aljazeera.com
Gaza Starvation: Israel's Blockade and Propaganda Campaign
Israel's 21-month blockade of Gaza has caused widespread starvation among Palestinians; despite photographic evidence, Israel denies responsibility, launching a propaganda campaign to discredit reports, while simultaneously restricting aid and access.
- How does Israel's propaganda campaign to deny the starvation in Gaza function, and what are its underlying goals?
- Israel's actions in Gaza have resulted in a humanitarian crisis characterized by widespread starvation. This crisis is not accidental; Israeli officials have publicly acknowledged blocking food, fuel, and medicine, and aid delivery is further hampered by Israeli-approved contractors creating dangerous conditions. The intentional obstruction of aid, coupled with the propaganda campaign to deny the evidence, constitutes a war crime.
- What are the immediate consequences of Israel's blockade on Gaza, and how has this impacted the global perception of the conflict?
- For over 21 months, the international media downplayed the severity of Israel's actions in Gaza, focusing more on Ukraine. However, images of starving Palestinian children broke through this bias, prompting a response from Israel. Israel launched a propaganda campaign to deny the starvation, claiming images were misleading or due to pre-existing conditions, despite blocking aid and access for months.
- What are the long-term implications of the international community's response, or lack thereof, to the humanitarian crisis in Gaza?
- The future implications of Israel's actions in Gaza are severe. The ongoing siege, coupled with the new ground offensive, will likely exacerbate the humanitarian crisis, leading to increased starvation and potential genocide. The international community's failure to adequately address the situation risks setting a dangerous precedent, enabling similar atrocities in the future.
Cognitive Concepts
Framing Bias
The article highlights a framing bias where the initial media coverage minimized the severity of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The emphasis shifted only after graphic images of starving children emerged. Headlines and introductory paragraphs likely focused on the conflict's political aspects rather than the humanitarian catastrophe. The article uses the example of the New York Times adding an editor's note to a picture of a starving child, implying the media was pressured to downplay the severity of the situation to "balance" it with Israeli government statements. This demonstrates framing bias favoring the Israeli narrative.
Language Bias
The article itself uses strong and emotive language to describe the situation, such as "haunting faces", "skeletal limbs", "forced starvation", and "genocide". While this language helps convey the urgency and severity of the crisis, it departs from neutral reporting. The use of words like "Orwellian" and "propaganda machine" also reveals a biased perspective. The article directly accuses Israel of deliberate actions to cause starvation and even genocide. More neutral alternatives might describe the Israeli actions and their effects without using such strong accusatory language.
Bias by Omission
The article claims that the Western media initially downplayed the suffering in Gaza, focusing more on the Ukraine conflict and employing "both sides" framing which omitted the severity of the Palestinian civilian suffering. The article also points to the omission of context regarding Israeli policies that restricted food, fuel, and medicine into Gaza, and the silencing of Palestinian journalists. The lack of consistent reporting on the number of aid trucks needed versus those allowed in is another example of omission. While acknowledging space and audience attention constraints might explain some omissions, the deliberate downplaying of starvation due to Israeli actions constitutes a significant bias by omission.
False Dichotomy
The article argues that the Israeli government's portrayal of the situation as something other than starvation creates a false dichotomy. It presents a stark contrast between the undeniable visual evidence of starvation and the official denials, neglecting the complex reality of a deliberate policy leading to food deprivation. The framing of any explanation besides starvation as an acceptable alternative is a form of false dichotomy.
Sustainable Development Goals
The article details the deliberate starvation of Palestinians in Gaza as a tactic of war by the Israeli government. This directly contravenes efforts to end hunger and achieve food security, a core tenet of SDG 2. The Israeli government's active attempts to deny the famine and discredit visual evidence further exacerbates the situation.