"War on Hamas Saps Palestinian Leaders," A1, by Isabel Kershner
With only two articles on Israel's ongoing military operations in Gaza, the NYT eases its flood of coverage on Israel. Nonetheless, the two articles are front and center, right on A1.
*****
Egypt Cites Progress Toward Truce as Gaza Tool Exceeds 1,000
The first article, by Bronner, provides the requisite recap of the day's events, noting that Gazan deaths have crossed the 1,000 threshold. At the same time, Bronner minimizes the physical danger of Hamas-fired rockets, writing that "Hamas’s militants fired more than a dozen rockets into Israel... sending a message of menace but causing no injuries." I don't think a "message of menace" is a fair way to describe rockets that are meant to maim civilian life.
Much focus on the article is placed on the assertions and positions of human rights groups, further demonstrating the significant effect they have on elite opinion. One key paragraph:
Also on Wednesday, nine Israeli human rights groups called for an investigation into whether Israeli officials had committed war crimes in Gaza. The groups say that tens of thousands of civilians in Gaza have nowhere to flee, the Gaza health system has collapsed, many people are without electricity and running water, and some are beyond the reach of rescue teams.Once again, Hamas is not held accountable for any of its action in this one-sided broadside. These human rights group continue to have little to no understanding of the tactics Hamas uses in its war against Israel, or simply doesn't care to discuss them. How is Israel supposed to assert its right to self-defense if anything it does will be condemned as a war crime because Hamas embeds itself within the civilian population? These groups don't have a good answer for that, nor do they seem to care.
Not all the news on the human rights front is against Israel though. Jakob Kellenberger, president of the International Committee for the Red Cross, "agreed that the situation with civilians was dire but said that the principal hospital was making do with medical supplies, and that doctors, working around the clock, were mostly coping with the flow of the wounded." A measure of reason in a sea of unreasoned vilification.
To top it off, the article includes a comical assertion by President Bashar al-Assad of Syria in which he asserts "that the effects of war could be more dangerous than war itself, 'sowing seeds of extremism and terror around the region.'" This coming from one of the main propagators of extremism in the region - the transit point for weapons to Hezbollah and the refuge for Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist organizations.
*****
War on Hamas Saps Palestinian Leaders
In this second article, Kershner opens by asserting that "Israel hoped that the war in Gaza would not only cripple Hamas, but eventually strengthen its secular rival, the Palestinian Authority, and even allow it to claw its way back into Gaza." That would have been a positive result, but was not Israel's main objective, which was to stop the incessant rocket fire from Gaza into Israel.
Kershner is essentially claiming that despite Israel's tactical victory, it might turn out to be a strategic loss given Hamas gain in popularity at the cost of Fatah - "While there is certainly anger at Hamas among Gazans, it pales beside the anger at Israel, the West and what some see as Fatah’s collusion with those enemies."
This assertion also entails the belief that Fatah a good-faith negotiating partner in the two-state solution, Israel's best and only option. That is despite its continued incitement against Israel and hate education for its children. It's not much of an option if Fatah is doing nothing to sow the seeds of peace. In this light, it comes to no surprise that many Palestinians look up towards Hamas during the conflict. Fatah, the party of the late Arafat, has fed the Palestinians a steady diet of "resistance" (i.e. terrorism and hatred against Israel, an illegitimate entity in the region). What is unfolding is the inevitable result of such a rejectionist mentality.
Fatah needs to help itself, Kershner positively noting that Abbas' organization is "considered corrupt and distant from average Palestinians." The PA's vilification of Israel during the conflict is made all the more amusing by the reported story that "Hamas had cold-bloodedly killed about 70 Fatah supporters in Gaza under the cover of the war."
Posts
Shamsham writes, "I don't think a 'message of menace' is a fair way to describe rockets that are meant to maim civilian life.”
ReplyDeleteShamsham is right about Bronner minimizing the impact of Hamas rockets, and I agree that “message of menace” is misleading phrasing, but I don’t think that their potential “to maim civilian life” is what makes it misleading. The problem is that even when no one is injured, the sirens go off, life is disrupted, people seek shelter, and the population is, once again, traumatized. So, it is not merely a “message.” It causes actual disruption and trauma.
Sadly, human rights groups criticize democracies, such as Israel, more because they are open societies with free press. Authoritarian regimes that are not transparent - such as Hamas, are less vulnerable to human rights groups' criticism.
ReplyDeleteYes, it is important to recall that Fatah once was the leading anti-Israel group until Hamas overtook them, but being the second most anti-Israel group in the region doesn't make you a negotiation partner.
ReplyDelete