Tuesday, August 5, 2014
Standards for judgement and racism
What follows are excerpts from a June 30, 2014, news account by Tim Craig, the Washington Post's bureau chief in Pakistan:
"Pakistan's military launched a major ground offensive in the northwestern part of the country Monday, beginning what army commanders say will be a 'house-to-house search' for terrorist leaders and other militants.
"The offensive began after two weeks of airstrikes in North Waziristan. . . .
"In a statement, Pakistan's military said its soldiers discovered 'underground tunnels' and 'preparation factories' for explosives during the initial hours of the ground assault. . . .
"Backed by artillery and tanks, troops killed 17 terrorists Monday, the army said. Combined with the toll from airstrikes that began June 16, a total of 376 terrorists have died in the offensive, the army said. . . .
"More than a half-million residents fled North Waziristan ahead of the ground offensive. The mass evacuation of the area, which has a population of about 600,000, was intended to limit civilian casualties during the operation. The military also set up checkpoints in the area to trap militants."
The above is from an opinion piece which is quite straightforward, subtitled,
"The world is outraged by Israeli self-defense but only 'concerned' when Muslims kill Muslims."
with the following conclusions:"...people often point out how peculiar it is that the Jewish state seems to arouse a level of condemnation that never seems to apply equally elsewhere. But perhaps the real racism is the indifference to Muslim suffering around the world when the person dropping the bomb or pulling the trigger is another Muslim. A world that makes a fetish of the alleged guilt of Israel is also a world that holds too much Muslim life cheap."
http://online.wsj.com/articles/bret-stephens-palestine-and-double-standards-1407194971
Friday, August 1, 2014
Hamas fighters and journalists in Gaza (updated PS)
In the ongoing media reports of the Gaza fighting, I have wondered, why have we not seen any pictures, still or video, of the Hamas fighters in Gaza while journalist have had visuals and audio of Israeli soldiers in Israel and lots of photos, videos and audio of injured and killed in Gaza?
And then I received the following in an email late on 7/29/14. I can not verify its validity though the original source is cited at the end.
Because of the unusual nature of this report I let it speak for itself.
And then I received the following in an email late on 7/29/14. I can not verify its validity though the original source is cited at the end.
Because of the unusual nature of this report I let it speak for itself.
"A Spanish journalist told Israeli filmmaker Michael Grynszpan 
that the reason television news does not broadcast images of Hamas fighters in action is because of fear of immediate execution.
that the reason television news does not broadcast images of Hamas fighters in action is because of fear of immediate execution.
Grynszpan , who directed the film‘Forgotten Refugees ‘, about the 800,000 to 1 million Jews expelled from their homes in the Arab world in the 1950s, posted his interview with the unnamed Spanish journalist on Facebook on Wednesday.
, who directed the film‘Forgotten Refugees ‘, about the 800,000 to 1 million Jews expelled from their homes in the Arab world in the 1950s, posted his interview with the unnamed Spanish journalist on Facebook on Wednesday.“I met today with a Spanish journalist who just came back from Gaza. We talked about the situation there. He was veryfriendly . I asked him how come we never see ontelevision channels reporting from Gaza any Hamas people, no gunmen, no rocket launcher, no policemen. We only see civilians on these reports, mostly women and children.”“He answered me frankly: ‘It’s very simple, we did see Hamas people there launching rockets, they were close to our hotel, but if ever we dared pointing our camera on them they would simply shoot at us and kill us.’”“Wooh, impressive. Then I asked him ‘Would you mind saying that on camera? I can film you explaining this…’”“For some reason I cannot really understand, he refused and almost ran away. I guess my camera is as dangerous as Hamas threats…”“So just for you to know, the truth will never appear on the images you see on television.”
Grynszpan ‘s interview was flagged on Thursday by blogger Elder of Zion who compared the many reports of the dangerous intimidation endured by journalists from Hamas in Gaza to what was reported in 2006, at the hands of Hezbollah, in Lebanon.
‘s interview was flagged on Thursday by blogger Elder of Zion who compared the many reports of the dangerous intimidation endured by journalists from Hamas in Gaza to what was reported in 2006, at the hands of Hezbollah, in Lebanon.
“CNN’s Nic Robertson dutifully accompanied Hezbollah on a planned tour of a bombed out building, repeating Hezbollah’s talking points about not seeing any military targets there and not telling viewers that it was staged entirely by Hezbollah. Only when he was safely back in the U.S., and challenged on TV about his report, did he admit the truth,” the blogger said .
