Thursday
Jun102010
Gaza Aftermath: Israel and the "We Con the World" Video (Why I'm Not Laughing)
Thursday, June 10, 2010 at 12:06
On Monday, the Israeli Government press office apologised after circulating a video, "We Con the World", mocking passengers aboard the Freedom Flotilla. Although the video was made by "private" pro-Israeli activists, the dissemination by Israeli officials gave it West Jerusalem's seal of approval.
Normally, I would not make comment on a video humiliating others. However, I am prompted to do so by the impudence and shamelessness of the spokesman for the Israeli Government, Mark Regev. Even as his colleagues were formally apologising, Regev told The Guardian of London, "I called my kids in to watch it because I thought it was funny. It is what Israelis feel. But the government has nothing to do with it."
Since Regev is now going to re-present the video as a bit of harmless comedy, let's re-visit the episode, starting with the video and lyrics:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
Call me a spoilsport, but I'm immediately bothered by this fun-loving ignorance of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Contrary to the assurance that Gazans can receive everything they need in their daily lives, the most recent report by an Israeli human rights group, the Gisha Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement, says that Israel permits just 97 different items to enter, compared to more than 4,000 that entered before June 2007.
Here is what can no longer enter Gaza. Construction materials, of course, since rebuilding the area --- which may have suffered a bit of damage in Israel's Operation Cast Lead in 2008-9 --- would be an imminent danger to Israeli security. But rubber, glue, and nylon also seem to pose a risk, since they're blocked (perhaps because they could be combined to make a new type of rocket?). And paper is out of the question for unrestricted access. Ginger is banned. And, presumably because Gazans might react to Israel's "We Con the World" with "Yes, Yes, You Do", musical instruments are not allowed across the border.
But let's have a look at the security equation of "We Con the World": Islam = terror. No need to issue a specific condemnation of the makers of the video. After all, this is the rhetoric of Israeli decision-makers and even opposition leaders. Moderates v. extremists means that the simple juxtaposition of West Bank v. Gaza can be put forth. One gets a measure of economic interchange with Israel and the prospect (always the prospect, never the reality) of two-state talks; the other gets nothing.
But let's get to the specific. How funny it is to ignore the deaths of at least nine activists on the Freedom Flotilla! Laugh hard enough and you can accept the punch-line of Israeli "self-defense", protecting soldiers from "terrorists", while rejecting the most un-funny notion of civilians trying to protect themselves from fully-equipped soldiers boarding a ship in international waters. You can turn hundreds of people --- some of whom might have refused initially to surrender to Israeli soldiers and might have offered resistance --- into the unqualified, unmitigated aggressed. You might even giggle at how self-defense turned into shooting four people in the head and one in the chest at close range.
So I'm bothered. I'm not sure that Mr Regev's interest, or that of the Israeli Government, is to make sure I have a good laugh. I'm not even sure they're really that sorry.
Because, after all, in the end --- with no conning of the world -- those passengers were all terrorists.
Normally, I would not make comment on a video humiliating others. However, I am prompted to do so by the impudence and shamelessness of the spokesman for the Israeli Government, Mark Regev. Even as his colleagues were formally apologising, Regev told The Guardian of London, "I called my kids in to watch it because I thought it was funny. It is what Israelis feel. But the government has nothing to do with it."
Gaza Latest: What Will Be Done About the Blockade? (Not Much. Care for an Israeli Snack Food?)
Since Regev is now going to re-present the video as a bit of harmless comedy, let's re-visit the episode, starting with the video and lyrics:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOGG_osOoVg&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]
There comes a time
When we need to make a show
For the world
The Web and CNN
There is no people dying
So the best we can do
Is create
The greatest bluff of all
We must go on
Pretending day by day
That in Gaza
There is crisis, hunger and plague
Coz the billion bucks in aid
Won't buy their basic needs
Like some cheese
And missiles for the kids
We make the world
Abandon reason
We'll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We are peaceful travellers
With guns and our own knives
The truth will never find its way
To your TV
Ooooh, we'll stab them at heart
They are soldiers, no one cares
We are small
And we took some pictures with doves
As Allah has shown us
For facts there is no demand
So we will always
Gain the upper hand
We make the world
Abandon reason
We'll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We are peaceful travellers
We are waving our own knives
The truth will never find its way
To your TV
If Islam and terror
Brighten up your mood
But you worry that
It may not look so good
Well don't you realize
You just gotta call yourself
An activist
For peace and human aid
We make the world
Abandon reason
We'll make them all believe that the Hamas
Is Momma Theresa
We con the world
We con the people
We'll make them all believe
The IDF is the Jack the Ripper
Call me a spoilsport, but I'm immediately bothered by this fun-loving ignorance of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Contrary to the assurance that Gazans can receive everything they need in their daily lives, the most recent report by an Israeli human rights group, the Gisha Legal Centre for Freedom of Movement, says that Israel permits just 97 different items to enter, compared to more than 4,000 that entered before June 2007.
