I was reading the news this morning (Monday in China 11:30pm your time) and I read in the Jerusalem Post about the ongoing clashes in Gaza in which Palestinians are turning against Palestinians (Gun battles erupt between Hamas, Fatah). I then turned to the local paper in Brisbane (Aust) and saw the two biggest stories were about football, and an apparent misleading report from the BBC, trying to link Pope Benedict to child abuse cover ups.
When I noted that there was no news about what was going on in Gaza, I did an internet search and found that apart from the Jerusalem Post and CNN, the only other newspapers reporting the story in the west, are the smaller or independent or less prominent ones. Chinese Newspapers are reporting it, as did a couple of Canadian newspapers. India Reported it, as did 2 local papers in the USA. A Newspaper with a Scottish name reported it, as did a paper in Malaysia.
So what gives? People are dead and scores are injured because Hamas resorted to physical violence to smash public protests. Where is the World Outcry? Where is the Bloody concern for the poor deprived and downtrodden Palestinians. Can it be that the only real news from the Middle East must involve some opportunity to justify Western Media contempt for Israel?
If a Palestinian child is hurt while the IDF fights Palestinian Gunmen, the world decries Israeli disregard for human life. But if a child dies at the hands of factional fighting amongst the Palestinians, where is the outcry?
Palestinian authorities are currently in a financial crisis because of Western sanctions. The government has not enough money to pay salaries. It is the West that pays for the continued military unrest. Whilst the Palestinians do receive funds from Arab sources, quite obviously, these funds are not enough to keep the country afloat.
The whole issue of Palestine would dissolve if the West did not financially support it. So one must ask: "At the hands of whose manipulation do the Palestinians suffer?"
There can be no peace in Palestine / Israel until the fighting stops. But right now, the fighting is not between Israel and Palestine, but between political parties and aggrieved civilians in Palestine. What is to be done?
R.P.BenDedek
Hours after I wrote this article and before it could be published, I note that there are more reports about the events. But something is missing. Western Outcry! It seems that only the facts matter - not the pontification that usually accompanies Israeli involvement.
Not only are the Muslims in the middle of Ramadan (Fasting and Prayer) but October 2nd is Yom Kippur (prayer and fasting). At such a time there should at least be spiritual peace.
R.P.BenDedek (pseudonym) is the author of 'The King's Calendar: The Secret of Qumran' at www.kingscalendar.com Currently teaching Conversational Business English in Wuhan (Hubei Province), BenDedek is a contributing columnist for Magic City Morning Star News, and writes Social commentaries and Stories from China.
"The King's Calendar" is a chronological study of the historical books of the Bible (Kings and Chronicles), Josephus, Seder Olam Rabbah, and the (Essene) Damascus Document of The Dead Sea Scrolls.
'The Secret of Qumran' Academic Articles at'KingsCalendar Com' Publishing Co. http://www.kingscalendar.com/cgi-bin/index.cgi?action=viewnews&id=333
