Coming Soon? Hamas' Media Massacre

Please. While I don't doubt that there is no shortage of anti Israel propaganda, to suggest that Israel hasn't mobilized a massive propaganda effort just as full of lies as "Pallywood" is a crock. When Israel respects their own supreme court and actually lets foreign journalists into Gaza, we may begin to start sorting out what the truth actually is. Neither side of this conflict are worthy of third party trust at this point.

Posted by: john longjohn at Jan 5, 2009 6:08:00 PM

I have been watching the events unfold in Canada and I am totally disgusted with the coverage generated by CTV News. It is ironic that CNN and CBC news offer more balanced accounts then CTVs constantly digging up Arab commentaries and anti-Israel Jews to make comments. Even their questions were biased. They even dug up the UN representatives from the previous Jean Chretien (Prime Minister) era where Canada’s stand on Middle East issues in the UN was abysmal. They constantly show the same Hamas propaganda videos beside every interviewee.

Posted by: Sam Zameck at Jan 6, 2009 12:26:50 AM

Thank you. Yer doin' well! :)

Posted by: Ma Sands at Jan 6, 2009 12:26:50 AM

You are "Right On". It will happen
but you will always have doubters
and fence straddlers proposing
assnine questions, and equivocations. Israel has
tolerated this constant bombing
of civilians long enough. The IDF
action is totally justified, and
should have taken place long ago !!

Posted by: bob holt at Jan 6, 2009 12:26:51 AM

"But why does the BBC's Paul Reynolds consider the Israeli message to be "propaganda?" And why does he treat IDF video sources with such skepticism, particularly in stark contrast to Palestinian sources?"

Because the BBC and many of its staff actively participate in the Palestinian propaganda campaign.

As for Mr. john longjohn above, I trust the Israeli side much more than the Palestinians and other Arabs who have developed a track record for dissembling over a long period of time.

Posted by: Anna at Jan 6, 2009 12:26:51 AM

If a PR campaign is so much a part of the overall war effort, and if Israel, as has been reported by Michael Oren, has photographs of the Hamas militants firing rockets from such "civilian" institutions as hospitals and schools, why don't the Israeli military or government public information officials publish, publicize, and otherwise make widely available these photographs, as well as, for that matter, any other evidence they have documenting the use by Hamas of civilians as shields for their military operations?

Posted by: Herb Mendelsohn at Jan 6, 2009 12:26:51 AM

I read the Reynolds piece and wrote to him praising his objectivity. He acknowledged that Hamas were the instigators.

Your protests (which I regularly act on) lose their impact when no one is good enough. I think you need to recalibrate on this one. Reynolds is fine, and a great deal better than Bowen. Israel is engaged in a propaganda exercise - and about time too.

Posted by: SM at Jan 6, 2009 12:26:51 AM

Because the Arab media is winning the "propaganda war" by spreading lies around the world, maybe Israel should also spread its own lies thus confusing everybody. I know it is immoral, but war whether physical or not is immoral. So, let's make the best of it.

Posted by: Tony Sophocleous at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:30 AM

Article and presentation are extremely well done and accurate.
I don't know how Canada is presenting the issue, but in the U.S. the ONLY TV station giving any balance to the issue and NOT biased in favor of the Palestinians is FOX.
Rick Sanchez on CNN did a hatchet job on Israel - defending his statements that Israel 'broke the cease fire'!! last summer. Israel has no friends in America's MainStreetMedia. Shame on them all. And no amount of writing to them does squat.

Posted by: BBnana at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:30 AM

The world's response is disproportionate to Israel's defensive actions because they have been conditioned for too long like that of Pavlov's dog.
What about the even worst case scenario of Darfur where arab muslims kill hundreds of thousands of african muslims?Are african muslim's lives worth less than arab lives.

Posted by: cak at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:30 AM

The Nazi's did the the same thing to England from 1939 'til 1944, with with their blitzcreed and Buzz Bombs. Should not the British have not fought back? Israel forced all the Jews out of Gaza and let the P.A. have it. Then fed them for the past 4 yrs, gave them 200 trucks of needed supplies every day just to have rockets fired at them. It's about time, after 8 yrs of suicide bombers and rocket attacks. If that were to happen here in the U S, it would have been stopped in less than 30 days and damn the rest of you *&%+# fools.

G.M.

Posted by: G. Massey at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:31 AM

Thank you so much for the information on the gaza conflict. I don't have the time to break down all that is happening. You do such an excellent job!!!!

Posted by: Moshe Greene at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:31 AM

Of all it's wars, Israel has failed miserably the most in their battle for good P.R. They have taken a royal beating. What country sacrifices & gives so much for the good will of their sworn enemies? FINALLY they are getting into proper gear.
On second thought, who cares if we lose the P.R. battle? Some things just don't change: The world hates the Jews & has hated us since Abraham's time. But in the end, G-d will stand up for us & fight our battle, like He did in Egypt & when we entered the land of Israel originally in Joshua's time.

Posted by: S.M. Rose at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:31 AM

WHILE I AGREE WITH HONEST REPORTING ON MOST ISSUES,MY MAIN CONCERN AT PRESENT IS THAT ISRAEL WILL BE PRESSURED BY THE EU AND OTHER COUNTRIES TO STOP ITS ANTI-HAMAS MISSION PREMATURELY. MY SUGGESTION IS THAT ONE OF ISRAEL'S CONDITIONS FOR ACCEPTING ANY PROPOSED TRUCE OR PEACE SETTLEMENT SHOULD BE THE INCLUSION OF A PREAMBLE THAT ANY ACTS DIRECTED PRIMARILY AT CIVILIANS, SUCH AS SUICIDE BOMBINGS OR LAUNCHINGS OF INDISCRIMINATE MISSILES ARE WAR CRIMES AND TO BE TREATED AS SUCH, AND THAT WHATEVER MEASURES ARE NEEDED TO PUT AN END TO SUCH CRIMES ARE JUSTIFIED NO MATTER HOW MANY HUMAN SHIELDS THE PERPETRATORS MAY USE TO HIDE THEMSELVES AMONGST.

