A day with our troops in Gaza

[Mosby]

For the first time since Operation Cast Lead was launched, an Israeli journalist was allowed to enter the Strip alongside the fighting forces. What does it look like on the frontline?

Gaza City was quiet most of the day, but it was exactly this calm that had Givati Brigade Commander, Colonel Ilan Malka, so concerned: "Everyone should drill the procedure for thwarting attempted abductions. That's what (Hamas) are aiming for now. We also have to review the procedures for thwarting suicide attacks against the troops," he told his officers in one of the security briefings.

The warning is not an empty one. By night, the IDF had scores of abduction alerts, suggesting Hamas is preparing to kidnap soldiers in the area Givati forces were deployed in.

"When we took over the area so aggressively, Hamas pretty much disappeared," Malka said, standing in his impromptu headquarters on the outskirts of Gaza City. "But I'm convinced they are still here, either underground or in hiding. They will venture out to try and abduct soldiers so they can boast accomplishment.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3653238,00.html

[Mosby]

1. another excerpt

We run across a local family in one of the buildings. Grandparents, a few young parents, some children and a few toddlers. Sitting on a rug, their legs are covered in blankets and two soldiers are standing guard nearby. "What about them?" I ask. "They're free to go if they want to, but they don't want to," said Eilon Perry, Givati's operations officer. "They informed us they would be staying in the house and we have no choice but to accept that."

The family suddenly notices the cameras, and immediately, the expression on their faces changes. "We have no food," they say in Arabic, as one of the youngsters suggests we interview him in English about their plight. Givati troops are extremely concerned about being portrayed as abusing innocent civilians. Perry points to a stack of canned goods, water bottles and other provisions. "We provided some of that and they cook and eat quite well," said Perry. The Palestinians seem to understand him and one of them smiles. It's a war – they had to try.

[cali]

10. this reads like the lamest propaganda

yeah, Gazans are just in great shape, and they're a bunch of lying, deceivers too.

Ugh.

Disgusting crap.

[bunnies]

2. "they cook and eat quite well"

Ah yes. That Humanitarian crisis is every ones imagination.

They let ONE journalist in, hand-held by the army, and we're supposed to swallow this bullshit? Laughable.

[JuniperLea]

5. Shades of embedded journalists in Iraq...

The secrecy only raises more concern, imho.

[bunnies]

8. Totally.

It was crap when we did it and its still crap now. In fact, this is exactly the type of "information" thats worthy of immediate dismissal. They might as well just come right out and admit its propaganda. I mean, they really jumped the shark with this one.

[shira]

6. funny

you eat and swallow the cooked up bullshit propaganda of Hamas quite well. Isn't that infinitely more laughable? I mean, with a journalist blackout in Gaza, who do you think is being used as stringers for MSM outlets, if not Palestinian stringers accountable to Hamas?

Betcha never thought of that, did you?

[bunnies]

9. Exactly what propaganda have I swallowed?

Please DO tell. The bombing of a UN school? The lack of food, water, electricity? The killing of hundreds of innocent children?

Please oh please. DO tell.

[shira]

22. it's not just you....

CNN was duped from their stringers and just dropped this story just hours ago like a hot potato.

http://blog.camera.org/archives/2009/01/cnn_airs_staged_footage_a_la_a.html

Pallywood strikes again.

[bunnies]

23. Thats CNNs problem. Not mine.

I'm the one you accused of swallowing it. Remember?

Believe me, I'm fully aware that this is as much a propaganda war as anything at the current time. But such obvious crap as this OP doesnt even deserve the benefit of the doubt.

[shira]

24. why is the OP crap?

the author speaks fluent Arabic and has many friends and contacts within Gaza, having been there numerous times.

The latest Pallywood on CNN is just more of the same. More pornographic images of dead babies or civilians - little to no honest context, and certainly nothing too critical of Hamas coming out of Gaza from the journalists reporting there.

[bunnies]

26. Embedded journalists...

see what the military they're with wants them to see.

Would you trust the 'reporting' of someone being led around Gaza by Hamas? I wouldnt. The same applies here.

[JuniperLea]

12. You make no sense...

If Israel is letting no journalists in, how can anyone, "Palestinian stringers" included, report on anything within Gaza... which, in case you didn't notice, was the topic of conversation.

[shira]

21. al Jazeera is there

and so are Palestinian journalists (you know, like the ones who report for Palestinian newspapers).

