Lights On, Nobody Home

Good to point out that it's not Israel cutting the power off, but there's some disingenuousness yourself in your report: Gaza is being forced to shut off the power because Israel has cut off fuel supplies to the extent that they don't have the resources to run the plant.

The rockets certainly aren't acceptable, but don't make it look as though this is just a Hamas media stunt. It's not!

Posted by: Jonathan at Jan 21, 2008 4:40:12 PM

SITUATION EXTREMELY FLUID.

CBC CANADA//BBC JUST BEGINNING THE ARAB PUSH TO PUBLICISE this wave of ....THE GAZA LIES.........

Posted by: meir weiss at Jan 21, 2008 4:42:30 PM

The reaction was to be expected. So way not to cut the electricity supply really? The reaction is the same and the effect could be better.

Posted by: George at Jan 21, 2008 5:07:21 PM

Please reissue this communique juxtaposing the dire situation in Sderot and biased media attention associated.

Posted by: Moishe Sachs at Jan 21, 2008 5:13:56 PM

hello, we see on the news of the Dutch TV that people in Gaza are holding candles while on the back and abouve them is burning the electric lights.

Posted by: hans banus at Jan 21, 2008 5:14:32 PM

Do what is right. Those who hate you will always look for a reason to hate you. Those who love you will always look for reasons to love you. Those who are indifferent mean nothing. The world has already made up its mind who Israel is. Act ! Do what must be done. Become who you must become.

Posted by: Paul Palnik at Jan 21, 2008 6:06:05 PM

The Palestinians have worn out their good will with Israel. It's about time that Israel has stopped doing anything humanitarian with Gaza. Why would you help someone who is trying to kill your children? It's up to the Palestinians to take control of their population and get rid of the terriorists. Until then they should be ostersized. Bob Poplar

Posted by: Bob Poplar at Jan 21, 2008 6:25:00 PM

MAKE THEIR LIES REALITY

In my opinion, it would be fair, smart, and appropriate to respond to this international media harassment with unprecedented action of materializing the fake image painted by Hamas and media.

It should be loudly announced by Israeli Foreign Ministry that from such date and time the remaining three quarters of electric supply will be cut off from Gaza in response to barrage of distorted news; on the condition that supply will be restored as soon as media will sufficiently correct its misrepresentation and initial portion (1/4) will be restored in a week after last rocket.

This would put media in an awkward position of the party guilty for Palestinian suffering as long as it continues backing terrorists’ agenda.

The toothless policy is what makes Israel a perfect scapegoat.

Yours truly,
Ephraim Lior

Posted by: Ephraim Lior at Jan 21, 2008 7:10:35 PM

I checked our local media Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish), and found an article (http://www.hs.fi/ulkomaat/artikkeli/Saarretun+Gazan+ainoa+voimalaitos+suljettiin/1135233427400) with heading: "The sole power plant of blocked Gaza is closed" where numbers turned totally wrong: they wrote that Gaza power plant produces 65% of electricity rest come from Egypt and Israel. I found it biased and sent the letter to them asking to adjust their article. I haven't received any answer yet. Below the article is very bad-tasting discussion blaming Jews. It's a very straight example of biased coverage.

Posted by: Igor Polyakov at Jan 21, 2008 7:24:19 PM

I really can not understand the British Newspapers, Have they forgotten their history when Hitler send waves of V2 rockets to destroy Great Britain , can't they imagine what the people of Sederot are going thru, Sirens wailing, mothers and children running to shelters just like
London, in the 40's.
They just keep up the denegration
of Israel regardless of the truth.

Posted by: Irving Wiseman at Jan 21, 2008 7:39:34 PM

Unfortunately, the Jerusalem Online News also got it wrong yesterday. They also linked the shutdown of the Gaza City power plant to the lessened supply of Israeli fuel. I was very disturbed that their story did not emphasize that Hamas decided to penalize their population when the going got tough - you can be sure that Hamas official functions and functioning officials were not in any way inconvenienced!

Posted by: Moshe at Jan 21, 2008 8:24:57 PM

This is unbelievable. And yes, Irving, so the V2s decimated London, so what, that was 60 some-odd years ago while the Holocaust wasn't happening and everybody was holding hands and dancing.

Today's "press" looks for the worst possible angle, makes the most ludicrous forecasts, but so what? Most people can't read or form a thought today.

Posted by: Beverly Kurtin at Jan 21, 2008 8:33:02 PM

I think your "Honest Reporting" site is great. However, I wonder if you are mostly preaching to the choir because most of the people who subscribe to your site are already Israeli supporters. I think it would be more beneficial and wide-reaching if your articles appeared in the mainstream newspapers and also on CNN, ABC, CBS and NBC news. Is there any way this can be achieved? I know that many times, in fact most times, when I turn on the news (usually CNN or ABC), I don't hear the truth or the entire story when it applies to a news event about Israel vs. the Palestinians, Hamas, etc. Perhaps you could start by trying to get on 20/20 and Nightline and CNN's Anderson 360 at least to make people aware of your site.

