As arrest warrants are issued for Israeli leaders, it must not be forgotten that they confessed to their crimes from the start. Western media outlets chose to suppress the truth
by Owen Jones
Part 5 - The biggest journalistic scandal of our age
There are many other examples. The Israeli President, Isaac Herzog, said the following in response to a question from British broadcasters ITV, who asked about alleviating the impact on Gaza’s civilian population, “many of whom have nothing to do with Hamas”:
"It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It's not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved. It's absolutely not true. They could have risen up, they could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup 'd état.”
The headline failed to reflect the implications of collective guilt: ‘Israeli president Isaac Herzog says Gazans could have risen up to fight 'evil' Hamas’. Most Western media outlets failed to cover this statement at all.
"It is an entire nation out there that is responsible. It's not true this rhetoric about civilians not aware, not involved. It's absolutely not true. They could have risen up, they could have fought against that evil regime which took over Gaza in a coup 'd état.”
The headline failed to reflect the implications of collective guilt: ‘Israeli president Isaac Herzog says Gazans could have risen up to fight 'evil' Hamas’. Most Western media outlets failed to cover this statement at all.
In another example, an Israeli defence official told Israel’s Channel 13: “Gaza will eventually turn into a city of tents. There will be no buildings. The ground manoeuvre will surprise Hamas”.
This was indeed prophetic. Most buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, with this tiny strip of land the size of East London suffering Israeli detonations with equivalent firepower to several Hiroshima bombs. The destruction is so extreme that Gaza has a different colour and texture when looked at from space.
But most Western media outlets, again, failed to cover a statement which proved entirely accurate about Israel’s intentions. Instead, they chose to treat clearly absurd Israeli claims about proportionality and careful targeting as though they were credible. One exception was Sky News Australia, a network which has zealously backed Israel’s onslaught, and which - like fellow Rupert Murdoch-owned outlet, the New York Post - made clear the implications.
This was indeed prophetic. Most buildings in Gaza have been destroyed or damaged, with this tiny strip of land the size of East London suffering Israeli detonations with equivalent firepower to several Hiroshima bombs. The destruction is so extreme that Gaza has a different colour and texture when looked at from space.
But most Western media outlets, again, failed to cover a statement which proved entirely accurate about Israel’s intentions. Instead, they chose to treat clearly absurd Israeli claims about proportionality and careful targeting as though they were credible. One exception was Sky News Australia, a network which has zealously backed Israel’s onslaught, and which - like fellow Rupert Murdoch-owned outlet, the New York Post - made clear the implications.
Since these statements were made, Israel has committed some of the worst war crimes of our age. The real total death toll is unknown, with some public health experts suggesting up to 186,000 Palestinians in Gaza by July. Israeli soldiers have relished the impunity explicitly granted to them at the start, gleefully posting their war crimes online. As well as all relevant aid agencies, two US government departments made clear in April that Israel was deliberately blockading the essentials of life.
All of this was inevitable, based on the statements made by Israeli leaders and officials at the start. None made any effort to disguise their intentions. All Western media outlets were aware of them. If they were covered at all, their significance was not explained, and they were buried in broader coverage. If the explicit implications were spelled out in media outlets, it was in a few outlier columns in their opinion sections.
All of this was inevitable, based on the statements made by Israeli leaders and officials at the start. None made any effort to disguise their intentions. All Western media outlets were aware of them. If they were covered at all, their significance was not explained, and they were buried in broader coverage. If the explicit implications were spelled out in media outlets, it was in a few outlier columns in their opinion sections.
Throughout this genocide, the Western media chose to portray Israel’s onslaught as self-defence. Even though it was clear that Israeli leaders and officials were saying one thing to their domestic audiences, and another to Western viewers and readers, broadcasters and newspapers treated the latter as credible. The few dissenting voices who took the statements of Israeli leaders and officials literally were defamed as extremists and antisemites.
For this reason, on 24th October 2023, I wrote a column for The Guardian headlined ‘Israel is clear about its intentions in Gaza – world leaders cannot plead ignorance of what is coming’. Given the horror to come, it was clear that some would later claim ignorance: the column was written as a marker, to make it clear no such excuses existed.
For this reason, on 24th October 2023, I wrote a column for The Guardian headlined ‘Israel is clear about its intentions in Gaza – world leaders cannot plead ignorance of what is coming’. Given the horror to come, it was clear that some would later claim ignorance: the column was written as a marker, to make it clear no such excuses existed.
By intentionally covering up what Israel made clear it would do from the start - which it has done, to the letter - the Western media helped facilitate Israel’s genocide. The International Criminal Court has finally issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and defence minister. But it’s not just Israel’s leaders who must be held to account.
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