.
Robertson, as reported by Newsbusters , said on air: “Hezbollah has ‘very, very sophisticated and slick media operations,’ that the terrorist group ‘had control of the situation. They designated the places that we went to, and we certainly didn’t have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath,’ and he even contradicted Hezbollah’s self-serving spin: ‘There’s no doubt that the [Israeli] bombs there are hitting Hezbollah facilities.’”
, said on air: “Hezbollah has ‘very, very sophisticated and slick media operations,’ that the terrorist group ‘had control of the situation. They designated the places that we went to, and we certainly didn’t have time to go into the houses or lift up the rubble to see what was underneath,’ and he even contradicted Hezbollah’s self-serving spin: ‘There’s no doubt that the [Israeli] bombs there are hitting Hezbollah facilities.’”
But Elder of Ziyon also quoted the reporting of CNN’s Anderson Cooper, who he credited as being “the only one of scores of journalists who exposed the facade of impartiality while he was in Lebanon .”
.”source cited is:“As the video showed a group reporters and photographersinterviewing asingle woman on a blanket, Cooper explained, ‘Civilian casualties are clearly what Hezbollah wants foreign reporters to focus on. It keeps the attention off them — and questions about why Hezbollah should still be allowed to have weapons when all the other militias in Lebanon have already disarmed.’”“After letting us take pictures of a few damaged buildings, they take us to another location, where there are ambulances waiting.”“This is a heavily orchestrated Hezbollah media event. When we got here, all the ambulances were lined up. We were allowed a few minutes to talk tothe ambulance drivers . Then one by one, they’ve been told to turn on their sirens and zoom off so that all the photographers here can get shots of ambulances rushing off to treat civilians. That’s the story that Hezbollah wants people to know about.”“These ambulances aren’t responding to any new bombings. The sirens are strictly for effect.”
http://www.algemeiner.com/2014/07/31/spanish-journalist-on-why-hamas-never-photographed-in-action-if-ever-we-dared-point-our-camera-on-them-they-would-simply-shoot-at-us-and-kill-us/
After posting the above, received the following from a reader:
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/181206/new-york-times-slams-its-own-pulitzer-prize-winning-photographer-in-gaza
Here are the conclusions:
"What the Times and other mainstream news outlets seem determined to hide from their readers is that their photographers and reporters are hardly allowed to roam freely. In fact, they are working under terribly difficult conditions under the effective control of a terrorist organization which–as the war itself indicates–doesn’t hesitate to maim, kidnap, and kill people that it doesn’t like.
How does being dependent on Hamas for your daily access–not to mention your life–potentially impact coverage? Well, the fact that the Times has only two distant, grainy, unusable images of Hamas gunmen from Tyler Hicks tells you all you need to know, doesn’t it.
If your imagination needs more help, here’s Liel Liebovitz’s column in Tablet:
In recent days alone, we’ve heard the account of Gabriele Barbati, an Italian journalist who, once leaving Gaza, tweeted
By playing coy with readers about the reasons why coverage is so imbalanced, the Timesmay think that it’s defending the work of its reporters and photographers. In fact, it’s making them and the paper look foolish–while serving as the propaganda arm of a terrorist organization. Someone at the paper needs to devote some serious attention to the reasoning that has transformed difficult working conditions on the ground into a glaring editorial failure."
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
Sam Harris: ‘Why Don’t I Criticize Israel?’ The famed and controversial atheist weighs in on Gaza
For a thorough exploration of the issues between Hamas, Palestinians and Israel, I recommend this essay, which also has an audio presentation; below are his conclusions, which have broad implications, and a link to a website for the entire piece.
"These incompatible religious attachments to this land have made it impossible for Muslims and Jews to negotiate like rational human beings, and they have made it impossible for them to live in peace. But the onus is still more on the side of the Muslims here. Even on their worst day, the Israelis act with greater care and compassion and self-criticism than Muslim combatants have anywhere, ever.
"These incompatible religious attachments to this land have made it impossible for Muslims and Jews to negotiate like rational human beings, and they have made it impossible for them to live in peace. But the onus is still more on the side of the Muslims here. Even on their worst day, the Israelis act with greater care and compassion and self-criticism than Muslim combatants have anywhere, ever.
