One year after the Gaza flotilla, I fear Big Media is discarding the Israeli narrative of events leading up to, during and after the IDF intercepted the Mavi Marmara.
An even more provocative Flotilla 2 is in the works, and the NY Times produced some absolutely shoddy journalism (paywall-challenged readers click via Twitter). Reporter Susanne Gusten fails to point out an awful lot of key facts:
- Hamas — sworn to Israel’s destruction — controls the strip, fires rockets, holds Gilad Shalit captive. The reason for Israel’s naval blockade of Gaza is simple: unrestricted shipping access to opens the door to a maritime arms smuggling corridor. But the Times didn’t quote a single Israeli.
- Turkey’s IHH, which is spearheading the flotilla, is an is an Islamic terror group more interested in provoking Israel than helping the people of Gaza.
- Israeli commandos boarding the Mavi Marmara encountered pre-planned violence from so-called “peace activists.”
- The Gaza blockade is legal, the IDF’s enforcement is legal, and the flotilla organizers are responsible for the deaths aboard the Mavi Marmara.
- The blockade will be history before Flotilla 2 gets underway: Egypt’s opening the Rafah crossing.
- Lest we forget, Israel allows most goods into Gaza anyway.
- There is no humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
This isn’t about fisking one sloppy report. Thanks in big part to Big Media, Israel is clearly losing the flotilla narrative to the Palestinians. As the ships get closer to the launch, I have a sinking feeling we’re in for more of the same.
