Yesterday was about lies and poor reporting. Today I want to mention errors of omission, some probably intentional. When Egypt allowed some 30 Gazans to enter Egypt for medical treatment, it was mentioned in some places. When Israel allowed 70 Palestinians to enter Israel in order to travel on for similar treatment, nobody mentioned it. When some medical staff at Israeli hospitals objected to treating terrorists (some possibly responsible for mistreating hostages) foreign reporters managed to hear about it.
Internal Israeli politics is probably a valid subject for the world media. But I wonder why they spend so much time on it. True, Netanyahu has been adept at blaming everyone except himself for leaving Israel open to the October massacre. Also true is that he has a solid majority coalition in the Israeli Knesset (Parliament) that allows him to do almost anything he wants (and that ALL recent polls show his support dropping). But the details behind his maneuvers that left all the senior military and intelligence leaders to resign are remarkable, mostly, because he, himself, has never admitted to having any responsibility for what occurred. The legal advisor to the government (similar to the post of attorney general in the US) has often clashed with him over the legality of some of his maneuvers. His response has been to institute actions to have her replaced. (The same thing he did when the head of the Security Agency had a difference of opinion regarding hostage negotiations). In order to ensure support for his rule he has distorted the recent budget proposals for the coming year to give massive financial support to the Ultra-Orthodox institutions (while cutting the national education budget) and is still formulating a new draft law that will exempt most Ultra-orthodox men from military service (the previous law was struck down by the Israeli Supreme Court, and the Government was ordered to immediately induct more formerly excused men into the army, an order the government has yet to obey). While America’s Democratic Party wastes time accusing President Trump of being a dictator (probably not true), they fail to address the real anti-democratic actions taking place in Israel. There is enough real corruption in Israel without having to stray into (mostly false) stories of anti-Arab discrimination and “settler violence”.
The worst omission in the media is that of treating Hamas (and similar Islamic terrorist groups) as legitimate. Hamas is a violent Islamic extremist movement that advocates the destruction of Israel (and not ANY other peaceful 2 state living side by side solution). Hamas regards Humanitarian (and any other international) law as a tool to achieve its’ aspirations. They refuse to engage in direct, face to face, negotiations with Israel. By ignoring this basic fact the media, the UN, and others are doing a major disservice to themselves, their viewers and supporters, and all of us who believe that we can exist together.
Wetherhorn 