Media coverage of the war on Gaza
JVL Introduction
In a valuable survey, Media Lens asks if the media coverage of the conflict really conveys the impression that all lives – Palestinian and Israeli – are of equal value? That international law should be applied to all and be respected by all?
This article unpicks the responses of the BBC and the Guardian amongst others and finds them often woefully inadequate.
It also exposes the differential respect for international law shown by politicians with regard to Ukraine and Palestine, focusing in on how Labour politicians have reacted. It’s judgment?
“Labour under Starmer has utterly discredited itself”.
RK
This article was originally published by Media Lens on Tue 17 Oct 2023. Read the original here.
‘Absolute Right’ To Commit War Crimes? Gaza, Israel And Labour ‘Opposition’
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SAFE SPACES
It’s been ruled out of order,
Like a toilet with a broken cistern,
To discuss injustice in the Labour Party.
It might cause offence to draw attention
To the perpetrators of genocide. Their
Supporters are more sensitive than the victims
(and who can really blame them)
Anyway,
Civilians are never killed by Israel.
It’s not something they would countenance.
The ones they kill are animals. Generic
Beasts. There is no such thing as Palestine.
A huge difference in the BBC coverage is that journalists and “expert” voices are now REPEATEDLY considering whether Israel’s attacks on Gaza amount to war crimes . These people seem to agree that’s what’s happening. It’s a mega-change from the BBC’s earlier style of reporting about Israel.
Israel’s pounding of Gaza has contaminated the “Israel” brand … perhaps for ever. The word “Israel” is now linked with “genocide”; “ethnic cleansing”; and the revolting phrase “human-animals”. It’s linked with the carpet-bombing and starvation of helpless, suffering, trapped civilians (including large numbers of children).
When the “Israel” brand was positive (“the only democratic state in the Middle East”, “a key ally of the West”, etc), neither journalists nor the public were minded to investigate Israel’s less salubrious aspects.
Now the “Israel” brand is damaged possibly beyond rescue. As a result, the public and media will be readier to hear condemnations of Israel as an Apartheid state and as a nation where civil rights and judicial independence aren’t safe. It’ll be harder for UK politicians to give verbal or political support to the Israeli government.
What I find ridiculous in all this is that in Prime Ministers Questions and the Urgent question that was asked afterwards about the war between Israel and Hamas the majority of them were repeating what they were all saying earlier this week which is we stand by the Israeli rights to defend it
Now no problem with that I have always said what happened on October 7th was an horrendous crime against Innocent Israeli Men Women and Children and was a crime against Humanity and without doubt a war crime
Also 200 prisoners have been taken hostage which again a crime against Innocent Men Women and Children by a terrorist Organisation which everyone should condemn
But what the PM and the Leader of the Opposition and all those other MPs who cannot bring themselves to be honest; by which I mean if you are going to call Hamas Guilty of War Crimes, then you also have to accuse the Israeli leader and his Government of also committing War crimes by the relentless bombing raids being carried out in Gaza on the innocent Palestinian men women and children; children who make up over half the Gaza Population
We can all understand that the Leader of the Israeli Government had every right to retaliate against the War Crimes that Hamas carried out but not by carrying out relentless bombing raids on Innocent Palestinians; this goes way beyond retaliation and amounts to murder of civilians
And then to cut off their water and food along with the fuel for their Generators; so hospitals cannot operate on the injured and the dying, large numbers of which were children. Denying food water and fuel is a war crime and breaks international law. I condemn Hamas and the Israeli Government as being equally.
But I fully support both the Innocent Israeli and Palestinian men women and children and pray for their release.
I hope this is an appropriate place to refer to this:
https://www.bostonreview.net/articles/the-only-way-forward/
I think it deserves wider notice.
Language is important.
Yesterday I heard the BBC announce that aid from Egypt into Gaza was delayed by pothole repairs.
Potholes?? We all know what a pothole looks like – and it isn’t going to stop a juggernaut lorry.
What the BBC presumably meant (but was too coy to say) was that these were shell craters created by Israel’s bombing of the crossing area.
Hitler called the Jews “Vermin”.
Yoav Gallant [Israeli Genocide Minister] calls Palestinians “Animals”.
The parallels are frighteningly clear.
We shouldnt be surprised at the vile propaganda spewed out by “western” “media”. The more Palestinians it murders, Israel has its propaganda arm ready and waiting to justify genocide.