Posted by: SOL ZAROMB at Jan 6, 2009 7:02:31 AM

With all this negative propaganda it is refreshing to read another opinion from the Arab even Iranian side. I think that the fact that there are such vocalised views should be given due prominence as it strengthens our own message by the fact that it comes from the other side. See the two reports in the following links:

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD217509

http://www.memri.org/bin/latestnews.cgi?ID=SD217309

Posted by: Arie at Jan 6, 2009 10:43:25 AM

"HonestReporting is putting the mainstream media on notice. Reporting Palestinian claims at face value, creating a new Big Lie and failing to retract or apologize later is unacceptable. The media has been forewarned."
Can you please clarify what you mean by this - have you actually contacted them in this regard and if so could we see the text so we know how best to follow up when the inevitable happens or are you expecting the media to pick up on this posting themselves? Thanks and keep up the good work !

Posted by: Harvey at Jan 6, 2009 12:25:15 PM

AS A BIG SUPORTER OF HONEST REPORTING,I MUST SAY,I AM VERY GLAD THAT ISRAEL IS NOT ALOWING REPORTERS INTO GAZA.THEY WOULD JUST DO NOTHING BUT SHOWING EXACTLY WHAT HAMAS WANTS TO SHOW.HOWEVER, I DO NOT UNDERSTAND ISRAEL OF LETTING IN THE COUNTRY KNOWN ANTI ISRAELI DIVA REPORTERS LIKE CHRISTIAN AMANPOUR(WITH HER SELFHATING
JEWISH HUSBAND-A PERSONA NON-GRATA IN ISRAEL).SHE SHOULD BE FORBIDEN COMPLETELY BEING A REPORTER AT ALL.

Posted by: ANDRE ZWEIG at Jan 6, 2009 12:25:15 PM

If England refuses from information about Holocaust in the schools, if Western democraties cry about "poor" terrorists, what can You wait - supporting of operation of Israel ?
Try to fire rockets on Arab countries, Iran, European cities - what will be reaction ? But Israel should be quiet! Remember, that Israel is the only democratic country in the Middle East. Vladimir

Posted by: Revuckis Vladimir at Jan 6, 2009 2:22:33 PM

Fantastic Article!!!!! It is such a shame that even Jews, Believer Jews, Messianic Jews, Europeans, Americans do not see and continue to blame Israel..... Just get it people.... Hamas, ok sorry all Arabic States and many others in the world will always hate the jewish State and the Jews. As Golda Meyer said..... "This war started long before Munich and will never stop until they learn to love their children more than they hate us." Yet as during the Holocaust, the world turns an empty heart..... If Israel does not destroy this threat..... they will kill first the Jews, then everyone else... why can't people see this for what it is????? Guess too much still to witness. If you think these people are stopping at Israel. I pray for you all to kind of grow up. Sorry, Sally

Posted by: sally at Jan 6, 2009 4:36:56 PM

Thanks for such an informing article.
We just feel so over whelmed about all these propaganda. There is no doubt that Israel has to defend herself. Like one of the comments in this list, there is no way the international press is going to be pro-Israel so we have to do what we have to do....
So sorry the world is blind and deaf.
Betty

Posted by: Betty Levy at Jan 7, 2009 8:55:18 AM

Well it's just happened hasn't it, with the school bombing, so could you please answer my earlier question, thanks.

Posted by: Harvey at Jan 7, 2009 8:55:41 AM

Good for you guys predicting the "massacre" when the fighting against the Hamas is losing. Why doesn't the world media recognize that they and other militant Islamic groups such as Hezbollah use human shields and hold no life sacred? Why was Honest Reporting the only medium to show how Israeli citizens have been targeted by the Hamas for years - not military targets - but civilian - and why is that acceptable to the world media when its Muslims against Jews? Honest Reporting attempts to show the Israeli reality of not only the war, but the Israeli civilan population as well.

Posted by: bethe schoenfeld at Jan 7, 2009 8:56:10 AM

You called it exactly right! Yesterday, newspapers here (Toronto) were full of pictures of frightened Palestinian kids hiding in a UN school in Gaza. Today, the school is hit by Israeli shells. Of course! Only thing is, Jerusalem Post is reporting that the IDF responded to mortar shells COMING FROM the school. Of course, we won't see that bit of info in any of the other mainstream media reports, will we?

Posted by: Stanley Tee at Jan 7, 2009 8:57:22 AM

This is precisely why Hamas fires from within a school or a hospital. It's not as if these buildings have giant neon signs on them that say "Don't bomb the babies here please!!!!"

Hamas wants the IDF to shoot back at them and kill as many Palestinians as possible. That's actually their goal.

Posted by: Empress at Jan 7, 2009 8:57:35 AM

Well, you got this one right. The Hamas Media Massacre for today as reported in the Melbourne Age is entitled Israeli strike kills 40 in UN school.

An excellent blog The Blank Pages of the Age has already shot the story down - http://theblankpagesoftheage.blogspot.com/2009/01/age-slaughters-truth.html

Posted by: Anna at Jan 7, 2009 8:58:41 AM