Israel/Palestine

[overthehill]

I'm not implying the war is a game, but you can't deny that both sides use the media.

I'm interested in how you know that Israel are "openly targeting journalists in Gaza" perhaps they are perhaps they're not and unless you are there, you may have got that from a journo/commentator that was fed by the Palestinians?

Israel has a multibillion $ a year hasbara operation entrenched in the Western media and political sphere, thousands of internet followers who jump in on any discussion of Israel and much more. Nothing Palestinians could do could match that, especially since most Western countries have shut down broadcasts from Iranian and Syrian media.

The notion of a free press in our Western Liberal "Democracies" is a naive mirage. They're free to promote the propaganda line and give the impression of debate, but that's as far as it goes.

Like the overall conflict, there is no symmetry of power.

It has been reliably reported that media centres and journalists cars have been hit by missiles and shelling. RT has shown the damage to the main media centre in Gaza city on live TV. SOP for the IDF.

 

[overthehill]

My biggest concern is that it doesn't take much for these conflicts to escalate into something much bigger.

With the current situation with Israel and Iran this could turn very nasty. Iran has admitted that they have sent military aid to Hamas. It might only take one of these rockets hitting a target in Israel and killing a large number of civilians. It isn't hard to imagine Netanyahu using that as a justification to finally bomb Iran. God help us if that happens.

I suspect there is some truth to this, given the actors involved in rhetorical support for Hamas in the Arab world. All the main PR seekers are the authoritarian Sunni backers of the regime change operations in Syria, Lebanon and Iran.

It's all very dangerous.

 

[bryce]

http://www.medialens.org/index.php?...t-didnt-matter&catid=25:alerts-2012&Itemid=69

Interesting article on media coverage of Gaza.

 

[Bruwheresmycar]

When I first heard Australia was abstaining from the UN vote, my thought was "oh well, maybe the government aren't voting for Palestine to have recognition because the US are pressuring us not to". Then I wake up to read that the government are abstaining because despite their strong desire to vote against the bid, they are afraid to lose votes or something.

You'd think in a government who pride themselves on being the first to apologize for what happened to the aboriginal people, that they would apply a similar standard to this situation and feel some sympathy for the Palestinian people.

 

[ChargerWA]

I personally think abstaining is pointless. Considering that Palestine have the numbers and will get observer status which ever way we vote. All we are doing is pissing off our main allies.

Going for the middle ground is stupid and unneccesary. Pick a side and have the guts to back your conviction. I would go as far to say that this is a cynical political decision from the Labor party to retain immigrant support. If they were serious about supporting Palestines right for observer status they would vote for it.

 

[Schadenfreude]

Picking sides and sticking to it is what brought us WWI and WWII, Vietnam and Afghanistan. It's what prolongs conflict, and precludes reason.

 

[overthehill]

Being neutral in a great injustice is to support the oppressor.

If I was naive enough to believe the government had any legitimacy, I'd probably be ashamed.

Why we don't just hand over management to C-inCPac and be done with the pretense of independence and democracy, I don't know.

 

[Scarfman]

Supporting the United States, right or wrong, is starting to look like stupidity. It's morally weak and poor strategy. Apart from the fact that it's the right thing to do, we need to start looking for post-US alliances.

 

[Braveheart81]

Anyone actually wanting to end the violence between Israel and Palestine should want Palestine admitted to the UN.

The more legitimacy and recognition that is given to their people and government, the easier it will be to deal with them and the less legitimacy Hamas will have.

Hamas will continue to be accepted by the Palestinian people for as long as they feel their situation is desperate and hopeless.

 

[overthehill]

Anyone actually wanting to end the violence between Israel and Palestine should want Palestine admitted to the UN.

The more legitimacy and recognition that is given to their people and government, the easier it will be to deal with them and the less legitimacy Hamas will have.

Hamas will continue to be accepted by the Palestinian people for as long as they feel their situation is desperate and hopeless.

Hamas are the legitimate governing party of all Palestine. Abbas is rightly loathed.

 

[overthehill]

138 YES 9 NO 41 Abstain​