Israel goes PR through Propaganda

Israel goes PR through Propaganda


Israeli TVs and tens of other Israeli media outlets seem to be
recruited by the government of Israel now.

As the aid convoys approach Gaza by the Mediterranean, the media
outlets step up its propaganda and PR campaign. The propaganda
portrayed in these media outlets will never succeed to changing the
damaged image of Israel.

The whole world knows the concrete facts about the state of Israel.
The state of Israel has been built through blood, violence, ethnic
cleansing, political betrayal and guerrilla wars against the unarmed
Palestinians in 1948 and prior to that. More than 7 wars have been
launched by Israel against their Arab neighbors in Syria, Lebanon,
Palestine, Jordan and Egypt. Even, the attacks of Israel reached
Tunisia and Iraq thousands of miles from that state!

Observers could easily notice an entire integration between Israeli
media and the official stance of the government. Israel’s official
stance is trying to tell the international mainstream that there is no
siege in Gaza. This totally contradicts the facts being said
repeatedly not by Palestinians but by Amnesty, Human Rights Watch,
OXFAM, USAID, CHF, UNRWA and tens of other organizations. These
organizations clearly stated in their reports that Gaza is in Plight,
crisis and inhuman living conditions. An example can be found in a
report issued a few months ago by OXFAM.

Haaretz and Yediot Ahronot circulated a very piece of propaganda
regarding the Israeli soldier detained in Gaza, Gilad Shalit. Both of
them, cried on Gilad Shalit as if he was an innocent civilian captured
from inside Israel. They didn’t show the way he was detained or why.
Shalit was in the front, inside his tank firing at the borders of Gaza
in Rafah. Shalit might kill few Palestinians in his short time with
the army. Sadly, the newspapers tried to bring his issue ahead to the
Freedom Flotilla which is carrying thousands of tonnes of aid to Gaza.

Both of the papers published articles stated that “organizers
decline carrying a package to Gilad shalit” However, this turned
untrue. I spoke with a number of organizers like ECESG and people from
the Free Gaza Movement. They both said, “No one contacted us”. We
are ready to take this package to Shalit. But in return, we need a
commitment from Israel to allow Palestinian families to visit their
sons, brothers, sisters, children, women in the dozens of Israeli
jails.

Both of the papers are trying to draw the attention on the suffering
of Gilad Shalit and his family. They aim at keeping the spotlight on
him so less attention can be given to the Freedom Flotila. More
importantly, by saying organizers decline to send this package; those
organizers can be seen as inhuman, hypocrites and liars. Normal
readers will think how come those organizers are going for a human aim
to Gaza whilst they refuse to have this human package to captive
fighting solider, Gilad!

The media in Israel tries hard to neglect the issue of Palestinian
prisoners. There are 8.000 Palestinians in Israeli jails. They live
under hard living conditions while their families are denied visits
since 4 years especially those from Gaza.

The other part of PR-Propaganda campaign has been adopted by the
Israeli government and backed by Israeli media outlets. The government
mandated the foreign affairs ministry to explain with photos,
statistics and numbers that there is no siege in Gaza. Even the Prime
Minister of Israel himself, Binyamin Netanyahu, announced a list of
luxurious restaurants that journalists should visit in Gaza. He tried
to say that these places are running there is no siege. But the fact
is that these restaurants are running because of the tunnels.

Defense Minister Ehud Barak insisted that there is no humanitarian
crisis in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs Spokesman Yigal Palmor, said
that “In a typical week, 15,000 tons of supplies enter Gaza.
Truckloads of meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, fruits, vegetables,
milk powder, baby food, wheat and other staples arrive in Gaza on a
daily basis. Building materials are also shipped in, when monitored by
International organization so as not to be commandeered by Hamas for
the fortification of bunkers.”

The statements of Palmor are mere falsehoods. He said a typical week.
The typical week of crossing in Gaza before the siege was allowed more
than 700 trucks of food and basics necessities into Gaza daily. This
means Gaza strip requires at least 10,000 tonnes a day the overall
would be at least 70,000 tonnes. Palmor continues to spread the
Israeli propaganda by Saying, “Building materials are also shipped
in”

The International community promised to rebuild Gaza and dedicated
hundreds of millions of dollars for this aim. But Israel has denied
and still the construction materials to get into Gaza. There is no
doubt that aid convoy coming by sea will help the people of Gaza. If
Israel cares about its image, then it has to adopt peace as a choice.
It has to end occupation and lift siege. It has to give life to the
children of Gaza. Israel should meet its so-called morals as an
independent state. The actions of Israel are slow holocaust like and
partly are genocidal towards the people of Gaza.

Israel will only get good PR when it gives the children of Gaza new
life. Baby Feras, 6 months, who died a few months ago, will always
chase those were behind the reason of his death.

By Sameh A. Habeeb

Palestine Telegraph Newspaper

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