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| The UN Security Council (TOI) |
The latest of these images came today. Scenes of Palestinians bleeding in hospitals from gunshot wounds purportedly at the hands of IDF were all over the mainstream media this morning. With Palestinian claims that over a hundred Palestinians were killed by Israeli bullets. It happened early this morning when hungry Palestinian refugees gathered around a food truck trying to get some food to feed their families.
To be fair, the media reported both versions of what happened.
Hamas claimed the casualties were all from the IDF firing indiscriminately into the crowd.
The IDF said that a group of Palestinians were advancing toward them and after being told to retreat, they kept going forward. That was seen as a threat to soldiers security and they were fired upon to disperse them. Panic ensued and the crowd started fleeing. The casualties were the result of being trampled.
To its credit, the US blocked a UN Security Council motion that accepted the Hamas version blaming Israel.
The images themselves did not corroborate either version. But images of bleeding and suffering combined with claims by Palestinians and their doctors in Gaza corroborated the Hamas version of events. That makes it difficult to have sympathy for Israel’s version. Even if their version is the more accurate one.
This has been the problem all along. I do not believe for a minute that the IDF would indiscriminately fire upon a crowd of starving people that were just trying to get some food off of a food truck. Jews are not Nazis! I therefore tend to believe the IDF version. But to the casual observer its virtually impossible to not feel sympathy for the months long constant suffering of Palestinians in Gaza. The public will therefore be more inclined to believe the Hamas version.
Scenes like this have permeated the media since the war began. Which can easily explain why Israel is losing public support. Even from among fair minded Americans that know what happened on October 7th and had expressed tremendous sympathy for Israel - and all of the Jewish people. But now after over 4 months of daily images of Palestinian suffering their sympathy has moved away from Israel and toward Palestinians.. Making it quite understandable why cease fire is gaining more traction from the American people.
The counter claim by supporters of Israel that they are merely defending itself against the Hamas determination to do it again and again until they restore Palestine to its ‘rightful’ Muslim owners - is therefore falling on deaf ears. A public that keeps seeing all that Palestinian bloodshed and suffering is having its impact.
Making matters even worse is that the families of the hostages want to see a cease fire too. They want their loved ones back and if a cease fire is the way to do that, that is what they will demand. And as things stand now that is what they believe.
Now Israel is poised to attack Raffa, which is where Palestinian refuges have gone to escape earlier IDF attacks. There is near universal concern by the nations of the world - including the US - that this would be a catastrophe of immense proportion. With an unprecedented number of increased casualties and an actual famine.
I don’t see how Israel can be seen in a worse light than it is right now. The world has forgotten how we got here. And why Israel has no choice but to finish the job of destroying the capability of Hamas to ever commit Nazilike atrocities to the Jewish people again. It doesn’t matter how may times we try to explain it, the images of Palestinian suffering overwhelm those arguments. Legitimate though they are.
Even as it has been critical of the high number of casualties in Gaza and expressed concern over the humanitarian crisis, the Biden administration understands what is at stake and still supports Israel’s goals. For that we should be grateful in spite of his wrong-headed push for Israel to declare a clear path towards an eventual Palestinian state.
In my view, Israel has no choice but to finish the job. They cannot allow themselves to be swayed by the terrible optics constantly being broadcast every day that has influenced public sympathy away from them towards Palestinians. I just hope they can do it quickly and with as few casualties (both Israeli and Palestinian) as possible.
What about the US demand that Israel embrace the 2 state solution after the war? They can cross that bridge when they come to it.
