In the hours immediately following the surprise attack on the southern borders with Gaza by Palestinian fighters, Israel began carrying out a large-scale disinformation campaign that has had a strategic impact on the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
This disinformation campaign is especially surprising considering the exaggerations of events that transpired on the Gaza border. The central question from an Israeli standpoint: why exaggerate the depiction of the events within the border, when the actual events were already brutal enough? Claims made by Israel, later echoed by U.S. President Biden, about beheaded babies, rape, the burning of Israeli civilians, and other such incidents made global headlines, which continued to spread without any substantiation.
This deliberate attempt at exaggeration and dramatization of events will throw a large question on what actually transpired in the Gaza envelope. Already, Palestinian groups have issued several statements regarding the dehumanization campaign. Saleh Aruri, a member of Hamas’s political bureau, issued a statement on Aljazeera that included several important claims about the conduct of warfare in the Gaza Envelope.
Firstly, Aruri refuted any allegations concerning beheaded infants. Secondly, he stressed that Palestinian fighters had been given explicit instructions regarding the handling of any captured Israeli settlements, noting that in several areas, Israeli civilians opted to defend by firing at the fighters. Perhaps more crucially, he asserted that Israel chose not to engage in negotiations with any groups within its borders, leading to substantial collateral damage in numerous hostage situations. The Palestinian military strategy aimed to delay Israel’s retaking of the area around the strip. In contrast, Israel was intent on swiftly reclaiming the territory, seemingly without regard for the safety of its own citizens.
Yet the Israeli disinformation campaign had multiple objectives, the gravest being the provision of political leverage for Israel to execute airstrikes and a possible ground invasion without facing repercussions.
However, it’s crucial to understand that the core of Israel’s distress stems from two pivotal setbacks experienced on Saturday. First, there was a comprehensive failure in its surveillance, detection, and defensive mechanisms. This oversight was intensified by the ineptitude of its intelligence services to anticipate and thwart the offensive initiated by Palestinian fighters in Gaza. Such a shortcoming not only tarnishes its global intelligence reputation but also strains its societal ties.
The second blow was the unforeseen dissolution and downfall of its southern division — a development that caught even the Palestinian groups in Gaza off-guard. Members of Israel’s southern division were either captured, perished, or opted for retreat. Only a few fought, and it took Israel more than four days to regain control of the “Gaza Envelope,” a wide area surrounding Gaza that was infiltrated by a meager force of 1,200 fighters.
This holds monumental significance. As a state rooted in colonialism, Israel’s prestige and survival hinges on the prowess and integrity of its defense systems and armed forces. The swift collapse of its military divisions, coupled with the rapid fragmentation of its southern command, represents a profound psychological blow. This crisis has driven its right-wing administration to solicit international military backing — a move that will inevitably reshape its political landscape and influence the future trajectories of several of its leaders once the conflict ceases.
Yet, at the heart of these unfolding events lies a disconcerting decline in Israel’s strategic foresight. Its frenzied reactions not only underscore the psychological trauma experienced on Saturday but also project a macabre display of its capabilities — intending to depict the Israeli military as a streamlined apparatus for killing and destruction. However, the current narratives lack a clear strategic vision, making its vow to annihilate Hamas a contentious stance that poses intricate ramifications for the broader regional dynamics.
Another component is vital for its disinformation campaign, aiming to rekindle unity and determination within its society during times when such sentiments are waning. Concurrently, Israeli society is plagued by internal political discord, marked by profound mistrust dividing various ethnic and political factions. Even more crucially, this unfolds against a backdrop where Israel, devoid of any tangible political solution to a prolonged conflict, and while besieging Gaza, presumed it could operate without facing repercussions. The rift between its populace and the military and political elite demands the crafting of a narrative resonant with both Jewish and Israeli sensitivities.
Moreover, a ground maneuver in the Gaza Strip would necessitate significant sacrifice on the part of Israel’s military. Its wager that a ground offensive would end Palestinian resistance could also backfire and lead to an even worse political and strategic condition.
Moreover, the unwavering support from the U.S. and its attempts at deterrence may prove futile in dissuading other factions from joining the conflict. Entities like Hezbollah have predicated their existence on championing the Palestinian cause. Their silence or inaction now would undermine their core principles. Strategically, neither Hezbollah nor Iran can afford to watch one of its paramount bastions in Gaza crumble without intervening. This would expose it to intensified efforts by Israel or its allies in potential future confrontations.
Israel’s present combat approach echoes archaic military philosophies, where airpower was perceived as a tool to coerce civilian masses into rebelling against their rulers. Thinkers like Giulio Douhet posited that focused assaults on civilians could instigate political shifts. Israel now is weaponizing madness as a psychological and military response, and the world needs to rein it in.
The author failed to mention however, that Saudi Arabia’s MBS and his other cohorts throughout the Arab world will now also be considering if the idea of normalizing relations with Israel is going to be in their best strategic interests, given how it failed to anticipate & contain the Hamas attack. With the colossal failures of both Israeli and US intel agencies and their respective inability to anticipate such an attack, MBS and other Arab leaders should seriously be asking themselves: If Hamas fighters totaling no more than 2,000 could overwhelm Israel’s southern front, than how is it in our collective best interests to tether ourselves to Israel and its US benefactor, in a struggle against Shia Iran, Hezbollah et al, when the Israelis cannot even competently handle Hamas and its ragtag army??
We have to keep in mind we are dealing with nation whose Prime Minister, Minister, Military leaders, and Ambassadors, have a history of lying, and then getting caught, or confronted.
Bibi was called a liar by world leaders.
They lied about the Gaza flotilla, they lied about not bombing UN shelters, they lied about giving warnings before bombing buildings, they lied about killing Shireen Abu Akleh, and the list goes on.
