How Hamas wields Gaza's casualties as propaganda

[unreadierLizard]

http://time.com/3035937/gaza-israel-hamas-palestinian-casualties/

An informational battle of competing messages directed at international audiences parallels the military fighting between Israel and Hamas. Accompanying a barrage of wrenching images are Palestinian fatality statistics alleging disproportionate numbers of non-combatants. These figures are crucial because they form the basis of accusations that Israel uses excessive and indiscriminate force.

Fatality figures provided by Hamas and other groups should be viewed with suspicion. Not only do Israeli figures cast doubt on claims that the vast majority of fatalities are non-combatants, but a careful review of Palestinian sources also raises doubts.

Analyses of the casualties listed in the daily reports published by the Palestinian Center for Human Rights, a Gaza-based organization operating under Hamas rule, indicate that young males ages 17 to 30 make up a large portion of the fatalities, and a particularly noticeable spike occurs between males ages 21 to 27, a pattern consistent with the age distribution typically found among combatants and military conscripts. Palestinian sources attempt to conceal this discrepancy with their public message by labeling most of these young men as civilians. Only a minority is identified as members of armed groups. As a result, the PCHR calculates civilian fatalities at 82% as of July 26. PCHR provides the most detailed casualty reports of the various Palestinian agencies from Gaza that provide figures to the media and to international organizations like the UN. Its figures closely match those of the Hamas-run Gazan Health Ministry and other groups.

[upaloopa]

1. So hundreds are killed in Gaza and to report it

is propaganda? Well that is one way to look at it.

[randys1]

2. I had a gun thread in GD closed due to rules about GD, today, I thought Skinner posted about

what isnt allowed in GD (which was likely prompted by my gun thread and these Israeli Palestinian threads) but I thought that rule said NO threads like these in GD yet there are dozens it seems, maybe I read it wrong

[Fozzledick]

14. "Nothing is true, everything is permissible" - Hasan bin Sabbah

[Spazito]

7. The current crisis re I/P is BIG news, being covered by the mainstream media hence...

the threads are allowed for now.

Here's what Skinner posted:

"Open discussion of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict is permitted during very high-profile news events which are heavily covered across all newsmedia."

[randys1]

9. I saw that, I suppose one could argue the issue over there is always gonna be in the news

BUt I dont have a dog in this fight, I dont side with Hamas or the Israeli govt but with the people, seems to me the people on both sides might very likely be willing to have a settlement if it meant no more killing.

[JI7]

8. there are exceptions when it's a major current news story as this is right now

[upaloopa]

10. Personally I don't pay much attention to the rules.

If I fuck up somebody juries me and I chalk it up to "what the fuck"
People take this place way to seriously I think. This is a chat board at best not some important policy wonk headquarters for political activists IMHO.

[randys1]

11. agreed but I have 4 hides and the last one was because I called the murietta refugee haters

a name...that shocked me so I am very careful now

[upaloopa]

18. I just got a hide

The guy spends two days telling the world i believe in bull shit or something I tell him I don't think he is a nice person and get juried. I really don't take the jury system seriously.

[HooptieWagon]

3. Irony is Israel complaining about Palestinian "propaganda".

or maybe hypocrisy.

[H2O Man]

5. Legalize Lonnie Anderson's hair.

[NightWatcher]

6. You know what Israel can do to avoid this, right?

Stop causing the piles of bodies to pile up. Stop bombing hospitals, neighborhoods, kids playing on the beach....

[LittleBlue]

12. Written by Steve Stotsky, of CAMERA

Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America

Purpose: Pro-Israeli Media Advocacy and Lobbying

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Committee_for_Accuracy_in_Middle_East_Reporting_in_America

No thanks to the propaganda.

[kentuck]

13. Remember when Hamas was going to be the moderate replacement for the PLO...?

..and Yasser Arafat?

http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/hamas-challenge-to-the-plo-opportunities-and-prospects

[Fozzledick]

16. Yeah, that was when the PLO practiced terrorism and Hamas didn't.

Things have changed since then.

[riverwalker]

17. this is garbage

The article is written by Steven Stotsky. Steven Stotsky is a senior analyst with The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America (CAMERA).
Who is CAMERA?

A 2003 Boston Globe profile of the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America media watchdog group in which Mark Jurkowitz observes: "To its supporters, CAMERA is figuratively - and perhaps literally - doing God's work, battling insidious anti-Israeli bias in the media. But its detractors see CAMERA as a myopic and vindictive special interest group trying to muscle its views into media coverage

they and AIPAC are out in full force, please be discriminating, and use critical thinking before being told not to trust your lying eyes.

[riverwalker]

19. for years they got away with this propaganda

the tide has turned. Now everyone with internet access or a cellphone has seen each and every dead victim, their mangled bodies, their grieving families, watched their burials, read their names, and seen the bombs fall from the sky into their homes, schools, and hospitals.