A letter by JAACI’s Vice President to the Indy Star
In describing the latest violence between Israel and Gaza, The Star’s tendency is to report facts that are devoid of context. Since news without context is worthless, it is hard to avoid concluding that The Star would rather push the vague and morally equivalent notion of a “cycle of violence” than accurately report that the violence and suffering are entirely the responsibility of Hamas and the Gazan people.
Serious reporting would describe how it was the Gazan people who elected Hamas to power knowing full well that it called for the annihilation of all Jews; that since coming to power Hamas has constantly and indiscriminately shelled Israelis towns and villages with the sole goal of wreaking terror; that this behavior is what triggered the latest violence; that while Hamas intentionally targets civilians, Israel goes to exceptional lengths to avoid civilian casualties; and that Hamas intentionally places the residents of Gaza in harm’s way by locating its armaments stores and control and command centers in schools, hospitals, and mosques.
Hamas gets away with its barbaric behavior in part because the Western media are uncomfortable reporting these ugly facts, which would lead any reasonable person to make moral judgments about what the conflict is really about. It is time for The Star to understand that this serves neither its readers nor itself well.
Allon Friedman, M.D.