News

It is quite astounding that Israel has been able to create over the past
12 hours a news blackout, just as it did with its attack on Gaza 18
months ago, into which our main media organisations have willingly
allowed Israeli spokespeople to step in unchallenged.

How many civilians were killed in Israel’s dawn attack on the
Gaza-bound flotilla of aid? We still don’t know. How many wounded? Your
guess is as good as mine. Were the aid activists armed with guns? Yes,
says Israel. Were they in cahoots with al-Qaeda and Hamas? Certainly,
says Israel. Did the soldiers act reasonably? Of course, they faced a
lynch, says Israel.

If we needed any evidence of the degree to which Western TV
journalists are simply stenographers to power, the BBC, CNN and others
are amply proving it. Mark Regev, Israel’s propagandist-in-chief, has
the airwaves largely to himself.

The passengers on the ships, meanwhile, have been kidnapped by
Israel and are unable to provide an alternative version of events. We
can guess they will remain in enforced silence until Israel is sure it
has set the news agenda.

So before we get swamped by Israeli hasbara let’s reiterate a few
simple facts:

• Israeli soldiers invaded these ships in international
  waters, breaking international law, and, in killing... >>>