnel was the capture (not “abduction”) of an IDF soldier.
This is Peter Hart’s Hamas … in their own voices, the Hamas he doesn’t talk about. https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10202515433063892
Bob Walton, thank you for that post.
But Hart and his ilk won’t get it. Years ago, my left-wing friends and I stood in solidarity with peasants in El Salvador against death squads – today, if I were to mildly protest over the execution of a poet by Iran, I would be labeled Islamophobic.
Ultimately, by encouraging the Palestinians’ revanchist fantasies, the Left has a great responsibility for the persistence of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
oh William, I’m sorry to sort of pick on you, but you aren’t contributing anything to the conversation that hasn’t been said a million times by all of the warmongers. This time you included a straw man. The poet in Iran comment is ridiculous and you know it. So let me get this straight, you don’t think that Israel has a great responsibility for the conflict even after killing hundreds of innocent people, many of them children?
Two things about the tunnels and this story:
1. Blitzer reported on their height. The “tunnel was built for relatively short people.” An offhand remark like that proves he has not done his homework. According to the WHO, stunting in Gaza’s population has occurred due to “higher levels of poverty and overcrowded conditions,” worsened by the outrageous Israeli blockade.
2. There is a very good reason to lie about the tunnels: the truth is that Israel is committing a crime, with US support. On the official Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs website, IDF spokesman explained on the 7th of July that they “demonstrate Hamas’ constant attempts to violate Israel’s sovereignty and carry out complex attacks” simply by existing. However, you can’t warn of “loathsome intentions” when your own government was threatening “Hamas” months before. As the New York Times reports attacking them was “the stated goal of Israel’s ground invasion.” Rudoren’s piece in its own distorted way reduces this to its absurd conclusion, and disproves it. That’s pretty amazing considering she attempted to hide Israel’s aggression with the phrase “Palestinian militants again penetrated underground into Israel” to remove Israel from the beginning of the timeline.
WALTER CRONKITE (like hundreds of other” Investigative” reporters) repeated the harmful false accusations FOR WEEKS on National TV that implied I was the “HILLSIDE STRANGLER” WITHOUT checking the facts ! NOT ONE REPORTER CONTACTED ME !
Boston’s WCVB “INVESTIGATIVE REPORTER” Mike Taibbi, (now with NBC News) first broadcast these sensational accusations without verifying them. A couple of phone calls would of proved his jailhouse informer was a liar when he stated “He and I were boyhood friends who grew up together.” FACT; I am 10 years older than this pathological liar and never lived in the same city as him! But why ruin a good scoop with the truth?
The Media continues to routinely and casually publish and broadcast unsubstantiated accusations about innocent “suspects” (WHOM THE MEDIA CREATES! ) which does irreparable harm to them and their families. LIBEL LAWSUITS AGAINST THE MEDIA’S LAWYERS ARE TOO EXPENSIVE AND TIME CONSUMING !
My LIBEL, DEFAMATION, AND SLANDER lawsuit against ABC TV News took 10 years and cost me and my family over $35,000. THE DAY BEFORE THE TRAIL, THE MEDIA’S LAWYERS INFORMED ME THAT IF I DID NOT ACCEPT THEIR MEAGER SETTLEMENT OFFER NOW THEY WOULD DRAG OUT MY LAWSUIT FOR ANOTHER 10 YEARS! I actually LOST money after my lawyer took his fee.
The Media bosses know they can use FALSE ACCUSATIONS to increase ratings and profits ( one point in ratings =one million dollars profit for TV networks) with impunity because most VICTIMS OF MEDIA ABUSE cannot afford to sue them. The implied message to their affiliates and reporters is BROADCAST/PUBLISH first and worry about the truth later! THIS IS CRIMINAL!
Media Abuse MUST be outlawed and THE PUBLIC protected NOW with a “NO-NAME UNTIL LEGALLY CHARGED WITH A CRIME LAW” .
The Police are eager to provide these UNVERIFIED accusations to THE MEDIA to make themselves look good and the TV networks and newspapers repeat them without investigation to increase ratings and make more $$$.The more sensational; the more profits!
Everyone benefits except the innocent, “DISPOSABLE SUSPECTS” and their families who must endure and suffer YEARS of irreparable harm to their reputations, careers and lives ( TAIBBI’S LIES THAT I WAS THE HILLSIDE STRANGLER KILLED MY MOTHER!) while the ambitious, UNETHICAL,”UN-investigative REPORTERS” get pay raises and promotions!
Peoples’ lives and privacy should not be entertainment for the consuming masses who watch TV NEWS commercials and read ads .We need a NO-NAME LAW for US, THAT PROTECTS PEOPLES IDENTITIES FROM FALSE ACCUSATIONS IN THE MEDIA BECAUSE; ANYONE CAN ACCUSE ANYBODY OF ANYTHING, ANYTIME AND IT SHOULD NOT BE NEWS!
This FAIR LAW law would prohibit the Police and MEDIA from releasing a “suspect’s’ identity to the Public until such time (if ever) the suspect is legally charged with a crime.”
We must stop this unnecessary MEDIA ABUSE of innocent people because if it could happen to me and my family it could happen to you AND WRECK HAVOC WITH YOUR LIFE, REPUTATION,CAREER AND DREAMS!
