Verbatim | When The World Failed Gaza

Reuters Pictures

“It is not only Israel that has failed the people of Gaza with a blockade that punishes everybody living there for the acts of a few. World powers have also failed and even betrayed Gaza’s ordinary citizens. They have wrung hands and issued statements, but have taken little meaningful action to attempt to change the damaging policy that prevents reconstruction, personal recovery and economic recuperation.” – Oxfam’s director, Jeremy Hobb, in a scathing report issued ahead of the one year anniversary since Israel’s three week offensive on Gaza. [source]

I think the Arab world probably takes home the lion’s share of the blame. But in any case, it is interesting to note that the language western institutions have used in the past year to describe Israel has become increasingly “harsher” compared to, say, a decade ago. I can’t help but wonder to what extent the Internet, social media, mass media, and the general spread of information has played in framing this new-speak, especially when considering that information has not only become so readily available to the world at large, but is constantly passed around like a hot potato. It may sound like a cliche, but it makes me wonder whether this is the start of the world beginning to slowly open its eyes to the situation in the region. While this may be far from an accurate baramoter of any kind, reading the comments by diggers on a recent article that had Israel confessing to have indeed harvested organs from dead Palestinians – an article that had over 1,000 people digging it to the top – it is interesting to read through the views held by predominantly western users. Worth skimming through.