Israel ‘Gish galloping’ on Gaza bombings, says Youssef Bassem
Israel 'Gish galloping' on Gaza bombings, says Youssef Bassem
Macron says forced Rafah population transfer will be war crime
By Manish Anand
New Delhi, March 25: French President Emanual Macron has warned Israel against offensives in Rafah. Macron has said that forced Rafah population transfer could be a war crime. Israel is pushing offensives in Rafah despite the US cautioning against extension of Gaza bombings in new regions.
The western world now appears alarmed that Israel offensives in Gaza have entered an unchartered territory. More than 30,000 children have been killed in Gaza in Israeli bombings, say UN agencies. The western media is now facing close scrutiny for not holding Israel accountable.
Egyptian-American Youssef Bassem told India Today conclave that the western media is to be blamed for not holding Israel accountable. Bassem said: “I blame the western media. The same media that gave us lectures about transparency, honesty, journalistic integrity, and holding people accountable.”
The Egyptian comedian has widely been hailed for countering the Israeli narrative which justifies Gaza bombings. He argued, Israeli alibi has been about distraction. Bassem said: “This type of distraction can be explained by the concept of ‘Gish Galloping’. This is done by repeating October 7 (attack on Israel by Hamas). This is done to shut the debate.”
Incidentally, Israel often cites the brutalities of the October 7 attack by Hamas in defence of the bombings of Gaza. Several western commentators, including William Dalrymple, have claimed that parts of Gaza have been flattened. International agencies have noted that survivors in Gaza are facing extreme hardships, including famine.
Yet, the western media appears to have been selective in outrage. Bassem spoke to an Indian audience about the culpability of the western media. Indian agencies often lament that the western media pays excessive attention to some of the incidents in the country to portray it negatively. Bassem said that more than Israel the blame lies with the western media. He said that lies are being repeated by Israel.
The Atlantic defines ‘Gish gallop’ as a rhetorical technique. Debator provides an excessive number of arguments without regard to accuracy, says the Atlantic. It adds: “Goal is to overwhelm their opponents by quantity rather than quality.”
The diplomatic commentators are alarmed at the scale of human tragedies in Gaza in the aftermath of the Israeli bombings. They argue that Israel’s license to kill and maim the people with impunity may set a template for other nations.
Israel has not yet been able to free hostages from Hamas. This is cited as grounds for Israel carrying out military actions in Gaza.
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