Engel: Israel waiting until Obama’s inauguration to let reporters into Gaza, when ‘viewers simply won’t care.’
Engel: Israel waiting until Obama’s inauguration to let reporters into Gaza, when ‘viewers simply won’t care.’
Last night on The Rachel Maddow Show, MSNBC correspondent Richard Engel discussed Israel’s refusal to let reporters into Gaza. “I’ve called everyday and said ‘when are we going to be allowed in?’” he said, adding that one Israeli official “had an interesting explanation” for the situation. The official told Engel that Israel doesn’t want reporters in Gaza documenting the humanitarian situation or revealing military tactics. Israel is trying to “manage the image” of the war, Engel reported, adding this:
ENGEL: This official told me he expects this operation, while negotiations are taking place, will last several more days. And that after that, reporters would eventually be allowed in. But at that stage, Israel is assuming the United States will mostly be focused on all of the coverage around the inauguration, and that viewers simply won’t care at that point.
Watch it:
On CNN, Campbell Brown urged Israel to let reporters into Gaza. “There is but one way to get a true picture of what is happening now. That is to allow journalists the access we need to tell this story with accuracy and with context.”
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they’re letting plumbers in,
why not reporters?
*
January 8th, 2009 at 10:00 amVery reminiscent of the Isreali moving men on the Jersey side of the river, across from Manhatten on September 11th, 2001.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:02 amWhen asked why they were dancing around in celebration, they replied: “Just go away, you don’t understand anything about this.”
Yeah – they need to let American reporters tell both sides of the story: Israel’s side from outside Gaza and Israel’s side from INSIDE Gaza!
January 8th, 2009 at 10:09 amSeems to me there was a time when reporters didn’t ask permission, they just went to where the war was, however they could. Sneak in if you have to, and if you get shot, you get shot. I call on Samuel “Joe” Wurzelbacher to show ‘em how real wartime reporting is done.
.
Nevar Says:
(vomit)
Ooh, antisemitic tinfoil-hat conspiracy theories are just what we need in here right now. Tell us about the Protocols of the Elders of Zion next!
January 8th, 2009 at 10:10 amunderstood, wiping up the mess….
January 8th, 2009 at 10:16 amI wonder how much longer we will continue to pour foreign “aid” into the terrorist state of Israel? I have yet to understand what benefit the United States gets, other than votes, for the billions of dollars we provide these savage bastards each year so they can continue to foment dissention and war in the middle east.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:19 amWell, Israel is wrong. We care now and we will care then. Israel has done itself a lot of harm with their new attempt at genocide. I don’t see any country that supports what they are doing except for the US. And here, if blogs are any indication how people here feel, there is almost zero support for Israel. Most intelligent people realize that both Hamas and Israel are to blame. But they also realize that killing civilians by dropping cluster bombs and white phosphorous on them IS NOT “defending one’s self”. I’m betting that the white phosphorous issue is one of the reasons why they are not letting reporters in.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:19 amIsrael waiting until Obama’s inauguration to let reporters into Gaza, when ‘viewers simply won’t care.’»
– - In that case, if Israel was really smart they’d wait til the season premiere of American Idol on January 13, followed by the inauguration a week later. Sandwich in that week.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:21 am“There is but one way to get a true picture of what is happening now. That is to allow journalists the access we need to tell this story with accuracy and with context.”
The Israelis do not want to have the truth told.
duh…
January 8th, 2009 at 10:25 amIt’s as if the MSM is just learning of the utter catastrophy inside Gasa. We are into this almost a month and low and behold their interest is starting to peak.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:29 amThe world is informed but the US cares not to inform its people for the US must justify its ridgid support for Israel by saying nothing.
It’s similar to the thinking of Congress and its leaders who choose to support torture, spying and disregard for law by saying nothing.
If you choose to be informed you choose the internet. MSM in infomation with a spin.
omg – this will be totally shallow and silly – but i hafta…
this guy is such a HUNK… i loved those locks on his forehead too!
but this morning on TODAY it was gone! looked like he’d had a haircut…
but, there’s a NEW GUY out there… RACHEL had him on her show last night: GEOFF ELLIOTT, correspondent for ‘the australian’…
rachel said: ‘we’re going to find excuses to have him back on’ … YAY!