If journalists in Gaza are not loyal to Hamas, they're banned - if they're not kidnapped or beaten up first (think Alan Johnston of BBC or from FauxNews, Steve Centanni). Hamas just recently had problems with al-Jazeera and other journalists too loyal to Fatah:

http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=31751
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=32493
http://www.maannews.net/en/index.php?opr=ShowDetails&ID=32618

It's not just Palestinian stringers, to be fair. The Alan Johnstons, Steve Centannis and even the Amira Hass's (too loyal to Fatah) are proof that if Western journalists don't toe the line and work for Hamas's PR dept., they're not welcome either.

[JuniperLea]

25. And if they are embedded with Israeli forces... or loyal to Hamas...

I cannot bring myself to believe one word. There is no credibility at all... none.

Embedded and secretive = unreliable.

[bunnies]

27. I wish I'd seen your post before I replied above...

I would have just pointed Shira to it. We're making the same case. :hug:

[JuniperLea]

28. Yep...

And it's really sad that something so obvious isn't understood... sadder still it is being "explained away".

:hug:

[bunnies]

29. Agreed. nt

[iconicgnom]

31. y'know, your posts remind me of Ernst Zundel, but with a mindset applied to a different horror.

Not the same - but an (IMO) dangerous similarity.
For whatever reason, Zundel just doesn't like the facts. Long ago he already worked himself into a perfect tizzy denying reality, and supporting his illusions has become his raison d'etre.

No point in saying such a thing to him, tho'. He's too old, has too much invested in it.

[methinks2]

3. because of 1.2 tr. cubic feet of gas

All this death and destruction just for access to gas reserves.


(A decade back, the British the oil firm BG International discovered a huge deposit of natural gas just off the Gaza coast, containing 1.2 trillion cubic feet of gas valued at over $4 billion. Controlling security over air and water around Gaza, Israel quickly moved to negotiate a deal with BG to access Gaza’s natural gas at cheap rates.)

[Shaktimaan]

30. If this is all to obtain gas that was discovered a decade ago...

then why exactly did Israel choose to leave Gaza three years ago?

I mean seriously, I've read some dumb things since this operation started, but your post kind of takes the cake.

[The Magistrate]

4. This Is Pretty Thin Gruel, Sir

[Mosby]

11. I suppose, but the report is just trying to give people a feel

for what it's like in Gaza right now.

BTW, thx for all you do here Mr. Magistrate, quite a lot of work for you, Lithos and UGRR lately, I for one really appreciate your efforts.

[Vegasaurus]

13. I do too. Thanks, Magistrate. nt

[JuniperLea]

14. I think that's the point, Mosby

Embedded journalism is a farce. This does Israel no good, PR wise. In fact, it makes the situation all the more suspicious. We have all been there with Iraq.

[Mosby]

16. It certainly can be a farce

I like to think that most journalists have sufficient professional integrity to remain independent even when embedded.

[JuniperLea]

17. Oh dear... how soon we forget...

When the US did it in Iraq, it was a joke, and all that follow in that mode are a joke. In today's world, journalists loose all credibility when they agree to this arrangement. Especially in situations like this where there is so much controversy.

[The Magistrate]

15. Your Kind Words are Appreciated, Sir

But I must repeat, with all due respect to your sympathies, that this article shows every pug-mark of propaganda boiler-plate I have encountered in reading correspondent's reports from dozens of conflicts in the modern era. It is not so much an attempt to give people a feel of what is happening, but to shape it, and in a particularly saccharine way. This is not to say a great deal coming out on the other side is not propaganda as well; it certainly is, and some of it is extremely pernicious.

[Fozzledick]

18. "Please, sir, can I have some more?"

Sorry, but I just couldn't resist...

The family suddenly notices the cameras, and immediately, the expression on their faces changes. "We have no food," they say in Arabic, as one of the youngsters suggests we interview him in English about their plight. Givati troops are extremely concerned about being portrayed as abusing innocent civilians. Perry points to a stack of canned goods, water bottles and other provisions. "We provided some of that and they cook and eat quite well," said Perry. The Palestinians seem to understand him and one of them smiles. It's a war – they had to try.

[cali]

19. your amusement over the tragic situation Gazans are in

does you no honor.

[Fozzledick]

20. Not amusement, just absurdity fatigue

[Howardx]

7. arent you embarassed?

posting such tripe.