This future letter to Cable News writers and editors is in the works because reports about Israel, the people of Gaza, and Israel’s war with the terrorists of Hamas are woefully inaccurate and leave out essential truths. The below corrects some of those inaccuracies and fills in some holes. “Some” because there are so many more of each.
It is written as an email to on-air personnel because the intention is to convert the below to an email and issue. First, I will attempt to dig up as many of their non-network email addresses as I can find.
The points covered in the future letter are below:
1. Allow me to begin with who Israel is fighting. The war is continually described as, “Israel is fighting the Palestinians” or “Israel is fighting Gaza,” Those descriptions are inaccurate, give your viewers a wrong impression of the conflict, and are unfair to both Israel and the Palestinian Arabs.
Israel is fighting the Hamas and other terrorists, not the civilian Palestinian Arabs. Neither the Palestinian Authority (PA) nor the people living in the disputed territory are involved. As the conflict began with the Oct 7 massacre horror, when saying Israel is fighting the Palestinian Arabs, the implication of your words is to malign all Palestinian Arabs, implying that they were all involved in the October 7 massacre, accusing them of something in which they claim to have had no involvement. Additionally, it accuses Israel of conducting a war with all the Palestinian Arabs when it’s only fighting the Hamas and other Jihad terrorists. Do you know something Israel doesn't know about Gazan civilians?
2. A comment about my use of the term “disputed territories.” Most reporters call them “occupied,” which, when used for Gaza, ignores the indisputable fact that Israel pulled out of Gaza in 2005. As for the rest of what reporters call ” occupied territories,” using that term is inconsistent with international law, but also with the way you report other news.
On October 14, 2014, you will report on Columbus Day, explaining it is also called Indigenous People’s Day in recognition that Native Americans are the indigenous people of America.
In the same vein, a look at history, ancient Muslim texts, and Christian Gospels will prove that Jews are the Indigenous people of the holy land. If it’s true for Native Americans, it’s true for the Jewish people;
3. Most of the people of Gaza are not involved in the war either; they are simply the pawns of the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists. It would make an interesting report and provide untold information to viewers if the misery thrust upon Gazans by the Hamas terrorists were reported as a special media report. How about rising to the challenge?
4. Hamas Is a terrorist org; they are not not militants. If memory serves me right, when al Qaeda flew planes into the Twin Towers and the Pentagon and crashed Flight 93, the news did not call Osama bin Laden or al Qaeda militants. They were called terrorists. Why isn’t Hamas called terrorists? The only difference I could come up with between a group like Hamas and a group like al Qaeda is that Hamas attacks in the land where Jews are the indigenous people. There may be different reasons I cannot think of; if there is a different reason, please let me know.
5. The deaths of Gaza civilians are terrible. Nobody feels worse about those deaths than Israel. That is why it tries so hard to avoid them. I know you want to give your viewers the full story of the conflict. Therefore, it would serve viewers if reporters covered the steps Israel takes in an attempt to limit civilian casualties, such as phone calls, dropping warning leaflets in Arabic, and roof knocking, just to name a few.
I am sure you remember that before Israel was about to attack terrorist locations in northern Gaza, it warned Gazans something was coming, so go south and prepared a humanitarian area. A similar warning was made when Israel was about to attack the South.
I have not heard of any other country, including the U.S., taking all the steps Israel does to avoid civilian casualties.
It’s fair for you to tell viewers the fact that Israel is trying to avoid civilian casualties, and Hamas is trying to create them, both Israelis and Gazans.
6. Reporters know Hamas is putting the Gaza civilians in danger by using them as human shields, placing munitions missiles, and even building terrorist tunnels beneath buildings, hospitals, and leading from children's rooms, chosen because, if attacked, they would create the most amount of anti-Israel PR.
That’s not to say the Hamas human shield strategy of trying to ensure more Gazan deaths to create anti-Israel PR accounts for all the civilian deaths in Gaza. It does, however, inform viewers of the low regard Hamas has for the people of Gaza.
7. President Biden and many reporters speak of the poverty and lack of food and medicine for Gaza citizens. But a complete perspective would inform viewers that instead of helping Gazans, Hamas spends $100 million a year on military infrastructure, 40% of which is spent on their terrorist tunnel system. And also tell them that there is no lack of food in Gaza, except that Hamas steals as much as it can and resells it an inflated prices.
8. It would also serve viewers if they were reminded of a news story nineteen years old. When Israel pulled out in 2005, they left behind advanced and successful greenhouses whose produce was exported to Europe and which would have boosted the Gazan agricultural output, generating food, cash, and jobs. They were destroyed by the Gazans themselves. Israel also left behind infrastructure such as electricity, pipes, and roads.
I am sure you want to give your viewers an accurate report that includes all the details regarding Israel’s war with the Hamas terrorists. The above information will help you in that effort.
Thanks for “listening.”
Jeff Dunetzis editor of The Lid. This article is from https://lidblog.com/facts-twists/