Few things can get across a visceral sense of the reality of the occupation better than the images captured by Palestinians themselves documenting their experience. In this short film (5 mins.) and article by Peter Beaumont on the Guardian website’s front page, there is a compilation of precisely that — using cameras provided to Palestinians by B’Tselem, the great Israeli human rights group.
Khaldoun
scholarly commentary on Middle East politics, culture, and media coverage
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Khaldoun 
Those are all shocking scenes and i’m sure there are many more.
Two things, however, must be brought up (and this is in no way a
defence of the settlers or the soldiers documented abusing the
Palestinians).
1. Blanket a war zone in cameras and you’ll of course find mistreatment.
There are more foreign correspondents in Jerusalem (and by extension
the West Bank and Gaza Strip) then almost anywhere else in the world.
The use of selecting footage and editing means that they are free to
document only the one side of the story. Whilst this story must be
told it should be put in context. I’d be very interested to see
whether or not the Palestinians are filming Hamas shooting rockets
into the civilian populations of Sderot and Ashkelon or preparing
their children for bombing missions to cafes and schools. Do human
rights abuses happen in the territories? Of course, anyone that denies
that is lying, however in comparison to other counter-insurgancy
efforts the IDF should be commended for their treatment of the
Palestinians. Rather than under-taking a mass bombing campaign as has
been done by other nations or the massacre of civilians such as in the
Balkans and countless other war zones they have decided to attempt to
arrest, and in extreme cases kill, those that are planning attacks
against the civilian population of the State of Israel.
2. If cameras were given to civilians in Africa, the Arab world, the
Baltic states, South America and other areas where there are mass
killings of innocent civilians then i’m sure that there would be many
worse human rights abuses to report.
Haha good lord Raffe, pull your head out of that Dershowitz book for a while and get educated on the situation.
3 August, 2008
Don’t Zionists realize that in all their debates with others they are always apologetic and try to justify and rationalize their mistakes? Why don’t they ever admit they are wrong, and show willingness to correct them?
Mustafa
Mustafa,
It’s not about rationalizing mistakes but rather an acknowledgment of grievances on both sides. Until there’s mutual recognition then there won’t be peace.
Noor,
Please try to attack my argument and not me. There can be a fruitful and academic debate with mutual respect for each person.
Raffe,
Who are the first perpetrators ?
On TV, you can watch the separation wall, the countless humiliating check points, the sickening tens of Palestinian refugee camps, and remember the eleven thousand Palestinians in your jails. This is what your “innocent” “constructive” hands have committed.
Also remember the two blue lines on your national flag which stand for the Nile and the Tigris rivers in Egypt and Iraq. Do you need all this area between the two rivers for your state ?
Mustafa
I don’t suppose there’s any chance of a balanced debate on this blog?
Looks like just another ‘it’s all Israel’s fault’ site… with all the usual lies, such as the utter bollocks that the blue lines on their flag represent their ambitions to conquer all of the Middle East. Honestly you guys will beleive anything Hamas spout out…
Noor’s response to Raffe’s comment is very interesting. Is this what passes for disinterested academic comment these days?
I’d have expected some bibliographic references, a few case studies, perhaps, in short some discussion based on the tomes written about war, defence, propaganda, media representation etc, all of which are accessible within the univerisities’ ample resources.
Sneering comments like Noor’s above are very disappointing and certainly have no academic or other value. It does, however, show the calibre or lack thereof of academics at Macquarie University.
As for Mustafa’s Aug 5 comment, any competent analyst in Rhetoric, Coimmunication and Media knows that TV coverage is the most easily manipulated and I am very surprised that he rests the weight of his argument on it.
I have also noticed his assumption that Raffe is Israeli and his descent into personal and bullying remarks. Again, of no academic value and very little attention paid to the conventions of debate, let alone those in academia.
It’s been awhile since I popped into a university blog. If this is typical it’s really sad.
Amusing to pick apart, but sad.
apologies for the odd typo here.
Well i’m actually Australian not Israeli :)
Ladies & gentlemen,
In essence, none of the comments above touched on or addressed the core of my blog on Zionism. Insignificant examples and exceptions here and there have failed to refute the clear truths and facts which we see on daily basis in Palestine and in our miserable world.
Mustafa
i don’t know about others, Mustafa, but i was just being tactful.
I do, however, take your point “don’t Zionists realise that…they are always apologetic…”?
I don’t think Zionists should apologise for a damn thing, especially when they’re fighting a war.