Psychologists tell us perception governs behavior. That’s a lesson Hamas has learned well. Their information peddling is extremely successful when it comes to CNN. The media giant has certainly become more circumspect this morning in presenting the Hamas perception of events. Viewers were warned that images might be disturbing, and even that CNN could not confirm the validity of the pictures because foreign journalists are not allowed in Gaza (a status that I have mentioned for a long time). But this admission did not prevent CNN from showing the videos that claim to show Gazan civilian victims.
Hamas still adheres to a plan that emphasizes Gazan ‘civilian’ suffering, because it strikes a responsive chord with western audiences. It is not an accident that the only recent pictures from inside the tunnels (not file footage) come from Israel. It’s also not an accident that CNN commentary frequently casts doubt on the accuracy of those videos. The data from aid organizations and the UN also originate with Hamas (I consider UNRWA as a Hamas associate or partner, especially with regard to education and press releases). I did not see any media coverage of the case where parachutes failed to open on some of the US and Jordanian air dropped aid resulting in a few deaths and injuries. But when IDF forces fired in the air to warn civilians to stay clear of their positions it was transformed into a “massacre” of civilians trying to get food. The fact that aid trucks from Egypt are under Hamas control after crossing the border is ignored by the media, and Israel is blamed, directly or indirectly for the failures in aid distribution (conducted either under direct or indirect Hamas control). Hamas weapons may not be very good, but their propaganda arm is certainly effective.
Wetherhorn 