UN-Truth

Al-Jazeera’s website had this interesting bit of perspective ucked into a story about the relief convoy that Israeli activists tried to get into Gaza through the Erez passage (which is designed only for human traffic…):

“Ephraim Yaar, an academic and co-author of Tel Aviv University’s Peace Index which monitors Israeli public opinion, suggests that the national mood is one of support for the tightened seal of Gaza’s borders. ‘In terms of Sderot and other communities around the Gaza strip, people feel that something must be done about it and that the Israel government’s responsibility is to protect its citizens’, he said. Yaar said the Israeli public is sceptical about warnings of an impending humanitarian disaster in Gaza where 80 per cent of the population depends on the UN for food aid. ‘They don’t believe that the situation in Gaza is as bad as is described’, Yaar said. While international newspapers reported on the severe consequences in Gaza of an Israeli fuel blockade and consequent closure of the electricity generator, Israeli media discussed whether the issue might have been manipulated and exaggerated by Hamas. Both Yaar and Eldar point out that UN reports do not hold much credibility among the Israeli public. The most recent Peace Index poll, earlier this month, reveals that 81 per cent of Israelis support increasing ‘the targeted killings’ of Palestinian fighters. And 65 per cent do not think that Israel should reach a ceasefire agreement with Hamas…” This Al-Jazeera story is posted here.

Interesting, however, that the Israeli public, and the Israeli Supreme Court, find the Israeli military and security services perfectly credible, even when they do not give any proof of their assertions that everything is fine in Gaza,
and information to the contrary is simply propaganda in a media war.

The Palestinians do not need so much electricity, the state attorney and the Ministry of Defense told the Court.

Sick Palestinians are dying regularly for lack of modern medical care in Gaza — but that is not a humanitarian crisis. They voted for Hamas, after all, the Israelis say (even if these particular people might not have voted for Hamas, or might not even be old enough to vote…)

And, when people die, theIsraeli military and security and High Court of Justice will simply say that was not the intention…

Filed under: Gaza, Israel, Palestine & Palestinians