Exposing Biased Journalism against Israel in Private Eye

I recently found a correspondence in my inbox from someone I regard as a cherished comrade—though it seems likely she may not consider our relationship as fondly presently. The letter contained features from the UK-based comical publication called Private Eye, which also incorporates elements of serious journalism. The forwarded material, unmistakably biased against Israel, was teeming with inaccuracies and baseless statements. The epistle blatantly endorsed Hamas propaganda, making uncorroborated claims like over ‘60,000 trauma-related fatalities’ among innocent Gazan citizens, purportedly as a result of Israeli actions, and an approximation that ‘70% of the deceased Palestinians are the innocent women and offspring, casualties of rampant haphazard bombardment.’

Such a declaration calls for rectification; even Hamas, I presume, wouldn’t affirm that women and children comprise such a substantial percentage of the fatalities. Bear in mind, ‘children’ are classified as individuals below 18, while the typical age of a freshly enlisted Hamas militant is 16. The same correspondent also alleges, devoid of any substantial proof, that Israeli forces are intentionally assaulting Palestinian children aiming at their heads, necks, or abdomens. It’s noteworthy that the article refers to Hamas merely once—only to discount that Gazan health facilities serve as their operational headquarters. A fact which sadly turns out to be accurate and thoroughly substantiated.

Such journalistic behavior denotes another exemplar of someone willingly sidestepping inconvenient truths, or straightforwardly negating them. Scrupulously unbalanced, it embodies propaganda that the author has thoroughly ingested. Responding to this communication made me ponder over the ‘statistics’ mentioned above. To further cement my point, I discussed the resources available in the Triggernometry podcast.

Here, they held an insightful exchange with John Spencer, a ‘leading figure in urban warfare study at the Modern War Institute, dual team member of the Urban Warfare project, and host of the Urban Warfare Project Podcast based in West Point.’ Being specialized in urban combat, Spencer can appropriately discuss the data hinted towards above. He has been consistent in highlighting the precautions the IDF has exercised to prevent civilian casualties since the onset of this conflict. He further underscored that the ratio of civilian to militant deaths in the Gazan populace is significantly lower than any similar proportion in contemporary hostilities, residing somewhere between 2:1 and 1.5:1.

Next, the conversation shifted towards the heartbreaking topic of children suffering from hunger. If such a claim were genuine, it would indeed be tragic. However, the majority of the photographs used to persuade global audiences of Israel’s apparent infliction of malnutrition on children often showcases infants grappling with pre-existing medical conditions, which inevitably lead to undernutrition.

Of course, Gaza isn’t devoid of hunger, but widespread child starvation purposefully orchestrated by Israel? That seems hard to swallow. Give it a listen and decide for yourself: it’s indeed a useful sprint. But remember, those looking to censure Israel for a whole host of imagined transgressions should come prepared with a proposed resolution to the conflict, preferably one that ensures Israel’s continuity.

Afterwards, the second Triggernometry episode was titled ‘Our candid views on Israel.’ In this discussion, the hosts clarified that while they were ‘pro-Israel’ in the context of this conflict, it didn’t necessarily generalize to other circumstances. They opined that Israel was indeed triumphing in the confrontation with Hamas and Iran, yet was failing to win the battle of perception against Hamas, a belief they strongly held.

The panelists raised concerns about the broad sections of the public engaged in war discussions based on ignorance and irrationality, whose conversations are often ruled by runaway emotions without any genuine commitment to finding a resolution. The main intent seems to be: demonize Israel. A recurring question was raised, ‘If you are so eager to damn Israel’s behavior in the conflict, what would YOUR course of action be?’ The response is often a deafening silence or impracticable proposals.

They acknowledged potential wrongdoings by Israel, citing the food shortage and West Bank situations, but also pointed out that every Western nation has committed its share of missteps in every conflict it has been engaged in, dating back to the U.S. during WWII and its reaction to 9/11. What followed was a discussion that meandered into different areas, bringing in topics such as freedom of speech, antisocial behavior in the West, the issues with housing prices, the various challenges facing Western college-aged individuals, and nuances of British politics.