Was the Gaza War a Media Campaign?  

After nearly a month of fighting between the IDF and Hamas and several failed cease fire attempts, a truce was reached. As Israel continues to withdraw its troops over the next few days, the high cost of the Gaza War will be assessed. Palestinian officials released a death toll of 1,830 while Israeli officials announced the death of 64 people. From any perspective, that is 1,894 lives too many!

Netanyahu is willing to meet under the Egyptian leadership but he has made it clear that for the time being, IDF troops will remain stationed by the Gaza border, ready for immediate action if Hamas breaks the truce. Unfortunately, based on Hamas’ track record of nine broken ceasefires in three weeks, this newly reached respite is fragile at best.

The destruction by the IDF of the many tunnels built in the Gaza strip, as well as the many sites used for rocket launching from civilian areas was at least a short-term success. But I fear that its longevity might be more of a dream than a reality as we know that countries like Iran and Qatar are eager to rearm Hamas.

While over 3,000 rockets were fired by Hamas, the 2014 Gaza War was NEVER much of a military campaign but rather a media one. To be sure, Hamas’ desire remains the complete annihilation of Israel through jihad as clearly delineated in their 1988 Charter. They have figured out that they can enroll the help of a biased media that has become so efficient at indoctrinating the clueless masses and corrupt governments against Israel and the Jews. So the result becomes a smorgasbord of unfounded statements that serve only one purpose: the demonization of Israel. Truth is no longer sought!

While the current truce might be short lived, there is little doubt as to the military success of Israel in Gaza. The media war on the other hand– while not the massive success expected by Hamas and its cohorts – ended up being very damaging to Israelis and diaspora Jews. The bias is so obvious that it is nauseating.

Western Media outlets have now become co-conspirators in the criminal campaign led by Hamas. A myriad of photographs are being published all over the press, depicting children’s agony, blood and death all over Gaza. All of it putting the United Nations in an uproar and sending a message of Israel’s crimes against humanity. Yet the vast majority of the photos are either staged or recycled from the Syrian civil war and even Iraq.

The strategic placing of rocket launchers in schools, hospitals, mosques and other areas of Gaza densely populated by innocent civilians has been exposed. It is now clear beyond the shadow of a doubt that like Netanyahu stated so well:” We are using missile defense to protect our civilians and they [Hamas] are using their civilians to protect their missiles.” The premise often used by the rest of the world (mostly liberals) is that Gaza is such a small densely populated area that a high number of civilian casualties is to be expected. Not only does Hamas use civilian areas, but they force civilians to remain in those areas instead of helping them to take shelter.  A recently ceased Hamas combat manual revealed that human shields were encouraged if not forced upon people.

The funding received by Hamas could have been used in the building of hospitals, schools and other facilities to serve the Palestinian people. Instead, much of it was re-directed towards the building of a network of tunnels, most of them destroyed by the IDF. In the meantime, the US empowers Secretary of State John Kerry to pledge $47 million to Hamas to help rebuild Gaza. What makes them think for a minute that this time Hamas would actually use the funds ethically? All the while former president Jimmy Carter claimed that Hamas must be recognized as a legitimate political partner in the Middle East. Had he lived in the 1930s and 40s, he would have probably tried to promote the Nazi agenda as a humanitarian effort!

So here we go again on the merry-go-round of disinformation. Postmodernism has rendered truth irrelevant or maybe just relevant in the eye of the beholder.

• If truth still mattered, Israel would receive a Nobel Peace Prize for its handling of the Palestinian civilians in the Gaza War. Instead they are getting scolded for defending themselves.

• If truth still mattered, Hamas would be guilty of double war crimes: against Israel AND their own people. Instead they are being lauded as victims.

• If truth still mattered, a lot of people from the media would loose their job for their nauseating bias.

There is no doubt in my mind that as the “scapegoat of humanity”,  from a human standpoint, Israel cannot win. But there is also no doubt in my mind that as “the apple of God’s eye” (Zechariah 2:8), Israel will prevail. The truth must be told and if our voices remain all that we have, let us use them as much as we can!

In closing, consider the reputation of the evil man I am quoting as well as the ramifications of his statement followed by the history we know today.

 “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it,
people will eventually come to believe it.”
Joseph Goebbels – Hitler’s Propaganda Minister