Advocates for Gaza Go Unchallenged

"Advocates for Gaza Challenge Blockade"
A10, Thursday 10/30/08
By Isabel Kershner

There are a few problems in an otherwise straightforward piece about the recent landing in Gaza of a boat of pro-Palestinian activists. Those problems are notable for what Kershner omitted.

Kershner reports that among the crew are Mairead Maguire, a Nobel Peace Prize winner, “Mustafa Barghouti, an independent Palestinian legislator from the West Bank; two Israeli citizens; and individuals from various countries including Britain, Italy and the United States.” This seemingly benign roster may have sounded as radical as it actually is had Kershner mentioned that on board was Hawaida Arraf, a co-founder of the notorious International Solidarity Movement.

Nothing of the crew members’ activities, once they were ashore, were reported. For instance, unreported are the activists meeting with deposed Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh. The LA Times’ Ashraf Khalil managed to include this in his report.

Kershner reports that the Israeli government at the last minute decided to not intercept the boat before entering Israeli territorial waters, “to avoid a public relations debacle, and not to play into the hands of people they described as provocateurs”. Without knowing of their activities – or their planned activities – readers know nothing of the provocative nature of the trip.

Kershner provides insufficient background to the situation. She writes that Hamas is classified as a terrorist organization by Israel, the U.S. and the E.U., as well as Israeli restrictions on goods entering Gaza, “though the economic embargo has eased somewhat since a truce took effect in June.” Does Israel’s labeling of Hamas terrorist fully explain why it “strictly limits” goods going into Gaza? A fuller description would’ve referred to Hamas’ rocket and mortar attacks (attacks on border crossings no less), attempted infiltrations and abduction of Israeli corporal Gilad Schalit, before the truce. It also would’ve referred to the 18 mortar shells and 22 rockets fired from Gaza into Israel since the truce (Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs), in helping to explain why the economic embargo has eased only “somewhat”.

Kershner saves the extra space to report that Israeli forces “shot dead a Palestinian man in the village of Yamoun”. Of course conflicting are the accounts of the Israeli military and the man’s son. It may be hard to strike a balance between reporting casualties and providing essential context to current events. Nevertheless, the Times should make more of an effort.