Reason for War?

In a McClatchy/Ipsos poll of 1,000 Americans adults, 44% supported Israel's use of force, and 44% blamed Hamas for the Israeli invasion. Only 14% thought Israel had started the conflict. Fifty-seven percent thought Hamas was using excessive force, while only 36%, Israel. (LA Daily News, 1/14/09)

The media mostly omitted coherent history of Israel occupying Gaza after the 1967 Six-Day War and its subsequent illegal occupation of the territory; or that the UN has repeatedly demanded in resolutions that Israel withdraw. After Hamas won the 2006 Gaza elections, Israeli authorities stopped delivering tax revenues on imports that the Gaza government needed to pay bills and police.

Israel blockaded the Gaza border -- an act of war under international law.
This provoked the rocket firings into Israel, most of them missing human targets. Simultaneously, Israelis fired missiles into Gaza killing and wounding far more people than the inaccurate Palestinian missiles. The Israeli blockade stopped medical supplies as well, leading to more death and disaster.

The U.S. press didn¹t print the most outrageous pro Israel statements.

At a rally in New York, reported Max Blumenthal, "a man held a banner reading, 'Islam Is A Death Cult.' Some rally-goers "called for Israel to 'wipe them [people of Gaza] all out." (Alternet, Jan 13)

Avigdor Lieberman, leader of Israel Beiteinu, which polls say will soon be Israel's fourth largest party, demanded in a university speech in Israel that bombing in Gaza continue until Hamas "loses the will to fight." Lieberman continued: "We must continue to fight Hamas just like the United States did with the Japanese in World War II." (Jerusalem Post, January 13, 2009)

Instead of reading such statements, the U.S. public got regurgitated reports about Israeli leaders courageously removing troops and settlers from Gaza in 2005. Surprise! On New Year's Eve CNN asked: who broke the June 2008 ceasefire that led to Israel's bombardment of Gaza? Mustafa Barghouti got air time. In 2005, this Palestinian physician got almost 20% of the vote for President of the Palestinian National Authority against Mahmoud Abbas. "The world press," he declared, "is overwhelmed with the Israeli narrative, which is incorrect. The Israeli spokespersons have been spreading lies."