Thursday, July 17, 2014

CBC: If Israel says so, it must be true

On July 18 CBC reported on the Israeli ground attack of Gaza. CBC repeats over and over that the purpose of the attack is to stop Hamas rockets from being fired at Israel. It states this as a FACT. It even quotes Israeli sources at length as if this proves it is a fact.

CBC obviously must also mention the continuation of the Hamas rockets, but seldom if at all, tries to explain why Hamas continues them. Their motivation is ignored, or if mentioned, given inane analysis - certainly never suggesting that Hamas is defending itself from the occupation and oppression of Palestinians over the past six decades and especially over the past several months. This is irrelevant for CBC.

But what is the true motivation for Israel's brutal slaughter of innocent people and children in Gaza?  It is absurd to ask a military belligerent why he attacks. In WWII the Japanese said they fought just to liberate Asia from Western colonialism. Did anyone believe them?

Israel says its motives are purely defensive, but is there any logical reason to believe this? You do not improve your security by killing children. Killing children makes more, and more hardened, enemies, and reduces your security.

It is logical to describe Israel's motive for attacking Gaza as a desire to keep the violent option alive for Palestinians and to undermine the non-violent BDS campaign which is gaining support internationally. Israel wants to provoke more violent, and less non-violent opposition to their oppression, because Israel has consistently used the excuse of Palestinian violence to steal more land and further their ethnic cleansing program.

Israel needs violence from the Palestinians to further its policy of expansion and annexation of Palestine. It is totally logical to presume that the prime motive of the Gaza attack is to kill civilians and children.

If CBC cannot report this reality because it is too speculative, at least CBC should stop saying that the motivation is legitimate self-defense. That is the role of the Israel propaganda machine, and not the role of honest journalism.

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