Posted by: Sandy Brecher at Jan 21, 2008 8:51:49 PM

I responded to our local Home News Tribune headline "Israeli fuel cutoff plunges Gaza into darkness" using your quote of Miko Zarfati for documentation and concluding that "It is ironic that Hamas is sending orckets to kill those who work to provide Gaza with electricity while succeeding in having newpaper headlines blaming Israel for their suffering." I've already been called to confirm I wrote the email message. Thank you for your prompt delivery of facts that enables me to respond immediately to the misleading media.

Posted by: Leah Silver at Jan 21, 2008 9:52:38 PM

I totally agree that the media is misrepresenting the true situation.

Posted by: Monica Giudice at Jan 22, 2008 12:31:34 AM

Who Pays?
Does anyone know if Gaza is paying for the electricity it receives from Israel and Egypt?
Do the electric companies send monthly bills to individuals in Gaza, or do they collect from Hamas?

Posted by: Kori at Jan 22, 2008 4:57:55 PM

Doesn't sound like Israel's policy is working very well. Why not turn ALL the power back on? Shine bright lights into the area(s) of Gaza where the rocket fire is coming from--24/7. Maybe awful, loud music, too. Black Sabbath, Metallica, Wagner.

Posted by: Jonathan Gerard at Jan 23, 2008 5:19:28 AM

Agree with several preceding comments, including one re HR's just preaching to the choir and could use some broader media exposure -- but the media is the problem, so we're back at Square One. Maybe work in cooperation with AJC, which seems to have some access and forums. Another idea -- many of us who respond to these issues here could take them to the enemy; i.e., comments and letters to sites well known for resolute anti-Israel bias. Like truthdig, where articles re Israel are uniformly negative and draw lively battles between commenters, because progressive Jews who support Israel will not put up with the BS that the anti-Semitic ranters spew out. (A little of this goes a long way: sometimes I have to take a break from joining their debates because it's like swimming in venom. But you can get results. Have actually changed a couple of peoples' minds by just presenting the facts, and trying to control the urge to over-the-top sarcasm. You can only be called a Fascist Zionist so many times before that urge kicks in.) Another site, CampusWatch, publishes a lot of anti-Israel drek being poured into the impressionable minds by professors and guest speakers, like Abizaid and Juan Cole. Universities that have History-of-Consciousness departments, such as UC-Santa Cruz, CA, are also hotbeds of anti-Zionism. You can occasionally get your side published in the campus newspapers and online as well. Recently was surprised to get a letter/op-ed published in UCSC's City on a Hill, arguing that anti-Zionism can often be the same as anti-Semitism, including a short history of modern Israel and the Arabs. I'm not sure why they published it; definitely hostile audience.
Jonathan Gerard's solution -- bright lights on areas from which rocketfire comes, as well as horrible loud music, including Wagner -- is brilliant.
Nevertheless, HR continues to get retractions and that's extremely important. May not seem to change, say, BBC's world view, but may make them a little more careful about wallowing in Arab propaganda power points. (Have noticed improvement in the New York Times headlines, where dead Palestinians in Gaza are identified as militants whereas previously that little fact was often overlooked. Also the NYT did a recent piece on the devastating effect constant rocks are having on psyches of Sderot citizens. So HR is making some major progress.)
Finally, Israel has to get much more aggressive about defending their position and specifying Arab outrages. They could also take advantage of Arab historians on the subject such as Ibn Khaldun (12th century), whose rap on Arab culture, if published by an Israeli or any Jew, would create major international condemnation. Or Fouad Ajami, whose works "The Arab Predicament" and "The Dream Palace of the Arabs" clearly demonstrate that IN GENERAL the Arab grasp of what is true is, to put it mildly, more than tenuous. Or maybe Israel should let the Arabs know that it will behave exactly as badly as the Arabs accuse them of behaving.
Frankly, the international community does not give a damn about Israel and continues to side with the exotic Arabs. Sometimes I wonder if the PR is even worth it -- but you just have to keep repeating the truth and hope people will eventually begin to recognize the other side's big lies. Israel's greatest advantage at the moment is that the Arabs are being such major pains to the rest of the world that sooner or later they'll lose their support. In my own new left/new age part of the world (Northern California), there is a hint of growing realization that the mindless suicide bombers killing fellow Arabs in Iraq might just represent a way of life that is detestable and not to be encouraged, and that no one is making them do it but themselves. Not us, not Israel. I just hope this embryonic change of mind occurs before it's too late for Israel.

Posted by: Sepharad Sherrell at Jan 23, 2008 8:59:58 AM

Thank you for this article, because, without listening carefully, I only heard "electricity", "Israel", "Gaza", and immediately assumed that Israel cut off power. After reading the article, I went on NPR's website to actually listen to the report and read the headline. Correct me if I'm wrong, but it seems to be okay and in line with HR's reporting:

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=18279060

Posted by: Simon Shamoun at Jan 23, 2008 3:28:08 PM

What is the matter with the Palestinians anyway? Cant they generate their own elctricity..cant they get help from their millions of "arab brothers" surrounding them..why should Israel look after them all the time, what are they - a bunch of kids? geez how pathetic they are..get a life will you Palestinians, er its called WORK

Posted by: Anna at Jan 23, 2008 10:04:53 PM

Kori,

In the GS, Hamas pays Israel for the power.

Posted by: Michael at Jan 24, 2008 3:26:33 PM