Written by GS Don Morris, Ph.D.
As the Labor Day weekend begins in America, life for all of us here in the Middle East continues as it always does-no holiday from violence or destruction this is true for peoples on all sides of the so-called “conflict”.
No matter what you call it, people here do not have the luxury of holidays.
Israel’s enemies continue to engage in public relations practices that serve only their own special interests. Their playbook is the same as it has been for the last decade: obfuscate the truth, redirect the reader’s focus, abdicate all responsibility and resort to name calling and placing blame upon Israel for one’s own intentional behavior. Note the story in a “Palestinian” newspaper today:
Child-killers par excellence written by Khalid Amayreh in Occupied East Jerusalem
(Notice how Khalid “slipped in” the incorrect description of Jerusalem’s status but politically correct inside the disputed territories)
Here is how this commentator reports the rest of the events.
“Seeking to demoralize Palestinians into total submission and surrender, the Israeli occupation army on Wednesday, 29 August, murdered in cold blood three Palestinian children in the northern Gaza Strip. According to eyewitnesses, an Israeli tank fired a large artillery shell at a northern Gaza neighborhood, killing three children from the same family. The children, whom the Israeli media, parroting army disinformation, referred to as “teenagers,” have been identified as Muhammed Ghazal, 10, Yahya Ghazal 12, and Sara Ghazal, also 10 years. According to the victims’ family, the kids were playing Tag in the backyard of their home when the artillery shell struck, killing them on the spot and mutilating their tender bodies.”
And then the description and use of language intensifies, as though this “word smithed” piece was not ugly enough.
“Following the grisly slaughter, and as usual in such circumstances, the Israeli army switched to the damage-control mode, claiming that the killing “occurred by mistake.” Israeli officials also sought to deflect blame, claiming that the kids “were hired by terrorists to retrieve rocket launchers,” and that the army “spotted suspicious movements in the area.”
Notice next how this writer once again intensifies the use of language with name-calling and use of derogatory terms offensive to all Western, caring peoples.
“Indeed, since the outbreak of the Palestinian Intifada or uprising against the Nazi-like Israeli occupation in 2000, the Israeli army and paramilitary Jewish terrorists murdered as many as 1000 Palestinian children and minors. The often pornographic killings raise no eyebrows among Israeli Jews who have come to view the killing of Palestinians, including children, as banal, given the frequency of its occurrence.
What is lost in this diatribe is the truth. Palestinian “reporters’ and self-proclaimed” commentators historically use the afore-mentioned tactics. Events are revised, Israel is vilified and blame is placed upon us. Well, enough is enough! At least with this one story allows me to share what Khalid “forgot” to tell you.
Let us begin with the fact that a 15-year-old homicide bomber was sent by adults and by leaders similar to Khalid to murder civilians nearby the location where the youngsters died. Additionally, Khalid failed to share with the readership how the growing use of children by Gaza-based terror groups has escalated-thus, it is no surprise to find youngsters engaged in war zone activity. Also missing from his “commentary” was the ongoing firing of Kassam rockets into the western Negev from Gaza. Although the media is no longer reporting these incidents, hundreds of rocket attacks each month, they continue to occur. We, in Israel, defend ourselves by attacking those people and the locations of rocket launches-you would do the same!
However, there are more facts that mysteriously were unreported by Khalid. Terrorists now fear for their lives and know that we can now locate and destroy launch sites. Not wishing to visit their 72 virgins soon, they actually do hire youngsters to retrieve the launchers-they pay these kids 10 shekels or about $2.42. Why do they send kids to do this? The terrorists know that it is Israeli engagement policy to not fire on children! That’s right, it is our policy to not fire or otherwise harm children. Khalid lied in his piece about this point-you see it does not fit the picture he tries to paint. It is customary for these lies to be presented every time a child is unfortunately killed.
Israel has announced that rocket launch sites are considered active war zones and anyone entering said zones would be addressed with force. My question for the sensitive, caring Khalid, is why would any adult, parent, leader or “friend” allow these “children” anywhere near such war zones. As a father I know my children are never permitted to go near such places and actually they are remanded to our home if any military action is occurring. Is this not the responsible, adult behavior? Why is it not part of the “Palestinian” culture? We are told they love their children too!
Finally, here is what’s known. Israel is attacked daily by rockets, our citizens are maimed, murdered and their lives are also disrupted by other adults’ actions. “Palestinian” youngsters are hired to retrieve the launchers and they do so within active war zones. Their parents, guardians and other adult leaders promote this behavior rather than protect them-it is an intentional action. The “Palestinian” media, TV programs, schoolbooks, classrooms promote daily the demonization of Jews and Israel. Two generations of “Palestinians” have been taught and thus learned nothing but hatred-this manifests itself daily here in our neighborhood. Khalid did not mention this; rather he applies the strategy of deception and “smoke and mirrors” thus abdicating all responsibility for youth behavior. Israelis are vilified as this takes the focus off the “Palestinian” behavior, their responsibilities and lays all blame upon others. This in turn allows one to never look inward, to never ask how I contribute to this life of misery. It is far easier to blame. Interesting, the so-called concerned humanitarian groups as just as guilty as they reinforce the “Palestinian” behavior. Shame on all of you! You are part of the problem-when will you have the courage to change?
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