Herb Keinon argues how Israel won the media battle with the Free Gaza Movement, but may have lost the war:
Jerusalem doesn’t need to be too concerned that a precedent was set by letting the boat pass, because it made clear this was a one-time deal, and that it reserved the right to stop other boats if they tried to enter Gaza.
Rather, Israel needs to be worried that the country’s enemies will see it is sorely afraid of bad press, and will fold on its principles to avoid a negative media event.
The danger now is not that the two Free Gaza boats will be followed by a flotilla of others bearing more humanitarian aid for Gazans, but rather that the method these protesters used – employing the media as an instrument to force Israel to buckle under – will be honed and adopted for more effective use later.
The misnomer is that “journalists” like Lauren Booth and Yvonne Ridley were engaged in “journalism.” The fact is that they crossed a line from covering the story to becoming a part of it. Booth admitted as much:
“In this media war, it was impossible for them [Israel] to win because they have no case for what they are doing to your port and to your borders,” Booth said.
