search
Michael Berenhaus

WaPo spouts more Palestinian propaganda

In an otherwise excellent article, “Israel’s SNL’ entertains a traumatized nation” (1/20/24), The Washington Post can’t help but spoil the news with Palestinian propaganda. The article states that “Israel’s war [in Gaza] has killed more than 24,400 Palestinians, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.” First of all, the Post should just say ‘according to Hamas’ – not the Gaza Health Ministry – as Hamas dictates everything emanating from Gaza. Calling them the “Gaza Health Ministry” obfuscates the true source. Washington Post, please correct.
Secondly, this is not “Israel’s war.” It is a war that Israel didn’t want and didn’t start. It is Hamas’ war on Israel and Hamas hasn’t stopped firing rockets at Israel to this very day. Israel is responding in an effort to defeat their attackers, who deliberately slaughtered 1200 Israeli men, women, children, and even babies, and took 240 hostages, also including babies among them. Israel’s goal is to defeat Hamas so that atrocity never happens again. Who can begrudge Israel for that?  Call it as it is – it’s Hamas’ war on Israel! Washington Post, please correct.
Lastly, and most significantly, the casualty figure fails to identify Hamas combatants. It is presented as if the total casualty count is civilian. In other words, the Gaza Health ministry designates ZERO combatants among their figure – proof that the numbers are suspect. Further, it neglects Palestinians killed by Hamas since up to a fourth of all Hamas’ thousands of rockets fired at Israeli population centers land within Gaza. Israel estimates that almost half of the so-called health ministry casualty count were Hamas combatants. Israel is conducting the most careful and humane military campaign in history, with a record of about 1.5-to-1 ratio of civilian casualties to combatants. This ratio is especially commendable since Hamas fires from behind and underneath their civilians, using them as human shields. For comparisons sake, the UN says the average ratio of civilians to combatant casualties in war is nine-to-one. Israel is eons better than that! So enough with articles implying Israel is using “indiscriminate” force – that is wildly unfounded.
All civilian deaths are tragic. And they are all the fault of Hamas. Let’s not forget that and let’s report it that way.
About the Author
Dr. Berenhaus has worked tirelessly as a watchdog for anti-Israel bias in the media. His efforts monitoring and responding to false media reports on Israel have compelled several news organizations to retract inaccuracies and publish letters clarifying the truth about Israel. He has been published widely in highly distributed newspapers and online publications including The Washington Post, The NY Times, The Economist, The Baltimore Sun, The Washington Jewish Week, and The American Thinker. He is a crusader in online/social media working to educate the general public as an advocate of Israel and against anti-Semitism. Dr. Berenhaus is a co-founder of ‘Boycott The Post’ and of ‘Eye on the Post’ - two non-profit organizations that monitor media coverage to ensure accuracy, fairness and truth as it relates to Israel. He is also a founder of The Pakistan Israel Peace Forum, an organization dedicated to creating peace between Muslims and Jews. Although many people in the Washington Jewish community know Dr. Berenhaus for his work in journalism, most don't know how generous he is to the Jewish community with both his time and money. Dr. Berenhaus has spent countless hours throughout the years volunteering for Israel and Jewish organizations. He went to Ethiopia and worked with the last remaining Ethiopian Jews. He has lectured to Interns and community groups providing direction and techniques for Israel Advocacy in the media. Currently, Dr. Berenhaus is working with JSSA to coordinate and donate eye glasses to the entire Washington DC region of needy Holocaust Survivors. That effort has now been expanded nationally.