Here is what can no longer enter Gaza. Construction materials, of course, since rebuilding the area --- which may have suffered a bit of damage in Israel's Operation Cast Lead in 2008-9 --- would be an imminent danger to Israeli security. But rubber, glue, and nylon also seem to pose a risk, since they're blocked (perhaps because they could be combined to make a new type of rocket?). And paper is out of the question for unrestricted access. Ginger is banned. And, presumably because Gazans might react to Israel's "We Con the World" with "Yes, Yes, You Do", musical instruments are not allowed across the border.
But let's have a look at the security equation of "We Con the World": Islam = terror. No need to issue a specific condemnation of the makers of the video. After all, this is the rhetoric of Israeli decision-makers and even opposition leaders. Moderates v. extremists means that the simple juxtaposition of West Bank v. Gaza can be put forth. One gets a measure of economic interchange with Israel and the prospect (always the prospect, never the reality) of two-state talks; the other gets nothing.
But let's get to the specific. How funny it is to ignore the deaths of at least nine activists on the Freedom Flotilla! Laugh hard enough and you can accept the punch-line of Israeli "self-defense", protecting soldiers from "terrorists", while rejecting the most un-funny notion of civilians trying to protect themselves from fully-equipped soldiers boarding a ship in international waters. You can turn hundreds of people --- some of whom might have refused initially to surrender to Israeli soldiers and might have offered resistance --- into the unqualified, unmitigated aggressed. You might even giggle at how self-defense turned into shooting four people in the head and one in the chest at close range.
So I'm bothered. I'm not sure that Mr Regev's interest, or that of the Israeli Government, is to make sure I have a good laugh. I'm not even sure they're really that sorry.
Because, after all, in the end --- with no conning of the world -- those passengers were all terrorists.
Reader Comments (16)
Thank you so much, Ali !!!
This video does not represent the views of all Israelis. The current people in power take an extreme point of view. The inability of people in power to admit "we made a mistake" seems to be a common thing world wide. The boarding of the vessel in international waters with the subsequent deaths of people should have been forseeable and avoidable. The best response would have been "we made a mistake." The attempt to cover -up mistakes seems to be common world wide. No one seems to be capable of saying "we made a mistake." Admitting you made a mistake, does that show weakness or strength?
Ali,
You forgot to mention coriander! I use it regularly and have never noticed any particularly explosive qualities (besides its wonderful flavour), but maybe if you mix it wih some other foodstuffs banned from Gaza, like cardamom, chocolate and jam, you can make something lethal :-).
Actually the list of banned foods has just been revised most generously to include soda, juice, jam, spices, shaving cream, potato chips, cookies and candy. But that's just because of the attention the list of banned items from Gaza is now getting. Some of the items were quite arbitrary. Basic foodstuffs such as instant coffee and coriander were barred as luxury items, while more expensive foods such as herbal tea, salmon steaks and low-fat yogurt were permitted.
Anyway, this thread is the perfect place for Robert Fisk's take on the Israeli's efforts to turn the Gaza flotilla snafu into a propaganda war:
Robert Fisk: The truth behind the Israeli propaganda
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/fisk/robert-fisk-the-truth-behind-the-israeli-propaganda-1991803.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentato...
now let's list the problems with your article:
you talk about the israeli blockade, but i hope you are aware that gaza also borders with egypt, right? but why, oh why, has their arab brothers blockaded them too?
thry could get all the supplies they needed from egypt. israel should have no interest in the welfare of the gaza strip becasue it withdraw from it, and now it's an enemy state/province, you wouldn't expect a state to supply any kind of goods to her enemies, israel does so. any complaints about the blockade should go to egypt.
next. in our world today, sad to say, islam=TERROR. this is. sadly. a fact. 9/11, darfur, iraq, afeganistan. enough said.
nope. not activists. peace activistis don't attack you with knives, terrorists. some one comes and try to stab you with a knife, you aim for the head, pure self defence. they should thank god it wasn't a u.s special unit or a russian one, the death toll could have been much higher.
