I'm thinking about moving to Gaza

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They just opened up a new luxury mall in Gaza city and the pictures of it look really nice. I couldn't get onto the mall's website to get a full listing of the stores. I wonder what store they have for selling computer and wii games?

New mall

All kidding aside, after checking out this guy's site it really makes you question some of things that we are supposed to take as truths about Gaza.

 

Snook,
maybe you should spend some time there, just so you suck up your glee. Considering your attitude and your estimation of the situation there you'll sure have a blast.

Besides, what's the point? Does the opening of a new Mall in America prove that the economic crisis is over?

New York has the Fifth Avenue - and it has working class people and it has beggars. Does the existence of Fifth Avenue prove that there are no beggars in New York or that working class people have a lot of money? Does the splendour of the shops and the items on display on Fifth Avenue indicate that everyone is able to afford them?

Some people in Gaza got rich over the blockade because they smuggle and trade on the black market. They probably can afford these goods. Considering the general economic situation of unemployment and Israeli trade barriers the majority of Gazan's cannot. So what does this mean?

 

Quite simply, I'm opening up people's eyes to other parts of the story. The parts that are reported to the non-western part of the world as triumphs, but are routinely ignored by Western media that would prefer to show a pallywood version of what is going on. If someone got all of their news of Gaza from one of your posts they would assume that everyone is one meal away from starvation and one step away from an Israeli sniper bullet blowing their brains out.

I find it refreshing that this guy's website discusses the bustling marketplaces, olympic swimming pools, and luxury restaurants as well as linking to articles in Arab newspapers about them. He sums it up well with the first couple of lines of his website.

 

I'll even pay for the airfare!

 

I decided to take a quick, but closer look at some of the comments made by Mr. Gross on his "media analysis" website. Granted I didn't look at a large body of work here, but I wanted to touch on some of the accusations made by Mr. Gross.

He said this:

Here's a closer look at one of those "slanted articles" I found from 5 years ago in the NYT archive, written by James Bennet, a NYT journalist who is singled out by Gross:

This is actually a well-written article which proves how difficult it is for moderates to try and craft a political solution with Hamas within their own government - and points out the obstinacy of Hamas. I don't see any evidence of the "slanted insidiousness" against the moderates in Palastine, at least in this instance. But it seems to suggest quite the opposite.

 

Snook,
so you're a man on a mission? Tom Gross is a contributor to National Review Online, never mind that you prefer to quote his articles from his blog. I would be hard pressed to find something more reliably pro-Israel than NRO - the Weekly Standard perhaps, or the Jerusalem Post. Or maybe the press office of Bibi Netanyahu.

Hey, on Tom Gross archive there I found a link to the annual National Review cruise - you could meet some real neo-conservatives in the flesh. Already planned your holiday?

I am glad you balance out the rampant liberalism here on Sorcerers by introducing the works of conservative stalwarts. It was about time.

 

and yet you like to quote Max Blumenthal

 

He is opinionated, but factually accurate.

I have yet to see Tom Gross reporting on how right wing settlers sing songs celebrating Baruch Goldstein, or about them talking about Greater Israel in which Arabs have no right to be. Gross also doesn't report from an Arab demonstration that is being put down by the IDF, or on Settlers harassing Palestinians and so forth.

Max Blumenthal's reporting shows that there is a gaping hole in what for instance is Tom Gross is reporting - and it is pointing out his omissions and emphases. And Max Blumenthal doesn't need to be balanced, because to create balance is the job of the reader and not of the reporter.

You see, if you expect a ready made balanced opinion off the shelve you won't find it, Shoshino. You still have to to do thinking yourself.

 

no he's not, he twists events and words to suit his own ends, he's known for his anti Israel views, 'investigating' only what suits his prupose at the time.

I particularly liked his views on the flotilla's audio editing, acting like Israel made the whole thing up, when voices heared admitted they had said these comments.

 

Huh? What is your problem understanding that there are Jews, like Max Blumenthal, who, for ethical, political and religious reasons, oppose Zionism and are appalled by what Israel does, and since Israel is a Jewish state, what Israel does in their name?

The IDF themselves admitted they edited the audio tapes. That isn't something Max Blumenthal made up, whatever you prefer to believe.

So you don't like Max Blumenthal? Whatever. But spare me.

 

Ragusa, obviously you dont pay attention to the post of others in other debates you love to live in the world where you are right, We covered this in the freedon flotilla debate, the IDF admitted that they edited the tapes, to edit out areas of silence and incoherrant comments.

as was clarified in the other debate, comments made have been admitted by members of the flotilla. Max Blumenthal wrote that the entire thing was doctored.

so:

tell me where I said that it wasnt edited?

and lets bring us back to another point which shows how hypocritical you are:

Tom Gross, isnt good enough, because he's pro Israel?

