The coverage of the Israeli attacks on Gaza is following some predictable patterns. The New York Times has a headline today (8/26/11), “Israeli Strikes in Retaliation Kill Nine Gazans.” Readers should ask: Retaliation for what?
It’s widely understood that this violence stems from the attack last week in the southern Israeli town of Eilat. As the Times puts it: “The recent round of violence started a week ago, with a terrorist attack on southern Israel in which eight Israelis were killed.”
The real question, though, is who committed these acts. The Times says:
Israeli officials said the perpetrators and planners of the terrorist attack were originally from Gaza, and Israel has retaliated with strikes that have killed at least 23 Palestinians. Gazan officials say they know nothing about the source of the attack.
That’s a massive understatement.
To date, no armed Palestinian groups have claimed responsibility for the Eilat attack. Israeli officials claimed the Popular Resistance Committees (PRC) were behind it, but have offered no proof to back up these allegations. And there has been almost no critical coverage of the weakness of the Israeli case. On NPR (8/18/11), for example, listeners have heard Israeli ambassador Michael Oren claim that Palestinian militants carried out the attack, and five days later London Times reporter James Hider (8/23/11) stated the same thing as if it were a well-established fact.
A handful of journalists have been persistently pointing out that the weakness of this case. One of those writers, Yossi Gurvitz, explains in his latest piece at the Israeli website +972 (8/25/11) that Israeli media are beginning to raise serious questions:
Since Monday, there have been a few more reports in the Israeli media, casting more doubt on the official story. Yediot reported on Tuesday (Hebrew) that nameless people in the security apparatus doubt the PRC were responsible for the attacks, and raise an interesting question: If they were responsible, why was the PRC’s entire leadership in the same place?
According to Yediot’s anonymous intelligence sources (bear in mind that such sources should always be viewed with skepticism; by their very nature they cannot be corroborated, and they tend to be unreliable even when speaking openly), the attribution of the attacks to the PRC stems from one somewhat incoherent comment on some Jihadi message board.
Ha’aretz reported on Tuesday (Hebrew) that at least three on the attackers were Egyptian Jihadis. American intelligence sources–the same caveat above applies here–told Globes (Hebrew) that they, too, doubt the PRC are responsible, though they may have had a small role in the attacks.
Two days ago, the IAF attacked the Gaza Strip again–naturally, it does not consider itself bound by the ceasefire; only the Palestinians are, and only them can be blamed for breaking it–and killed some Islamic Jihad apparatchick. Yesterday, the IDF claimed (Hebrew) that he was in charge of funding the Eilat attacks. Hold on a minute, I’m confused: I thought you said the attacks were carried out by the PRC, and now it’s the Islamic Jihad left holding the bag? As of yesterday, reported Amira Hass in Ha’aretz (Hebrew), there are no mourning tents in Gaza. As of today, one week after the attack, the IDF refrains from exposing the identity of the attackers it killed.
This is a remarkable story that deserves serious coverage. Two dozen people in Gaza have been killed in “retaliation” for an attack that very well could have originated somewhere else.
Add to that the latest development:
“IDF discloses soldier killed by friendly fire in south Israel terror attack”
Israel Defense Forces investigation reveals Golani Brigade soldier, Staff Sgt. Moshe Naftali, killed by friendly fire in confrontation with terrorist in August 18 attack.
http://www.haaretz.com/news/diplomacy-defense/idf-discloses-soldier-killed-by-friendly-fire-in-south-israel-terror-attack-1.380913
Now, where’s all the condemnation and the blather from Obama and Hillary Clinton when you need them? And where are the UN sanctions? How about NATO implementing a no-fly zone over Gaza?
That “terrorist attack” was a classic false flag designed to distract the world from the Palestinians petition to the UN for statehood in September. The axis of evil – the United States of Israel – have both threatened, blackmailed, threatened some more and blackmailed even more in order to dissuade the Palestinians from seeking their freedom and their homeland. Just today, the US threatened to stop the measly 400 million it gives to the PA (as opposed to the 3+ BILLION it gives to Israel). That was in retaliation for yesterday’s announcement made by China that they support the Palestinians. The US of Israel are the biggest terrorists on the face of the Earth and the worst threat to peace and humanity. If left to their devices, they will wipe us all off.
Thanks to Peter Hart, and to MK Ultra and John Darling! Light needs to be shed on this shameless US-Zionist Israel enterprise of dispossession and endless persecution of the brave Palestinians. It’s all criminally psychotic in nature, and some sane folks must expose the disease, diagnose it, confront it, and attempt to treat it before the psychotics take us all out with them.
As long as The United States keeps forgiving Israel for killing Palestininias (with our money), the poor Palestinians will never obtain the right to their own country and there will never be peace.
For the good of all humanity we should promote the 2 States solution.
Because they’re tired of bombing Lebanon? If it came from an American intel source, it was probably from the Mossad, which is where they get their information in that region. Trustworthy? Tell me about the bunnies!
And this isn’t even the worst part. Israel continues to drop depleted uranium and white phosphorous of those poor people. When is the world going to take notice of these atrocities and make Israel accountable?
Video: Images from local Gaza TV, nigth 19th August 2011.
Is Israel Using Banned and Experimental Munitions ?
http://www.uruknet.info/?p=m80688&hd=&size=1&l=e
[Warning the video is graphic]
Has Israel ever done anything wrong during the 60-year conflict between Israel and its Arab neighbors? Have the Arab neighbors ever done anything right in the 60-year Israeli occupation of their homeland? The question is absurd! Surely we would have heard.
With apologies to Auden.
Once the 2 State is established, will the Palestinians still have the right of return – as the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights states? I hope so. Now it’s time to get a solid Truth and Reconciliation Commission established. South Africa started it. Sierra Leon improved on it.
I think the Israeli’s want a 2 State solution. This way they get what they wanted from the beginning – a recognized right to exclude Arabs, non-jews and establish a military dictatorship. Doesn’t that sound just like you-know-who. OMG that’s an awful way to negotiate.
I wish more people were as aware of what’s going on as this group of enlightened people. These comments should be sent to newspapers. If they receive enough letters, they may publish one once in a while.
10 blogs above and not one talks about the Israelis killed in anything but a passing mention to the poor poor Palestinians who died.The whole angle of this story seems to be that the IDF has not proven to YOUR satisfaction the reason for ,or the competency of -the actions of their retaliatory strike.They really will have to work on that.I would think the above bloggers would be a great help to dictating Israeli security policy’s
.I had to notice that there was very little mention of asking the terrorist forces why THEY struck.As if that reasoning is so obvious as to be self evident.
Since egypt went there is talk that terrorist elements are slipping toward Israel.Libya is a new question.Israel will defend herself.In a land where that is all her enemies respect.
I appreciate John Darling’s comments. I hope you have an accurate background in this issue. It even sounds like a childish game of retailiation & total irresponsibility by attacking anybody in the Gaza area without knowing where the terrorist are who attacked .
How many years will Israel get away with this bad behavior & why can’t some Human Rights organization step in to protect the Palestinians? Why can’t the Palestinians be protected with the 30 articles written in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Barb…Make that eleven!!!!!