The massacre at Nasser Hospital is
a world class example of the absurdity of Israel’s narrative and the
complicity of the press, whose response only allows such atrocities to
continue.
On August 26, Israeli tanks fired
explosives killing two journalists who were using a camera on the
4th floor of the Nasser Hospital, the only
remaining hospital operating in the area. According to the duly
reported Israeli sources, the target was a “Hamas Camera” that was
tracking the movement of Israeli soldiers in the area who “felt
threatened and moved to eliminate the threat.” The absurd Israeli
explanation was reported verbatim, with no irony or
comment.
As medical persons gathered to
rescue the victims and other journalists gathered to record the event,
a deliberate second strike targeted them, in what was termed by
Israeli authorities as a “double tap” attack, intended not only to
ensure the elimination of the original target but also those who
gather to rescue the victims and who were presumably equally
dangerous. Since the second attack was filmed live, Israel had no
option but to admit to it. Israeli Prime minister Netanyahu even
apologized for what he termed was a mistake, stating that “Israel does
not target journalists and rescue workers as such.” He also promised
an investigation, as was duly noted in the media reports. 20 people
were killed, including 5 journalists, a doctor and a number of
hospital and rescue workers, and other civilians. No claim was made
that any militants or weapons were present or were targeted, except
for the offending “Hamas Camera.”
One Reuters journalist, mourning
her colleague who died in the strikes, resigned. She said that she
could no longer tolerate the policy of her organization, which she
stated was complicit in the death of journalists by repeatedly and
uncritically parroting the Israeli narrative without properly putting
it in context. This is despite consistent and systematic lying by
Israeli spokespeople and their refusal to allow independent
journalists access the area to verify the truth and rebut the obvious
lies from Israel. She stated that it was precisely this pattern of
behaviour that enabled and ensured the repeated attacks on
journalists.
A final twist to the absurdity of
this story came in the form of news stories appearing in the
Hebrew-language Israeli press (but not covered in the Western Press at
all) whereby the soldiers involved were furious at Netanyahu for
apologizing and stating that this was a mistake, insisting that the
“double tap” operation was duly authorized by the higher echelons of
the army in advance and “consistent with acceptable policy.” A number
of prominent Israeli journalists also publicly supported the action,
saying “there are no journalists in Gaza” and that killing all those
terrorists, who were “pretending to be journalists only to serve the
Hamas narrative,” was mandatory and that their killing was “better
late than never.”
Western media dutifully
regurgitates Israeli Hasbara (propaganda), and it never fails to
present Israeli perspectives uncritically as facts, while implying
that Palestinian facts and figures are suspect because their source,
(the Palestinian Health ministry (for example), is “Hamas
related.”
It seems redundant to point out the
absurdity of Israeli claims and the justifications used for their
crimes in this case. What is important to note is how the media, by
granting apparent credibility to that narrative and reporting it in
the manner it does, is not proper or neutral journalism. Rather, it is
a form of participation and complicity that needs to be called
out.
As Israel flexes its power and its
patrons assist it in avoiding the proper consequences of its actions,
it is important to sharpen our analysis, point out the complicity of
third parties in the ongoing genocide, and bring real pressure,
through nonviolent means, to those who are guilty of enabling the
continued outrages. This includes news outlets, but it also include
corporations that benefit from the genocide, politicians who justify
it, and churches and church leaders who through their silence, mild
statements, or reluctance to use proper terminology like genocide and
apartheid, are complicit and responsible. This is especially important
in the area of truth telling. On issue after issue, including the
starvation of children, genocide, and attacks on civilian targets, it
is absurd to state or imply that Israeli Army spokespersons are
telling the truth but all the following are lying:
- Amnesty International
- Human Rights Watch
- Medicine Sans
Frontiers
- International Court of
Justice
- International Criminal
Court
- UNRWA
- OXFAM
- Defense fo Children
International
- B’tselem
- Al Haq
- World Central Kitchen
- Famine Early Warning
System
- Integrated Food Security Phased
Classification (IPC)
- World Food Program
- The United Nations, with all its
organs and agencies
- All Israeli and Palestinian Human
Rights organizations
- All international aid agencies
that operate in Gaza and the Occupied Territories
At the very least, it is essential
for the press to point out with each and every report, that if there
is any question as to the truthfulness of competing stories,
independent journalists should be allowed into the area to
investigate. Something Israel has consistently refused to do.