But Max Blumenthal is good enough, because he's anti Israel, therefore he says everything like it is and is totally factual? when are yiou going to smell what youre shovelling?

 

I am not surprised you post that.

The IDF attributed the audio to the Mavi Marmara but then made a retraction - saying that, unlike what they said initially, it was not from the Mavi Marmara - because it was an open channel and the message could have come from anywhere - any ship in the flotilla, as they themselves say, and, as they prefer to not say, or for instance from an Israeli aircraft (which are known to have monitored and jammed the flotilla), some joker on the coast etc. pp.

You remember Filipino Monkey?

 

you will try anything wont you? where's your evidence? could it be... that these comments were infact made by the people who tried to play "who can crush a mans head the fastest" with the Isralies who landed on the deck? you know, the people who hate the state of Israel and went to see it destroyed, preferably as violently and painfully as possible?

 

No I am not trying anything, I am just persuaded that you are a credulous naif and enthusiastic partisan as far as the Israelis are concerned. I can't change that.

 

I am just as persuaded that you are a credulous naif and enthusiastic partisan as far as the Palestinians (the most innocent people on the planet) are concerned

either that, or your severly anti Israel for another reason

 

And there you are mistaken. You see - one doesn't need to be a fan of the Palestinians to take issue with Israel, and I am not a partisan for the Palestinians because I criticise Israel.

I am appalled by what Israel does to them. I do see that Palestinians have committed hideous acts of terror, and that Israel likewise hasn't exercised particular restraint in their activities. I also see the inherent unfairness in the Israeli conduct vis a vis Israeli Arabs (Christian or Muslim), let alone Palestinians, and I don't like it. Then there is the expansion of settlements and the land grabs. I am greatly concerned to see the current ethnic nationalist trends in Israel (loyalty oath etc pp) which can only turn out very ugly. And after all the things I read I am no longer persuaded that Israel has been honest in seeking peace with the Palestinians for at least one and a half decades.

To dislike all that I don't need to side with or like Palestinians.

To me the path Israel has embarked on will lead to its doom and I don't want to see that happen. Now, friends like you mindlessly cheering them on will only help them over the cliff.

 

As they say "a picture is worth a thousand words" and it is the pictures from his site that carry more weight than anything else IMO. I try not to get involved in "where he posts/works" arguments as they are futile. For every disparaging comment you make about Fox, NRO, or any other site, the exact same can be said for all of the people you love to link/quote to.

I believe you posted in a different thread "facts don't lie" and the pictures and a lot of what he is showing are pretty damn close to "facts" to me. Of course I don't have paranoid delusions that the pictures were made by Mossad, so I'm taking them at face value as evidence that there clearly is another side to the story besides "How evil the Jews are".

As to going on a cruise, unfortunatly the Mrs. will not go on a cruise as she is concerned that she would get seasick and waste all of the money on the trip. As to our holiday (and thanks for asking) we will be heading north to York Maine and staying at a fabulous hotel on the ocean. I thought you were a lawyer, not a travel agent.

Lastly, thank you for noticing my contributions to the boards. It means a lot to me. I think of all of my fallen friends who just couldn't put up the fight any more and it makes me sad.

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Well that wasn't very nice. Sometimes there is a very fine line between funny and mean.

 

Sorry, Snook. I was trying for the former; my apologies if you took it as the latter. (For the record, it wasn't personal - I would have made the same joke in response to anyone posting what you did - T2, Rags, CtR, Aldeth, Tal, etc. Nobody is safe from my razor-sharp wit. )

 

hmm, why?

 

Wow. You know, given the mass reporting on this issue, I really had believed that Gaza was mostly bombed-out wasteland, with makeshift housing in ruined buildings the primary form of residence. Sure, I assumed there were some buildings mostly in-tact, and probably some rooms quite well furnished, owned by Hamas officials and higher-ups, but the supposed complete ban on building materials like cement and iron had me believing there couldn't possibly be any new construction on any serious scale in there.

Well, so much for that.

To be fair, you did start the topic with a joke about going there yourself. It seems to me he was just responding in kind.

I find this in particular hard to believe considering they've pretty much achieved it in the West Bank (still quite a bit of civil unrest, but it's civilians, not military action) and their complete withdrawl from Gaza. Their final intent may not be everything everyone is hoping for, but peace certainly seems to be their goal.