Intentional misrepresentation of facts MSM?

GS Don Morris, Ph.D.

As I watch the unfolding of the Shalit exchange across multiple television news channels, including Israeli, France, CNN, BBC and UK I find the most of the reporting disconcerting. Why? The reporters are either ill informed, intentional in distorting the truth or truly ignorant. There is no other possibility.

Let me clarify a point repeatedly, across almost all of these news stations regarding Shalit’s abduction. He was taken on 25 June 2006 by Hamas terrorists from Gaza in a cross-border raid. A Hamas terrorist group attacked a Merkava Tank Mark 3, which was guarding the security fence and an army post, both in Israeli territory. During the attack, the commander and a fellow tank member were killed. Shalit was abducted near the Kerem Shalom crossing as was dragged under the security fence into parts unknown in Gaza. This is a critical point, Hamas terrorists illegally entered Israel and kidnapped Gilad. He was not engaged in a battle or a war and was not ever granted POW status. Why? Simple, he was kidnapped.

He was kept in primarily inhumane situation, his eyeglasses taken from him most of the time, he lived in solitary confinement, he was NEVER, not one time allowed a visit by the international Red Cross. We had no actual evidence that he was alive until two years ago. Still, after the infamous “still alive” video no visit permitted by any humanitarian or health organization. This alone is illegal in terms of International Law and at the very least demonstrates the inhumane character of our enemy.

For the MSM media to not even mention this background material is disingenuous when they present an empathetic view of the poor, just released, prisoners. For the MSM not to focus upon the released criminals, many of who engaged in barbaric actions murderers of primarily civilians breaches the integrity that should be displayed by professional journalists. I note that all of this was missing-I know they possess these minimal details and have chosen to with hold from today’s stories.

This is no small detail; it is central to my point that the MSM are misrepresenting entire experience today. They have contributed the following:

Lead the viewing public to believe that the prisoners should be released; it is after all only humane. Never mind that many are murderers serving over 15 consecutive life sentences, they should be viewed with empathy. No, they should be seen for what they are, first-degree murderers and they did not have the courage to take on fighters, they murdered innocent civilians. They murdered children, women eating pizza at a favorite pizza joint. Imagine you are enjoying a Little Caesars or Incredible pizza with all the toppings surrounded by your family and then in an instant they were targeted and blown to pieces.

These prisoners deserved freedom and annulment of their crimes of blowing up innocent civilians on busses, ask the Roth’s if they have any sympathy for these terrorists?

The MSM does not hold Hamas or Fatah speakers to the truth regarding using International law to justify their positions. They are using the day’s release event, as we knew they would, to lie to the viewers. Article 5 of the Geneva Convention does not apply as these two groups are not state parties to the Geneva Convention applies to their “fighters” are not legally “protected persons” under the definition of the convention.

Either the “journalists” do not know international Law or they do. Whichever is the answer to this statement my response is the same. Shame on the MSM for not holding these speakers to two points: 1. Are you not using this event for political outcomes? 2. You know as well as we know, the Geneva Conventions do not apply to you, why are you being so deceitful?

There will be peace in the Middle East before the MSM ever steps up and does their job correctly. They do hold us in Israel to a higher standard, sometimes known as hypocrisy.

Gilad was kidnapped, held in inhumane conditions for 5 years. Israel was held hostage by Hamas, the international community who supported the untold inappropriate ratio of terrorist prisoners to one Israeli and the media would have you believe the world should feel compassion for their families. No compassion for the hundreds and hundreds of innocent civilians murdered by these barbarians. The media speaks not one negative word about the celebrations in the Arab villages. The MSM speaks nothing about the inappropriateness of dancing and celebration by Arab “leaders” for having murderers released unjustly. No, instead they pitch how now maybe the Israelis may be ready to re-engage in talks with these ruthless people. Yet another lie-you know and I know we in Israel have not been the ones to negotiate-tell the MSM to stop supporting terrorists with their distortions.