And again, you have to ask yourself, what do these groups want? What would they accomplish if they could accomplish anything? What would the Israelis do if they could do what they want? They would live in peace with their neighbors, if they had neighbors who would live in peace with them. They would simply continue to build out their high tech sector and thrive. [Note: Some might argue that they would do more than this—e.g. steal more Palestinian land. But apart from the influence of Jewish extremism (which I condemn), Israel’s continued appropriation of land has more than a little to do with her security concerns. Absent Palestinian terrorism and Muslim anti-Semitism, we could be talking about a “one-state solution,” and the settlements would be moot.]
What do groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda and even Hamas want? They want to impose their religious views on the rest of humanity. They want stifle every freedom that decent, educated, secular people care about. This is not a trivial difference. And yet judging from the level of condemnation that Israel now receives, you would think the difference ran the other way.
This kind of confusion puts all of us in danger. This is the great story of our time. For the rest of our lives, and the lives of our children, we are going to be confronted by people who don’t want to live peacefully in a secular, pluralistic world, because they are desperate to get to Paradise, and they are willing to destroy the very possibility of human happiness along the way. The truth is, we are all living in Israel. It’s just that some of us haven’t realized it yet."
Muslim Protests in Europe
There have been violent protests and marches throughout Europe, especially in France, against Israel in relation to the Gaza - Israeli war. These protests have been predominantly led by Muslim groups and their allies on the extreme political left (and sometimes also extreme political right!) and have often involved anti-Semitic elements. They have also entailed ongoing attacks on Jews and Jewish institutions throughout Europe.
Yes, the death and destruction of war is sad and horrible. Protest all forms of hatred, violence and war.
After about 3 weeks of rockets from Gaza into Israel, bombing from Israel into Gaza and now the ongoing fighting of war, the death toll is over 1,000 people with more injured. At the current time, the death toll in the Syrian war after 3 years stands at well over 160,000 - more than ONE HUNDRED TIMES the death toll in the Gaza - Israel! The destruction throughout Syrian cities is even more extreme, as is the brutality. Similarly, the death toll in the current Shia - Sunni war in Iraq is much higher than in the Gaza - Israeli conflict, as is the death in the ongoing civil war in Pakistan.
Where are the comparable large Muslim led protests in Europe about the violence and destruction in Syria, in Iraq, in Pakistan? Where is the European left? What conclusions might we draw from this?
PS. After publishing this note, I was sent an article published today, July 30, 2014, headlined
"The double standard is odious. And it has become increasingly evident across Europe in the past month. Bluntly anti-Semitic slogans have marred most European demonstrations "in support of the people of Gaza." Residents of Frankfurt and Dortmund were horrified in mid-July to see neo-Nazi groups join hands with left-wing Islamists in a grim chant: "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas." The center of London was blocked on July 19 by thousands who gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Kensington to shout their hatred for Jews.
Yes, the death and destruction of war is sad and horrible. Protest all forms of hatred, violence and war.
After about 3 weeks of rockets from Gaza into Israel, bombing from Israel into Gaza and now the ongoing fighting of war, the death toll is over 1,000 people with more injured. At the current time, the death toll in the Syrian war after 3 years stands at well over 160,000 - more than ONE HUNDRED TIMES the death toll in the Gaza - Israel! The destruction throughout Syrian cities is even more extreme, as is the brutality. Similarly, the death toll in the current Shia - Sunni war in Iraq is much higher than in the Gaza - Israeli conflict, as is the death in the ongoing civil war in Pakistan.
Where are the comparable large Muslim led protests in Europe about the violence and destruction in Syria, in Iraq, in Pakistan? Where is the European left? What conclusions might we draw from this?
PS. After publishing this note, I was sent an article published today, July 30, 2014, headlined
The Ugly Tide Washing Across Europe:
The 'Gaza generation' seems worried about Arab deaths only when Jews are involved
from which I will quote the concluding passage and link.
"The double standard is odious. And it has become increasingly evident across Europe in the past month. Bluntly anti-Semitic slogans have marred most European demonstrations "in support of the people of Gaza." Residents of Frankfurt and Dortmund were horrified in mid-July to see neo-Nazi groups join hands with left-wing Islamists in a grim chant: "Hamas, Hamas, Jews to the gas." The center of London was blocked on July 19 by thousands who gathered in front of the Israeli embassy in Kensington to shout their hatred for Jews.