PLEASE CONTACT YOUR LAWMAKERS NOW AND TELL THEM TO PASS A NO-NAME LAW before any more innocent people are hurt by the MEDIA’S GREED! I have been trying for 36 years to get a NO-NAME LAW passed somewhere in the US but the RICH and powerful MEDIA LOBBY always blocks it;
I NEED YOUR HELP !
Peter Mark Jones
VICTIMSOFMEDIAABUSE.wordpress.com
If I lived in Gaza I’d be in one of those tunnels trying to get out of there or just to escape the missiles. I don’t know for sure but from the goals of the Zionists, I’d say they are guilty.
Let face it, this the Lame Stream medias attempt to get another war going, since the chicken hawks here in america are all about “another glorious war”. The are the international equivalent of back street thugs, looking for someone to beat up on, and can only find victims who are strong enough to not let them get away with it.
Just like the run up to the war in Bosnia, Afghanistan, Iran, and any other place the American Military-Industrial facists are itching to bring under the “Consumer ball and chain”.
While I’m used to Israel acting like a fascist overlord, I can’t fathom what Hamas thinks sending thousands of missiles in to Israel will get for them (and where did those missiles come from and how did they manage to get there?). The media assertion that Hamas is cynically inviting the decimation of Gaza makes some sense given that their strategic vision is to wipe Israel off the map. But of course they won’t be able to do that, so WTF do they think these missile attacks will accomplish? By my lights next to nothing unless they were nuclear-tipped. To prevent that from happening, Israel should nuke Gaza first and call it a tactical glitch. That ought to take care of everything.
Here was some of the total media dysfunction, as exemplified by CNN ( the Chicken Noodle Network) on Friday, August 1, 2014, after 2 Israeli soldiers were killed inside Gaza just 90 minutes into a 3 day ceasefire.
First, it was automatically assumed that Hamas was at fault. The captured Israeli soldier’s picture was repeatedly put on camera , and there was official denouncement of Hamas from about every diplomatic quarter for just about every minute of any program.
No one raised the question whether the perpetrators might have been isolated units that missed the news of a ceasefire, a fair likelihood given that cellphone communications are seldom utilzed because the Israelis can immediately pinpoint the origin and destination of any cell phone call and annihilate both ends of the conversation straightaway.
Then, the hugely disproportionate Israeli military response was mentioned but never questioned. On this Friday, Israel immediately bombed an open market and killed 25 civilians, just as it had bombed an open marketplace on the first day ( November of 2008) of Operation Cast Lead, during which Israel killed nearly 1,000 Palestinian civilians.
Next, Israel selected a nearby medical target, to wit, the front yard of a large hospital, using bombs to make huge craters around its entrances, thereby making healthcare inaccessible to the recently wounded. That shelling killed about 15 more. No US general, Israeli politician, or US diplomat was questioned about the Israeli selection of these civilian targets as objects of reprisals for an attack on 3 Israeli soldiers well inside Gaza.
Israel is like a coiled spring, ready to propel force at any provocation, even before it has had the opportunity to investigate fully the origins and causes of the triggering event. Because Israel insists on the right to censor so much information and is notoriously bad about letting neutral observers see the results of their battle tactics for themselves, we stil, most likely, don’t have the full picture of what happened last Friday.
One thing is for sure, though, and that is that this prospering settler country of 7 million doesn’t need or deserve the 3 Billion or more of US aid it gets every year. It’s time for us in the US to go back to the time when we had leaders like Marshall, Eisenhower, Rusk, and Ball, who wanted the US to pursue an evenhanded policy in the Middle East.
BTW, I hope it goes without saying that the idea of nuking Gaza was satiric, not a serious suggestion. I’m saying it anyway, lest ye flame me. Given our plethora of Zionist chicken hawks, expect Bill Kristol or another armchair defender of Israel to raise this possibility seriously.
Just in case anyone still thinks that the Iron Dome is responsible for Israeli civilians’ safety — nope, it’s because Hamas’s rockets are really, really pathetic. Hamas is NOT an existential threat to Israel. Read: http://thebulletin.org/iron-dome-public-relations-weapon7308
FFS, the hypocrisy is beyond compare.
“The idea that they just pop out of the ground on our side of the frontier to murder and kidnap, that’s unacceptable.” – Mark Regev
But it’s perfectly okay for YOUR SIDE to bomb the shit out of hundreds of Palestinian civilians? WTF?
“Tunnels Lead Right to the Heart of Israeli Fear.” -Jodi Rudoren
What about innocent Palestinians living in CONSTANT fear of being bombed to death because they have no bomb shelters (like the Israelis do) or an Iron Dome of their own to counter Israeli strikes?!
“Such attacks ‘have shaken the collective psyche and stiffened resolve to continue or even expand the fight.'” -Rudoren
What about the “collective psyche” of innocent Palestinians shaken by Israeli attacks?!
Could these Israeli apologist “news” outlets possibly spread any more one-sided propaganda?!
FFS.
I’m so angry I could scream.
What sources do you use when you say how many Hamas “militants” are killed? Who counts them for you?