So the best thing to do is, do NOT believe what comes out of the White House, or any Israeli official.
Looks for facts and the truth from Human Rights Organizations, including BT’selem.
Here is an interesting video on how the media does the propaganda work for nations that wage wars.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KFtE9HMtiOc
Have to read this one again. Feel more confused than ever about intentions of Israel, Iran, Hamas.
We keep hearing main stream talking heads say that this massacre is Israel’s 9/11. Of course this is the Palestinians upteenth 9/11 in regard to how many have been killed over the decades by Israel in regard to Palestinians population.
How can we not wonder if this massacre for Israel is more like the U.S.’s 9/11 since the Bush administration ignored potential attack warnings from counterterrorism expert Richard Clarke and others. Specifically Hadley, Rice, Wolowitz, Cheney ignoring Clarke that attacks from Al Qeada were hgihtly likely specifically from the air. Bush Cheney and team were able to use the (/!! attacks to invade Iraq which Ron Susskind reported in “The Price of Loyalty” that Rumsfeld, Wolfowitz and Cheney had talked incessantly about at the first Bush 43’s administration cabinet meetings.
So did Israeli intelligence officials and Netanyahu purposely ignore warnings that Hamas was going to attack to create reasons to not only destroy Hamas, kill thousands of Palestinians in the process but to drag the U.S. into a covert war with Iran? We know Israel and the I lobby have been trying to drag the U.S. into a covert war with Iran for decades. Is that where this disaster is headed?
RE: “Claims made by Israel, later echoed by U.S. President Biden, about beheaded babies, rape, the burning of Israeli civilians, and other such incidents made global headlines, which continued to spread without any substantiation.” ~ ABDALJAWAD OMAR
SEE: Gaza: Chickens Come Home to Roost | Richard Silverstein | Tikun Olam | October 12, 2023
Terror, hate and violence of Gaza war make their way to America’s shores
(EXCERPT) . . . The IDF has also peddled lies to the Israeli and global media. The most incendiary one claims that Hamas fighters beheaded 40 Israeli babies during their attack (see tweet). This was first reported by an Israeli search and rescue officer, Yossi Landau, on CNN. It was repeated by IDF spokesperson, Maj. Libby Weiss also on CNN. From there it was reported by the Independent, the Los Angeles Times and other outlets.
The apparently cognitively impaired President of the United States, 79 year old Joe Biden, even repeated the calumny, stating he’d seen “confirmed photographs” documenting the incident. After which, his press officers “clarified” that he had not actually “seen” the photos, but was basing his statements on “Netanyahu and Israeli media.” On the other hand, Israeli journalist, Oren Ziv, visited the southern Israel communities attacked and repeatedly asked IDF officers if they could verify the story. They told him they had seen no evidence supporting these claims (see tweet).
Such disinformation demeans the real suffering of real people, including Israelis. It deflects from the suffering Israel is inflicting on Gaza. It incites violence. It poisons human discourse. During crises, it is most likely people will fall prey to their worst fears and act on them. That is when people most need news that is properly and accurately reported. Rumors fly and tempers flare. That’s when facts are vital.
Disinformation inflames. It moves people to violence. People will die due to the outrage incited by such lies. It would even provoke a wider conflict than the one confined now to Gaza. . .
ENTIRE COMMENTARY – https://www.richardsilverstein.com/2023/10/12/gaza-chickens-come-home-to-roost/
P.S. ALSO SEE: Israel Planted Wall Street Journal Leak Claiming Iran Ordered Gaza Attack | Richard Silverstein | Tikun Olam | October 10, 2023 WSJ falsely claimed Iran met secretly with Hezbollah and Hamas leaders in Lebanon, and directed the southern Israel invasionLINK – https://www.richardsilverstein.com/2023/10/10/israel-planted-wall-street-journal-claiming-iran-directed-gaza-attack/
The problem with Israeli disinformation is that it not only works, but is amplified verbatim, with virtually no fact checking by US media, few to no retractions, and is not only rarely challenged, but seems to be encouraged.
Anthony Blinken was asked directly in a press gathering yesterday about the claims of decapitated babies, after his meeting with Netanyahu, being, briefed and shown pictures of the aftermath in Israel. Rather than say that he has or hasn’t seen any evidence to support the claims, or that are still ongoing, he demurred, muddied the waters even further and shifted to speaking of burned babies instead of the unsubstantiated claims he and his administration has previously been making.
I’ve just listen to Dan Abrams on POTUS, hauling some poor guy over the coals for even suggesting that the images and video being released by the Israeli government regarding some of the other claimed atrocities might have been doctored or used out of context. This is the same guy that was breathlessly screaming for virtually and entire hour on his show on Wednesday about decapitated babies. He hasn’t mentioned it once since, retracted his comments, nor admitted that he was almost certainly a victim of state sanctioned misinformation and propaganda, and that he was duped into using his own platform to spread them. Yet he’s back today backing up yet another salacious claim, just because Israel said so. Because Israel would never lie, right? Right?!?
This is also the same guy, along with so many others in the media, that fell hook line and sinker for Israel’s disinformation campaign when they were caught red-handed releasing doctored video of the fighters in Jenin, while Israel was trying to pin the blame on them for killing Shireen Abu Akleh, not to mention every subsequent lie they got caught making after being called out for after that misinformation disaster.
The problem is not that the media has fallen for the misinformation and outright propaganda from Israel and Israeli officials. Many wiser and more informed people, organizations, and entire governments have too. The problem that they are repeat offenders, despite knowing full well that they are being repeatedly used by Israel for such purposes, and yet keep coming back for more and more and more!