Special Report: The Hamas Propaganda War

I noticed in the picture of the Palestinian parliment, the drapes were closed to keep the sunlight from streaming into the room. It's obvious from the light spill around the curtains that there was plenty of sunlight.

Posted by: Leta Lenik at Jan 28, 2008 4:44:09 PM

GREAT SENT IT TO MY FULL LIST. KEEP UP THIS TYPE OF REPORT.

Posted by: Dick Wenig at Jan 28, 2008 4:54:38 PM

What would any Country do if Hammas sent rockets at them every day? What would England do? What would the city of New york do? What would anyone do? All they need to do is stop the killing and palestine would become a state, get all the money it needs, knowone would die, new buildings, new housing, new hospitals, schools, EVERYTHING. as long as they continue to lob rockets into israel there will NEVER be PEACE.

Posted by: steve at Jan 28, 2008 4:58:54 PM

Thanks for the report!
Can you please pay attention to the obituary for G. Habbash in the Sunday Boston Globe.
Yours Emmanuil Shrayer

Posted by: Emmanuil Shrayer at Jan 28, 2008 4:59:29 PM

The photo of the government in session by candle light is a great propaganda example. Next time they should try a photo angle that doesn't identify how much sunlight is bursting to get in through the closed drapes . . .

Posted by: Moshe at Jan 28, 2008 5:04:08 PM

The candlelight story was reported on my public broadcasting station sponsored by the University of Utah, I think it was an NPR newscast. It talked about the candle light, and it ALSO TALKED ABOUT IT BEING A STUNT DONE IN FULL DAYLIGHT WITH CURTAINS DRAWN. Not all of the press is stupid.

Posted by: Linda J at Jan 28, 2008 5:05:06 PM

Why isn't the Israeli government capable of getting in front of issues like this? They should know by now how Hamas and the other groups are effective at manipulation of the media. They should have held a press conference prior to shutting down Gaza. They should have laid out their knowledge of Gaza's fuel supply and explained that Gaza had enough fuel to remain "operational" for 2 months. They should be out in front of these things. Why do they let this happen? As you point out - the damage is now done.

Posted by: Neil C at Jan 28, 2008 5:06:21 PM

Israel always loosing in the PR war. What is strange, that Israel not learning from it. With a little common sence, people are taking conclusions to avoid the repeated poor PR. But Israel not learning from it and excepting to play the looser part. Question is: WHY???

Posted by: Robert Harsanyi at Jan 28, 2008 5:14:21 PM

As misleading as ever from 'Honest'Reporting.

Take the AP quote were it is claimed there is no "context". Only by leaving out the 2 preceding sentances can it be made to seem so.

If anti-Israel media bias is real, why the need for such deceit?

Posted by: Michael at Jan 28, 2008 5:19:44 PM

Let's see how much the Egyptians and all the Arab countries REALLY CARE for their poor BROTHERS. Today Water hoses, tomorrow...?

Posted by: galiah at Jan 28, 2008 5:32:41 PM

What the Israeli Government lacks is a PR agency to counteract the arab false info. They should put the photos on the internet showing how the arabs stage eveything....If necessary they should pay for the advertisement to get the message out.

The headline should read.....This Is the Palestinian staged situation and this is the true situation.....

Obviously Egypt is an accomplice in this staged blackout and barrier busting....close the border with Egypt.

I have to agree that Israel's PR is
absolutely useless......

Posted by: Bill at Jan 28, 2008 6:13:12 PM

Once again, no apparent timely and effective effort by Israeli PR (aka Hasbara).

Posted by: Ehud, Tel-Aviv at Jan 28, 2008 6:28:28 PM

It is so obvious that the "candle light" use is a sham and used solely
for propaganda against Israel. SOME MEDIA, PLEASE WAKE UP AND DO SOME HONEST FACTUAL REPORTING!

Posted by: Morton Gale at Jan 28, 2008 6:51:41 PM

you should send this to National Public Radio, in paticular to its Senior comentator, the 91 year old Mr.

Posted by: N. B. ATTIAS at Jan 28, 2008 7:12:45 PM

I appreaciate HR exposing what the world needs to know and pressuring media to be more fair and objective. Today's pieces re Hamas detailed planning and delivery picked up by the world's media made me wonder where are the Israeli psych warfare, counter-propaganda people? e.g.:the cost of one rocket or yesterday's rockets could buy you a school,x amount of medicine, create jobs etc, rather than keeping you deprived and angry so you can be proud to be cannon fodder. Certainlly Arab propagandists aren't simply so much better than what we could be.

Posted by: Sam Levinson at Jan 28, 2008 7:34:36 PM

The media talks about collective punishment by Israel against an Arab population in Gaza that supports Hamas to the hilt.What's more, the elected regime in Gaza carries out fabricated events an an effort to discredit Israel at every opportunity.
Isn't it time that Israel washes its hands of Gaza once and for all? In view of the concoction of lies and the propagnada warfare being perpetrated against it, Israel would be far better off if it did so.
The Israeli government should announce that it no longer is prepared to allow this situation to continue. With as little notice as possible, but with no more than one month, Israel should announce to the world that it is completely closing its frontier with Gaza, and severing all connections with this terrorist area. All border crossings will be closed, electricity,gas,food medical supplies will cease.
The worry of Gaza will therefore become a world problem, whereby all supplies necessary for the wellbeing of the Gaza population will have to be supplied through Egypt.