OK… just an old lady dreaming here… it’s the artist i am that allows me to appreciate such…
January 8th, 2009 at 10:29 amcarry on…
Psy ops means controlling and manipulating the media. The problem comes in cleaning up prior clues. Tony Blair’s mamby pamby early December replies foretold the Gaza pummeling.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:31 amIt always strikes me as suspicious when someone restricts press access.
It’s almost as if they have something to hide.
But after 8 years of the Cheney Administration, I’m sure Israel picked up a few tips…
January 8th, 2009 at 10:32 amnevar – i thought that was a myth…
January 8th, 2009 at 10:32 amare you sure you want to repeat that story?
The mainstream media knows the story. They are just to frightened to report it.
The story IS they Israel has invaded a country and is in total control of what we see and hear.
Sound familiar?
Israel must stop murdering. That is the story Ms. Brown..no bull…………….
January 8th, 2009 at 10:32 amhow many more paper towels do I need?
January 8th, 2009 at 10:36 amManaging the Media in war ? If they’re gonna start trying Bush’s tactics, they need to borrow a page and embed reporters. That way, the reporters in Gaza can report the Israeli side also.
And does this mean Joe the so-called Plumber will be reporting the truth without even seeing Gaza ?
January 8th, 2009 at 10:38 amYou can’t restrict the world finding out what’s going on in there forever. Something the Bush/Cheney administration is going to find out as well. Historians and recent-past reporting has gotten extremely good in the modern age. If people want to know what’s going on there, they’re going to eventually find out.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:39 amSo, the United States will be just too busy (as usual) or uncaring (also as usual) to comprehend the destruction of Gaza? What about the rest of the world, those sane people that are not obsessed with beauty contests, football games, crooked politicians, teen age whores, etc.? They care.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:40 amIsrael’s logic doesn’t hold water.
Meanwhile, since we’re ALREADY distracted by what’s going on in Gaza, Israel is starting things up in the West Bank:
http://www.palsolidarity.org/main/2009/01/07/in-the-shadow-of-gaza/
The IDF is on safari for human game. F**K ISRAEL.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:49 amAfter this bloody and ruthless massacre any sympathy I had for Israel is gone. They’re the prime belligerent actor here, continuing to build settlements, continuing to treat Palestinians as worse than animals. Bombing schools, aid trucks, mosques, hospitals.
I’m just surprised there aren’t more comparison to the Warsaw Ghetto.
AND they’re doing it with USA support, aid and excuses.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:54 amThe story here is that Israel sees American Public opinion as important enough to base their “war” strategies around.
Obviously, we have more power than we are typically led to believe. Don’t let go of this thought.
January 8th, 2009 at 10:55 amIsrael has become exactly what they tried to defend themselves against.
3 ‘Gods’ are in battle here, and none of them are correct. Abrahamic religions have much more in common than not…why can’t they begin working together instead of killing each other?
January 8th, 2009 at 10:57 amHarry Reid was just on the floor of the Senate, bringing up a resolution in support of Israel, “on the behalf of the American people.” Our lawmakers are cowards and AIPAC prostitutes.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:00 amIsrael is wrong! They are sneaky, crude, santimonious, liars, warmongers…just like republic of chimpy.
Hamas (a self-governed people) vs Israelis (a name of a “country”) What is wrong with this picture?
Hamas is not wrong for defending itself. There isn’t peace if Israel is the only superpower in the Middle East. It’s ridiculous to think so.
How is it possible to have peace when Israel has all the power in another’s land pointing directly at the natives?
Israel/Jews are controlling the media because they are liars and murders.
We will remember your trickery just as you remember your past year in and year out.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:03 amZimzone Says:
3 ‘Gods’ are in battle here, and none of them are correct. Abrahamic religions have much more in common than not…why can’t they begin working together instead of killing each other?
It’s a historical truism that the closer any two ideologies are to one another, the less likely they are to get along. For a perfect example, take a look at the backstabbing that went on in the early Communist Party in Russia. Another example: the Protestant Reformation throughout Europe was one of the bloodiest affairs that bloody continent has ever seen. A completely foreign ideology isn’t so much of a threat to drawing off your supporters as is one that’s just a little different than your own.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:12 amlefttown Says:
Harry Reid was just on the floor of the Senate, bringing up a resolution in support of Israel, “on the behalf of the American people.” Our lawmakers are cowards and AIPAC prostitutes.
