Israel was taking extreme steps to suppress all evidence about what happened other than its own official version. They detained the flotilla passengers and barred the media from speaking with them, thus, as The NYT put it, "refusing to permit journalists access to witnesses who might contradict Israel's version of events." They detained the journalists who were on the ship for days and seized their film, video and cameras. And worst of all, the IDF -- while still refusing to disclose the full, unedited, raw footage of the incident -- quickly released an extremely edited video of their commandos landing on the ship, which failed even to address, let alone refute, the claim of the passengers: that the Israelis were shooting at the ship before the commandos were on board. . . .I agree.
As Juan Cole says: "Many passengers have now confirmed that they were fired on even before the commandos had boots on the deck. Presumably it is this suppressive fire that killed or wounded some passengers and which provoked an angry reaction and an attack on the commandos." . . .
Nobody's claims are entitled to an automatic assumption of truth, including these passengers. But as Mackey argues, all of this compellingly underscores the need for an independent -- not an Israeli-led -- investigation.
Ralph
Ironic, too, that this same suppression of truth is going on in the Gulf. BP threatens workers that they'll be fired if they speak with the press. The police, under BP's guidance apparently, threaten to arrest reporters who attempt to take pictures of oil-soaked animals. Air traffic controllers, again following BP's directions, refuse to let planes carrying the press fly over the spill.
ReplyDeleteEven the U.S.policy of refusing to allow photos of coffins, and only allowing the press in battle situations if they are embedded, echo Israel's suppression of the press.
Yet, very few people in this country care.
richard
It's lamentable. But there's just so much to need to care about.
ReplyDeleteWhen you combine the overwhelming number of things that are wrong in the world with the debilitating frustration of helplessness, outrage fatigue sets in.
That's true. And I have an added sense of frustration at being in the ever-expanding camp of those who have lost faith in Obama - and am reminded by my two sons daily "I told you so..."
ReplyDeleteBut I think there's a bigger - I don't know what to call it - movement, force? - in the universe that is driving, or at least revealing, if not creating behaviors from the micro to macro level. Like the control of the press. It extends beyond governments, philosophies, systems. I think it really is the virus of Capitalism trying to kill all the 'white blood cells' of compassion, caring, and justice.
richard
You may be on to something here. If we could eliminate one thing that would make our whole public life better, I think I would choose the influence of money in our politics -- in its influence on who gets elected and how they vote once elected.
ReplyDeleteIf elected representatives were motivated by desire to make life better for citizens, rather than raking in the money and getting re-elected, it would be a very different picture.