Again, the international media and many Western government are jumping the gun, and mistaking Hamas’ efforts to secure financial aid as an indication the terror group is suddenly ready to abandon its core positions and live in peaceful coexistence with Israel.

The source of the misguided enthusiasm this time is news of an imminent Palestinian Authority unity government, under the terms of which Hamas appears to be indirectly recognizing the Jewish state.

But it is not peace that is driving this move. Rather it is the crushing economic sanctions the PA has been living under since Hamas took over the government in January. Hamas has seen its popularity plummet after being unable to pay over 150,000 PA employees for the past half year. The group is desperate to secure funds. But certainly not desperate enough to renounce the virulent hatred for and brutal violence against Israel that brought it to power.

Asked by Israel’s Army Radio if Hamas’ implicit acceptance of negotiations with Israel signalled an “end to the conflict,” Hamas government spokesman Ghazi Hamad said Tuesday:

“That’s not what we’re saying. We have no problem accepting a state with the 1967 borders.” However, “We are not willing to recognize Israel. This is our country.”

A day earlier, Hamas spokesman Sami Abu Zuhri told Ha’aretz:

“We would like to have the embargo lifted, but we will not surrender to external dictates and we will not agree to sacrifice the interests and rights of the Palestinian people.”

The left-wing Israeli newspaper also noted that the draft unity government proposal also provides for Hamas to reject any previous agreements between Israel and the PA that it feels do not “serve Palestinian interests.” And while it does call for a halt to acts of terror inside sovereign Israel, the deal gives a green light for continued violence against Jews living in Judea and Samaria.

Unfortunately, the international community, and in particular the mainstream media, continue to see only what they want to see, rather than listening to what Hamas has to say or actually reading the documents that are purportedly forming the base of future peace and stability.

There is a lot of whining going on about those poor Lebanese civilians whose lives Israel shattered for no apparent reason (if the mainstream media is to be believed). This excellent editorial helps to put the whole situation in perspective.

I want to just post a few of the points here, though you really should read the whole thing.

The author makes the point most of the media is ignoring as it shows the scenes of “wanton Israeli destruction” - that is if the Lebanese, or any nation for that matter, allow a major terrorist organization to set itself up as a virtual army and then attack a neighboring state, there can be no claims of ignorance, surprise or innocense when the aggrieved come roaring back with their own military response.

But, he goes on, the media is purposely ignoring this aspect of the conflict, purposely ignoring the cause and only looking at the effect, knowing full well that scenes of pitiful Lebanese families will cause most to forget about everything but the Israeli bombs that created this situation. He uses this analogy to illustrate:

Seeing television snippets of wounded or dead Lebanese with people sitting on the ground crying and calling them all “innocent civilians” is the same as looking at a photograph of the armpit of Christie Brinkley and saying, “Here is the photo of a supermodel. Isn’t she beautiful?”

The armpit picture is only a part of the story. When human beings see babies or mothers hurting, no matter what, we feel the pain. If we saw baby pictures of Charles Manson, we would want to cuddle him.

The bottom line for the Lebanese:

You sleep with dogs, you wake up with fleas. You sleep with missiles, you wake up dead.

Seems Israel’s bombing of Beirut was not intense enough for Beirut, so they published some doctored photos to make the destruction appear more widespread.

Charles over at Little Green Footballs has a long, in-depth post on the issue with a series of examples, so I will not repost and rehash here what is already being hammered throughout the conservative blogosphere.

Suffice it to say this is not the first time the MSM has willfully disseminated such distortions in its quest to discredit Israel. This map of Beirut shows that while the MSM would have you believe the entire city is being obliterated, Israel is in fact attacking only a very small corner of the Lebanese capital, leaving 99% of it virtually untouched.

Nor is the phenomenon isolated to the current Israel-Hizb’allah conflict. When Israel really went after “Palestinian” terrorists during Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, the Palestinian Authority told the MSM that the town of Jenin was being flattened and its citizens massacred by the Israelis. The story was reported as dictated. But aerial photographs of Jenin later released by the IDF showed that the fighting and destruction in that city had in fact been confined to an extremely small area.

Most supporters of Israel readily recognize the underlying anti-Israel bias that taints the reporting of the mainstream international media (MSM). Forcing the MSM to acknowledge this phenomenon in an effort to change it, however, is a different story. Journalists from every other part of the world will vehemently deny practicing any bias or subjective reporting against Israel.

Not so in the Arab world. Continue reading »

Israel is threatening to leave the World Press Federation after that organization condemned the Jewish state for bombing a television station belonging to Hizb’allah’s Al-Manar network.

In an unbelievable statement, Federation Secretary-General Aidan White said:

The attacks on Al-Manar proves Israel’s policy of the use of force as a means of quieting press organizations with which Israel does not agree.

It is amazing how freedom of speech now extends to terrorist ranting and incitement to murder people… well, at least Jewish people.

The international media has been gloomily and loudly repeating the mounting civilian death toll in Lebanon. And yet, no mention of the number of Hizb’allah casualties, which must be far greater than civilian casualties since Israel is carefully and specifically targeting Hizb’allah. Nasrallah and his cronies are purposely keeping those numbers secret.

Leave it to the media to play right into Hizb’allah’s hands by failing to mention this fact.

Also largely ignored is the fact Hizb’allah has placed its most strategic positions as close to civilian centers as possible. In many cases, stockpiles of missiles have been hidden in homes!

The mainstream media, not to mention European governments, is completely ignoring Israel’s careful selection of targets in Lebanon as it seeks to paint the Jewish state as a ruthless predator.

What is also being ignored is the fact that every time Israel gets ready to strike a target that may result in civilian casualties, it warns everyone to get out of the way. This despite the fact the bad guys are also notified of the impending attack and given time to escape.

When was the last time the Arabs warned Israeli Jews to get out of the way before they attacked?

Answer: Never.

Reason: Israel is not targeting civilians. The Muslim Arab terrorists, however, want to kill and maim every single Jew they can get their hands on.

Flipping through the major television news networks today, I am reminded of the unbridled bias practiced by the international media in its coverage of the Israeli-Arab confict.

The top story of the day is the ongoing fighting in Lebanon and northern Israel. But it is only being covered by the “objective” mainstream media from one angle.

Images abounded, accompanied by heart-rending commentary, of residential areas of Beirut in flames.

But did the media bother to explain that Hizb’allah had, in violation of international law, purposely placed its offices and strategic facilities in heavily populated areas? Of course not. Offering justification for Israeli efforts to defend its citizens does not make a good story.

Nor was there one word, ONE WORD, of the millions of Israelis who for the past 72 hours have been forced to either live in hot, cramped bomb shelters or flee their homes. Is that too not a humanitarian crisis?

It is a practice most in the West cannot comprehend. That a government would openly take action that causes the death and suffering of is own people is truly vile. But it is also entirely common in the Muslim Middle East, especially when propaganda points are on the table. Continue reading »

UN chief Kofi Annan has reportedly admitted being manipulated by the anti-Israel international press regarding the deaths of seven “Palestinians” on a Gaza beach last week, and retracted his skepticism of Israel’s evidence showing IDF munitions were not to blame. Continue reading »