On Sunday, Israeli forces raided an aid flotilla trying to break a blockade of Gaza to deliver much-needed humanitarian supplies, killing nine activists, including four Turkish citizens. The incident has received “widespread condemnation” from the international community. Turkey’s Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan called the raid a “bloody massacre by Israel.”…. In a damage control effort, Israeli officials and their right-wing American supporters are now trying to deflect blame onto the activists, saying that there was no reason for them to be trying to breach the blockade to deliver supplies because there is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza….
If I’ve figured out one thing about the Israeli naval raid on the aid flotilla heading for Gaza, it’s that both sides are determined to not just win the propaganda war. They’re determined to dominate the propaganda war by crushing and neutering their opposition. Sure, nine people were killed, and that’s certainly tragic…but that fact can be used to either a) bludgeon Israel for grossly overreacting, or b) assail the activists for provoking Israel and then using Israel’s response to paint the Israeli government as a cabal of inhuman thugs. It’s sad, it’s pitiful, and I’m sickened by this sorry spectacle. Each side is so determined to prevail in the propaganda conflict that they’re trotting out anyone and everyone who they think might tilt international opinion their way.
I listened to an interview on CNN yesterday morning in which a woman who had been on the flotilla’s planning committee was endeavoring to relate what were clearly some well-rehearsed talking points. Her method involved employing the Palestinian movement’s tired, care-worn talking points with mind-numbing speed. It was as if she had determined that her logic would prevail through the sheer torrent and volume of words that she responded to each question with. Her responses were little more than rapid-fire verbal vomit that quickly lost their meaning. CNN’s anchor had to interrupt the torrent on several occasions, and after a couple minutes I simply stopped paying attention and muted the segment. It was a disgusting, pointless, and sadly all-too-typical example of highly-caffeinated Palestinian propaganda.
Memo to Palestinian spokespeople: you’re not going to carry the day by burying your opponents in words. In a very short period of time, your words will lose all meaning, because your audience will simply stop listening. If you want to deal in reason and persuasion and evidence, that’s one thing. People like me will listen to a reasoned, sensible argument. We might not agree with your argument or accept it as superior, but we’ll at least listen to it and weigh the points you make. Ultimately, I think a reasonable person will decide that truth lives on both sides.
On the flip side are the Israel apologists and American Conservatives who will argue that Israel is the only true victim in this and every scenario. To their way of thinking, Israel can do no wrong, and in this case, Israel was merely reacting to a manufactured provocation and protecting its security interests.
Denying that there’s a humanitarian crisis in Gaza is akin to saying that the flotilla was merely a peaceful excursion by peace-loving people who wanted nothing more than to alleviate suffering in Gaza. The reality is that the Israeli blockade has created a very serious humanitarian crisis, one that Palestinian sympathizers have been milking for every conceivable ounce of propaganda value. They knew that they would be provoking Israel…and yet they chose to go ahead with the flotilla. Yes, Israel overreacted, but the activists knew the risks…and they chose to move full speed ahead. There’s blood on everyone’s hands in this scenario.
The problem is that neither side is willing to listen to the other, even in the most basic sense. Until and unless a real and meaningful dialogue occurs, the situation in Israel and Gaza will remain exactly what it is. As things stand, both sides are more interested in manipulating international opinion to their advantage than in trying to change the status quo. People in Gaza will continue to suffer because that suffering isn’t the priority for either side. Benhamin Netanyahu’s government is determined to maintain the appearance of being tough and dedicated to protecting Israel. Palestinians and their supporters are primarily dedicated to the destruction of Israel. Both sides have walled themselves in on opposite ends of the ideological spectrum, and mutual hatred and suspicion keeps them there.
Until and unless both sides drop their reflexive hatred and distrust and actually talk to one another, nothing will change. Palestinians and their supporters will continue to provoke reactions, and Israelis will overreact. Some people will die and even more will suffer…but human life has always been cheap in the Middle East.
Given the polarized climate, I’m probably one of the few people who support both sides equally. That may seem wishy-washy, given the vast, solidified differences between Palestinians and Israelis, but I don’t see it that way. Israel has a right to a homeland. It’s a sovereign nation recognized by governments around the world as such. Having said that, Israel has very often been its own worst enemy. Heavy-handed, prone to overreaction, and insensitive to world opinion, Israel too often shoots first and asks questions later.
Palestinians have been far too ready and willing to engage in terrorism to achieve their political goals. What they fail to realize is that, no matter how righteous they perceive their cause to be, random, senseless violence is a damn poor way to marshal international sympathy behind their struggle. Killing innocent civilians in the name of national struggle is both morally bankrupt and senseless.
A pox on both their houses….