"fully equipped"? not really, they had paintball guns, and pistols. only after being hit and stabbed that they drew their pistols. again, other special units would not be that "nice".
that's about it.
last thing. you have a gun, some one runs toward you with a knife. what do you do?
Israeli author David Grossman, actively supporting reconciliation with Palestinians, receives this year's German publisher's Freedom Prize (Friedenspreis des Deutschen Buchhandels) http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/0%2C1518%2C699844%2C00.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/literatur/0,1518,6...
We need more people like him -- on both sides!
Ali,
I respectfully disagree with your viewpoint. The picture you're painting is not accurate. This was not non-violent civil disobedience. This flotilla was cloaked in jihad and anti-semitism. The flotilla 'activists' cannot be compared to the Catholic peace activists in the United States in the Vietnam era.
Ali -
Well said and you put my exact thoughts into words in this post.
Are you completely insane or just psychopathic? Or merely a troll? Seriously, I'm curious whether ANYONE can actually find this funny and not nauseating.
The video is indeed in bad taste, but Palestinian supporters should ask themselves whether these kind of actions truly help the Palestinians.
As an Israeli, I've never seen Israeli society so radicalized as it is today. That may be good news if you're into violence, but considering the ramifications for humanitarian organizations (real ones), Turkish mediation (once possible) and Mahmoud Abbas, I don't see how anyone but Hamas and Ardouan have gained anything, and those last two are indeed into violence.
Naturally, no expectations for introspection on the pro-Palestinian side.
Yahoo News...
This is really great news today....
Enjoy your brief fling with the Ottoman fools.
We who know of the evil that Islam brings fully understand "Mamarra" where Mehmet launched his attack on the Byzantines.
Now Erdogan lies down with Putin, but Turkey will reap the same death benefits that Syria got when it bought Russian "technology".
Actions have consequences. You support Hamas, Hamas wants to wipe out Israel, Israel is under NO OBLIGATION to commit suicide no wonder the fantasy you have reading your "holy koran / death manual". Gaza will eat but Gaza will burn itself up until Hamas is destroyed.
And have no delusion that Obama and the leftist's who are losing control of America will help you achieve your islamic world domination. REAL AMERICANS (and the Europeans waking up to the menace of islam) will fight you tooth and nail and make the collapse of the Caliphates look like a bad cold.
Catherine,
Interesting find. However I would encourage you to google some images of paintball rifles. You will find they look like the real thing. Now consider the fact the shot shows no Muzzle fire or the light flash. Now if you remember it has been stated and proven the IDF soilders boarded with paintball guns. Finally you need to ask yourself why would a IDF soilder shoot a high velocity rifle at point blank range with someone at his feet--they wouldn't because they they might hit themselves directly or by a ricochet from the metal deck under the body.
While it was in interesting find it does not prove an execution and the quality of the video is absolutely awful. No sound of fire or flash? I also wonder why this same crew neglected to show any of the videos showing the IDF soilders getting knifed? Sadly both sides are in a media war and we are unlikely to get to the bottom of it for some time.
Thx
Bill
Bill,
I agree with your observations about the execution-style shooting video. My intention in posting it was as an ironic riposte to all those who think the utterly tasteless and crass We Con the World stunt was funny.
Since you mention paintball rifles, I can't imagine why soldiers would repeatedly shoot someone with paintballs at close range either :-). On a more serious note, I have read some eyewitness accounts that said the paintball part was attached to real rifles. Whatever the case may be, this is - as you say - a media war, and much more needs to surface and be analysed.
Being anti-Israeli or anti-Zionist is not the same as being anti-Semitic. Whereas your insinuation that anyone against Israeli policies is a "Jihadi" is a bigoted racist viewpoint. Never mind that fact that both Israeli's and Palestinians are Semetic.
A video from those associated with Frank Gaffney Jr, a neocon known for his undying love of Dick Cheney and torture.
Yeah, of course it came off as heartless. I can only imagine if an Arab troupe mocked Jewish stereotypes, it would be on Memri in no time. Of course, it's fine with me. Let them show themselves for what they are.
Plus, that audio is still suspicious. Including a voice from someone not even on the boat, I believe.
And of course, it's predictable, they play the anti-Semitic card (and yes, it's a really inaccurate term).