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Source: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-865806
Survival First, Truth Second: Why Gazan Journalists Are Unreliable
(Jerusalem Post) Itamar Marcus - The foreign media is uniformly blaming Israel for the so-called starvation in Gaza, often broadcasting completely fictitious images. The impact on Israel's image in the world has been terrible, with polls showing that even American support for Israel is eroding. Most reporters working for the international media in Gaza are themselves Palestinians and thus are anxious to present Israel negatively. Another important reason was spelled out by Nasser Abu Bakr, chairman of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate, speaking on official PA TV: "There are indeed attacks against journalists. We are monitoring and recording daily attacks by Hamas and the 'Arrow Battalion.' It is a known group that belongs to Hamas that attacks journalists, arrests journalists, [even] in hospitals and institutions." Thus, journalists in Gaza know that deviating from Hamas's version of events places their freedom and even their lives in danger. Survival comes first; truth comes second. This explains why the foreign media are megaphones for Hamas's lies. Out of concern for their future, their safety, and their lives, the journalists hired by these media outlets must publish Hamas propaganda that makes Israel look immoral or evil. The writer is director of Palestinian Media Watch.