'Israel' pushes false rhetoric to manipulate Western public opinion

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
18 Oct 2023 13:43

A former Israeli commander admits the Israeli Occupation Forces failed in manipulating public opinion in their favor amid large-scale Arab support for Palestine and the Gaza Strip, especially after the genocidal attack against al-Ahli Hospital.

A billboard reading 'Israel Bombs Hospitals and Biden Pays for it' as seen in New York, US, on October 17, 2023. (Social Media)

Israeli Channel 12 reported that "Israel" has been attempting to wage a “battle over world public opinion,” hoping to clean the blood off of their hands, especially following the massacre committed in al-Ahli Hospital which ignited a series of angry protests by Arab people worldwide.

In a similar vein, the former commander of the Northern Corps in the Israeli Occupation Forces, Eyal Ben Reuven, arrogantly announced in an interview with the Israeli Channel 13 that the occupation’s media rhetoric manipulation capabilities are "now being tested," emphasizing that "So far we have not succeeded in that.”

According to Reuven, "the Israeli image must be marketed," stressing that "the Israeli army must display all images through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs [website] or any other platform to try to give reaffirm Israeli narrative."

Since the beginning of the Israeli aggression against Gaza on October 7, following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, “Israel” has been trying to influence public opinion.

They do so by spreading a narrative that its aggression came in response to the Palestinian Resistance operation, making it appear as though the Resistance violently attacked people, forgetting to mention that the Resistance conducted the operation in response to occupation, oppression, murder, ethnic cleansing, and the administrative detention of hundreds of Palestinians for merely standing up for their right to life, property, and freedom.

"Israel" has been deliberately justifying its massacres against civilians, by claiming to be targeting the Hamas movement and is justifying its terrorism by giving civilians a 30-second to 1-minute warning before bombing residential buildings over their heads.

However, all the air raids have not yet been able to thwart Hamas or any other Palestinian Resistance group as they continue to launch rockets from the Strip toward occupied Palestine. This proves Israeli failure in achieving any military goals in Gaza, despite having killed over 2000 Palestinians and injured over 11,000.

Factcheck: 'Israel' has no information on Hamas murdering babies

Israelis have no information regarding "Hamas beheading babies," an IOF spokesperson told Anadolu Agency, following widely circulated fake news on the matter.

The information went viral in Western media outlets and by officials who sought to defame the Palestinian Resistance by reporting on unverified information provided by "Israel's" i24 TV correspondent.

The correspondent in question is Nicole Zedeck. She was attached to an IOF unit that had been dispatched to the "Kfar Aza" kibbutz site where fierce confrontations had taken place between Palestinian Resistance fighters and Israeli occupation forces and settlers since Saturday morning.

During her coverage, Zedeck claimed that the unit's commander had told her that 40 dead babies had been found in "Kfar Aza", some of which had been "beheaded by terrorists", in reference to Palestinian Resistance fighters that crossed over the separation wall from Gaza to confront soldiers and settlers that have occupied their homeland for more than 75 years.

Zedeck then posted on X contradicting her claims, saying, "Soldiers told me they believe 40 babies/children were killed."

She did not present any evidence on what she was claiming, nor did she present a reliable source, which is Israeli soldiers, who did not actually admit to seeing the alleged massacre.

Thus, what Zedeck presented as a given fact, was mere hearsay propagated with the absolute intention to condemn the Palestinian resistance and justify the brutal Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Soldiers told me they believe 40 babies/children were killed. The exact death toll is still unknown as the military continues to go house to house and find more Israeli casualties. https://t.co/PEGSFXgb9x
— Nicole Zedeck (@Nicole_Zedek) October 10, 2023

Western media defames Resistance

However, Zedeck's reporting was quickly picked up on by Fox News, CNN, and Business Insider all of which presented the claims as a fact, condemning Hamas for a crime it did not commit.

CNN published a news piece saying that "Hamas militants" had committed a "massacre" in "Kfar Aza" killing children and toddlers.

It said that it had contacted the IOF following the report streamed by the Israeli i24 TV.