Not to mention Amsterdam, the city of Spinoza, Europe's capital of tolerance, where in certain neighborhoods it has become practically impossible to wear a yarmulke in public without running the risk of being insulted or assaulted.
For someone who has advocated, as I have, for nearly half a century the creation of a Palestinian state alongside a fully recognized Israel, this is truly discouraging. That there are sincere men and women among the demonstrators I do not doubt. But I would urge them to think twice before letting themselves be manipulated by those whose motive is not solidarity but hate, and whose true agenda is not peace in Palestine but death to Israel—and, as often as not, alas, death to Jews."
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
top-secret-hamas-command-bunker-in-gaza-revealed --- and what most media will not acknowledge
Lots of pictures and details.
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/180730/top-secret-hamas-command-bunker-in-gaza-revealed#undefined
And the conclusions:
"What Hamas has done, therefore, is to turn Shifa Hospital into a Hollywood sound-stage filled with real, live war victims who are used to score propaganda points, while the terrorists inside the hospital itself are erased from photographs and news accounts through a combination of pressure and threats, in order to produce the stories that Hamas wants. So if reporters aren’t entirely to blame for participating in this sick charade, then who is?
The answer is that reporters write what they can, and some do their job better than others, and some are braver or more foolhardy than their peers. But it’s the job of editors, sitting thousands of miles away, at a very safe remove from the battlefield, to note that dispatches were produced under pressure, or that key information was removed by a government—as nearly all mainstream media outlets do when battlefield dispatches pass through the hands of the IDF censor. A good editor might attach similar notes to dispatches from combat zones controlled by terrorist organizations."
http://www.tabletmag.com/scroll/180730/top-secret-hamas-command-bunker-in-gaza-revealed#undefined
And the conclusions:
"What Hamas has done, therefore, is to turn Shifa Hospital into a Hollywood sound-stage filled with real, live war victims who are used to score propaganda points, while the terrorists inside the hospital itself are erased from photographs and news accounts through a combination of pressure and threats, in order to produce the stories that Hamas wants. So if reporters aren’t entirely to blame for participating in this sick charade, then who is?
The answer is that reporters write what they can, and some do their job better than others, and some are braver or more foolhardy than their peers. But it’s the job of editors, sitting thousands of miles away, at a very safe remove from the battlefield, to note that dispatches were produced under pressure, or that key information was removed by a government—as nearly all mainstream media outlets do when battlefield dispatches pass through the hands of the IDF censor. A good editor might attach similar notes to dispatches from combat zones controlled by terrorist organizations."
Chinese fake twitters attack Dalai Lama and Tibet
Social media and the media have become "more" of a weapon in war and in non-war. Of course this is not new, but the range, reach and immediacy of the internet and other virtual media have expanded the significance of these - whether in the Ukraine and with the Russian media such as RT, in the Middle East with the Qatar government sponsored Al Jazeera and now with this new report of the extension of the activities of the Chinese government:
"Free Tibet has also urged Twitter CEO Dick Costolo to introduce, as a matter of urgency, policies to prevent Twitter being used for deceptive propaganda in the interests of authoritarian regimes (6).
In her letter to Mr Costolo, Free Tibet director Eleanor Byrne-Rosengren said
“A company of Twitter’s size and high profile must take responsibility for failing to prevent abuse on this scale for the political purposes of an authoritarian regime. These accounts are not the exercise of free speech but an act of cynical deception designed to manipulate public opinion regarding an occupied and brutally repressed country."
And here is the report in the LA Times:Dozens of pro-China Twitter accounts outed by Free Tibet as fakes
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-china-twitter-taiwan-20140722-story.html
"Free Tibet identified about 100 fake accounts and said there were probably hundreds more. They submitted their findings Monday to Twitter Chief Executive Dick Costolo and released the results to the New York Times.
Monday to Twitter Chief Executive Dick Costolo and released the results to the New York Times.
Not only were the fake identities unusually good-looking, many of them had two first names, such as Tom Hugo, Ken Peters and Felix James, as though they were randomly chosen by a computer program . Some also had YouTube and MySpace accounts. They listed one another as followers, retweeting each other. One tweet criticizing the Dalai Lama, Tibet’s spiritual leader, was retweeted 6,555 times.
Their messages either condemned the Dalai Lama or the Japanese, or praised daily life in Tibet or Xinjiang, the restive northwestern region, often tweeting articles from Chinese propaganda sites."
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