Posted by: Stanley Shapiro at Jan 28, 2008 8:32:03 PM

sirs,
what i don't understand is that for a long time we have heard that the gazans have nothing. "no business, no money " etc etc.
so where did ALL the money come from when they "crossed" the border to buy so much goods, including fridges and huge amounts of goods and food????
n.s.

Posted by: norman sarkin at Jan 28, 2008 9:07:38 PM

Dear Honest Reporting
Your special report about how the Media have fallen into the trap of being manipulated is excellent.
It is balanced, factual and positive.
This proves that we can expose fraudulent claims and identify manipulation, but Oh Dear! once the news is out there on the airwaves, we still are unable to retract it.
All I can say is that we need to get in with Israel's side of the story before the press release their 'news'.
Its also time that Western Democracies with their freedom of speech began to understand that we are dealing with a massive propaganda and hate filled machine.
Keep up the good work Honest Reporting.
We need a partner in Honesty as well as a partner in Peace.

Posted by: Helen Mellen at Jan 28, 2008 9:13:11 PM

Israel should start use its own "street"; why not mount huge demonstrations in front of the IEC power plant in Ashkelon with banners like : STOP SUPPLYING ELECTRICITY TO OUR ENEMIES, and at the same time in front of the PM office in Jerusalem (and the Supreme Court)

Posted by: Alex Shilo at Jan 28, 2008 9:21:10 PM

The answer is simple and easy. Do not permit any news outlet from covering both sides of the story.

Those who report from the Arab side fear for their lives. Let's face it, some Arabs have no compunction about committing cold blooded murder if a reporter tells the truth.

If a "reporter" from any news source reports in Gaza or the West Bank, they should not be permitted to report on what is happening in Israel. It is the only way that any honest reporting will happen.

Let's face it: if a reporter gives a negative report on an Arab situation, that reporter is as good as dead.

Israel is and has been jackasses for permitting double "reporting." They cannot get an even break from any reporter who reports from the Arab side.

A New Zealand "reporter" just got through calling Israel the terrorists and compared the wall around Gaza with the Warsaw Ghetto. He belittled the "homemade" rockets that do relatively little harm. He said that the Arabs are just "tossing the rockets over the wall," neglecting that real people are being really killed by those so-called homemade rockets.

It does not appear that that particular "reporter" is even stationed in the area. But if he is, his permit should be revoked. France 2's permit should be revoked.

When is Israel going to learn to get as tough as others claim they already are?

Posted by: Beverly Kurtin at Jan 28, 2008 10:06:32 PM

This is another thing Hamas is doing
to discredit Israel. Evil only wins for a Season. The Bible shows Us what GOD said about the Philistines & what to do. Israel even though They are being lied about. I believe that the LORD will intervene for the
Peoples sake. Truth will out. Their
tactics of hate & Murder will be brought to naught. Because GODS People are praying about this. Israel is GODS People. HE will intervene & Israel & Palestine, Egypt
& Whole World will see the truth of
what Hamas & Allies Mid East are doing. Everthing that is covered up
by lying & deceit will be uncovered & brought to the light. For All to see & know. Amen. Because We will not cease in praying & Interceding.

Posted by: Ruth G. Koch at Jan 28, 2008 10:54:43 PM

I'm confused. Your report does not jibe with today's New York Times article by Steven Erlander (p. A7) in which the Israeli gov't told the Supreme Court that necessary (but vastly diminished) industrial diesel fuel will be restored to Gaza. The article's main point is that Israel's policy of denying Gazans sufficient food and fuel in order to pressure them to stop bombing Sderot had "backfired"--leading to the Palestinians' storming of the border barrier with Egypt. Also, Arthur Waskow just posts an email of his own, apologizing for "a report The Shalom Center sent out earlier today was over-optimistic, saying the Israeli Army was restoring normal fuel and electricity service to Gaza. (Thanks to Rabbis for Human Rights in Israel for alerting me to the true state of affairs.)

As of January 28, the most immediate impact of the Gaza-Sderot fuel embargo has eased slightly -- but not ended.

After more than a week of near-total ban on fuel supplies, the Israeli Army told the Israeli Supreme Court yesterday that it would resume permitting Gaza residents to purchase fuel -- but would limit the amount they could buy by as much as 81% and would cut the electricity supplied directly to Gaza beginning February 7."

Posted by: Jonathan Gerard at Jan 29, 2008 12:56:37 AM

When, oh when, will the Israelis implement some decent public relations moves of their own? If no one in Israel can come up with some decent ideas, why not hold a contest for American PR agencies, with a prize for the best campaign?

Posted by: Bobbie Lewis at Jan 29, 2008 1:31:22 AM

When will the media realise that Hamas are wonderful actors and PR experts?
If Hollywood would like to offer Hamas positions in the film making industry they would do extremely well.

When will the West realise that you can't apply Western morals and thinking to the Middle East. It just doesn't work. When Israel shows humanitarianism, the Arabs mistake this for "weakness" and attack, when Israel shows "strength" it is more peaceful but Everylasting peace is just a mere dream at this time. Until the World understands what is really happening in Israel and reports honestly, Israel is fitting an uphill battle.

Thank you to all those living in the Land of Eretz Israel for your strength and undying hope for Peace.
G-d bless.

Posted by: Helen at Jan 29, 2008 1:53:52 AM

Thank you, thank you for providing this informative analysis of what is going on.

Posted by: Eloyce Mailman at Jan 29, 2008 2:11:13 AM