Mohammed Saeed’s assertions about Israel must be corrected. Saeed claims that Israel has used “trolls” and “fake news” to spread misinformation about the conflict, yet the blatant propaganda and misinformation campaigns largely arise from the pro-Hamas camp.
It was Hamas and its sympathisers who have spread disproven lies that sexual violence did not occur on October 7th. It was Hamas and sympathetic media who lied about the casualties at Al-Ahli Hospital, and then tried to cover up that it was actually Islamic Jihad who performed the bombing.
Additionally, Israel is not an apartheid state. Such an assertion is offensive to the people who were truly oppressed under South Africa’s apartheid system. Israel is a multicultural, liberal democracy with far greater respect of human rights and racial difference than any other country in the region.
Many of the so-called journalists in Gaza have been proven to have been Hamas fighters – many of whom were involved in October 7th. If they are killed while actively fighting IDF troops, that is not a crime. For non-fighters, war journalism has inherent risks. The IDF is not targeting journalists. They are fighting a war that Hamas started.
Al Jazeera is also far from an unbiased source. It was founded by a despot and still acts as a state-owned propaganda wing of Qatar, a state sympathetic to Hamas. Al Jazeera has spread blatant misinformation about Israel and should not be considered a neutral or reliable source.
I urge all readers to read widely, fact-check and use logic and common sense when engaging with this conflict. The fact remains that Hamas invaded Israel, raped and slaughtered innocents, and are now reaping what they sowed. For this war to end, they must only surrender.
Nicholas Woode-Smith | Cape Town
The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media.
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