I don't doubt the suffering caused by Israel's bombing of Gaza, and I
don't doubt that many innocents are victims. Of course, had Hamas
not been launching missiles against the population of Israel Gaza would
have been left undisturbed. Enough is enough.
Arabic is a language easily taken to exaggeration and hyperbole.
The easy use of the word genocide is an instance of this Arab
habit. There is no genocide in Sudan but there is in the
Strip. Sorry, I had it in reverse. This lying also extends to
details that can be quickly checked by reporters who don't. Would
you not think that, with the hysteria about starvation, you'd see some
bloated bellies on the TV? Instead, you see healthy children and
strong young men in the rituals of resistance.
And sneakers. You have to look closely at the sneakers, seemingly
new and, of course, costly.
In the midst of all this catastrophe propaganda there are some
facts. These were provided to me by Jacob Dallal, an old and
trusted friend who happens to work for the spokesman's unit of the
I.D.F. He has been my informant in several comparable
situations: he has never told me a lie or even a
fib.
- Today (Wed.), 93 truckloads with 2,500 tons of food and medical supplies were transferred to Gaza.
- Since the beginning of the operation in Gaza Saturday, 6,500 tons of food and medicine were transferred to Gaza.
- The World Food Program has informed Israel that they will not be resuming shipment of food into Gaza because their warehouses are at full capacity, with enough supplies for at least 2 weeks.
- 12 Palestinians from Gaza entered Israel today (Wed.) for medical treatment.