Please don’t mention the coward reid. Without provocation, he had the nerve to get snarky to President-Elect Obama. he and the rest of the dems are the pits. They forget the progressive aren’t finish yet.
reid needs to STFU about taking the coward’s way out. He isn’t help the true US in anyway.
Hear the people, condemn the madness of this last ditched effort. This is obviously a sponsored repug massacre.
Another big-old-ass giant unnecessary carbon footprint left by the repugs.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:15 amI can’t decide which is more evil, Hitler and Nazis or Jews and Zionists.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:23 amRep. Howard Berman said on December 18:
The new US administration should not interfere if Israel felt it necessary to take military action in the Gaza Strip.
“The [rocket] strikes, the ongoing [arms] smuggling, the Hamas efforts to modernize their arsenal – all these things together pose a real threat to Israel, and an intolerable situation. There is obviously a big price to pay for deciding to take military action, but I think the US should support the Israeli decision on this,” he said.
December 27-the pummeling began
The same Howard Berman drafts the Congressional resolution on the conflict.
Summer of 2008, Berman told the Jerusalem Post, “he became a Zionist before he became a Democrat.”
January 8th, 2009 at 11:35 amObama’s team is in the loop on this, at least according to ME envoy Tony Blair in a Dec. 20 Haaretz interview. The piece said:
Two weeks ago Blair met with Hillary Clinton, the incoming American Secretary of state, and with Gen. James Jones, who will be national security adviser. He says the two understand that a change of strategy on Gaza is necessary.
They were nominated December 1, so this was an early order of business, the change of strategy on Gaza.
January 8th, 2009 at 11:39 amIsrael, in their over-kill response, is way off course on this and are in the wrong. Hamas, which I don’t support, is gaining strength and support around the world, and rockets from Lebanon hit Israel yesterday. It’s blowing up the region, again. As far as hiding information from the press, as some kind of P.R. push, that’s a lost cause as well for them. Here’s one of the situations they are trying to hide from the world. Once before on this blog, I likened Israel’s behavior to the Nazis, and got spanked for it. But if it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it’s a g.d. duck!!
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/09/world/middleeast/09redcross.html?_r=1
In an unusually blunt criticism, the Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said it had been seeking access to shell-damaged areas in Zeitoun in the east of Gaza City since Saturday but the Israeli authorities granted permission only on Wednesday — the first day that Israel allowed a three-hour lull in the attacks on Gaza on humanitarian grounds.
The statement said a team of four Palestine Red Crescent ambulances accompanied by Red Cross representatives made its way to Zeitoun Wednesday where it “found four small children next to their dead mothers in one of the houses. They were too weak to stand up on their own. One man was also found alive, too weak to stand up. In all, there were at least 12 corpses lying on mattresses.”
In another house, the statement said, the rescue team “found 15 other survivors of this attack including several wounded. In yet another house, they found an additional three corpses. Israeli soldiers posted at a military position some 80 meters away from this house ordered the rescue team to leave the area which they refused to do. There were several other positions of the Israeli Defense Forces nearby as well as two tanks.”
“The Israeli military must have been aware of the situation but did not assist the wounded. Neither did they make it possible for us or the Palestine Red Crescent to assist the wounded,” he was quoted as saying.
The statement said the international Red Cross “believes that in this instance the Israeli military failed to meet its obligation under international humanitarian law to care for and evacuate the wounded. It considers the delay in allowing rescue services access unacceptable.”
January 8th, 2009 at 11:55 amWho controls America???
During an argument between the Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon and Foreign Minister Shimon Peres, Peres said that Isralis’ policies of continued violence might “turn the US against us”.
To this Sharon retorted:
“EVERY TIME WE DO SOMETHING, YOU TELL ME AMERICANS WILL DO THIS AND WILL DO THAT. I WANT TO TELL YOU SOMETHING VERY CLEAR: DON’T WORRY ABOUT AMERICAN PRESSURE ON ISRAEL;
WE, THE JEWISH PEOPLE, CONTROL AMERICA. AND THE AMERICANS KNOW IT.”
– Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon
January 8th, 2009 at 12:00 pmOctober 3, 2001
(IAP News)
Everything depended on the out come of the US Election. Bush/Israel and Abbas of Fatah invaded Palestine quickly because McCain/Palin lost. It was necessary to do as much damage and kill as many people as possible before Obama/Biden took office. Richard is right one of the Israel Leaders said they have a short time to do as much damage before they have to stop. Smart move an timeing as most of the World will be watching Obama/Biden get sworn in office and thousands of murdered Palestine woman/children are buried. This evil plan will back fire because like the Holocaust people will see and know the evil that massacre these people. The Israeli cells in the Govenment will do their best to turn the story around and spin as much as possible. Joe Lieberman, Diane Feinstein and other cell/supporters of the Israel terrorist group will try to blind Obama/Biden from the truth. Look for all the old Jewish Holocaust victims to come on TV and tell their story of what Hitler did as if that gives them reason to do the same to Palestine. With the United Nations being powerless look for Iran and North Korea to use the invasions of Iraq/Palestine to be reasons for them to develope Nuclear Weapons for their protection. Both the US and Israel has Nuclear Weapons and both can use them anytime on countries that aren’t allowed. With the wing nuts like Bolton screaming to attack Iran for no reason it would be wise to do something now. Syria already got bombed by Israel and citizens were killed with no one doing anything about it. Syria is now buying weapons from Russia for the next attack by Israel.
One thing Geroge W. Bush will have in his legacy is that he gave reason for countries who had no weapons to stock up to protect themselves from illegal invasions.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:01 pmWatch how Al Jazeera interviewed Engel yesterday. Interview starts at 4:52; before that, Dennis Kucinich is interviewed:
January 8th, 2009 at 12:17 pmOops!
Link here : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGOv0lMMNDI
January 8th, 2009 at 12:18 pmObama strongly supported Israel’s razing of Lebanon in 2006. The Jewish State’s narrative is the same. Why would Obama change his mind, especially with IDF tough Rahm Emanuel as his Chief of Staff.
The Red and Blue teams fall over each other to be the most Pro-Israel. They might as well annex the damn place.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:30 pmIsrael is not counting that people are aware of the WAR CRIMES since the occupation begun decades ago. We didn’t have the internet than and we were aware. Today, we can cleary see the reality of the atrocities commited by the TERRORIST STATE OF ISRAEL and perfectly aware of the bias support the US/UK give to this criminals…
January 8th, 2009 at 12:52 pmGo on Israel, keep deceiving yourelves thinking one day you will get support from the world community…
Just check the vote of the incompetent security coucil. The only ones supporting the TERRORIST STATE OF ISRAEL is the US.
You may have the bigger guns, but in no way you have popular support!
Blah, Blah, Blah. No one told Hamas to bomb Southern Israel for years, with no reason, no provocation and not even one Israeli soldier or civilian in Gaza strip for the past three years. No one told them to hide in schools and mosques, and use innocent people as human shields. Hamas don’t give a crap about their people. They stole their money and made their life much more miserable than it’s even been under the Israeli occupation (and occupation it was, no argument from me about that). No wonder that most of the Arab world is being quiet right now. Not only they know that Israel is right, they too would love to see the end of Hamas.
Some of you people here sound just as bad as the lunatics from the right. You don’t think Israel should even exist. Like the Holocaust never happen. Like the Arabs were not the ones to disobey UN resolution to divide the country back in 1948. You are so trapped in your “agenda”, you’re actually supporting a terror organization.
Thankfully, Mr. Obama, who received the votes of my family, is not that blind. Just like Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter and JFK – all stood firmly behind Israel. We’re the only real Democracy in the Middle East, we don’t seek war, we cherish human life and our army is the most moral in the Western world. If there was anyone on the other side we could talk to, there was a peace accord a long time ago. But we won’t talk to Hamas, just like you would not talk to Al-Qaeda or sit quietly even for 8 hours, let alone 8 years, if L.A was bombed by Mexico.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:54 pmiamwhoiam,
“No one told Hamas to bomb Southern Israel for years, with no reason, no provocation and not even one Israeli soldier or civilian in Gaza strip”
“under the Israeli occupation (and occupation it was, no argument from me about that).”
So, an occupation is not a reason or provocation?
You are obviously the one blinded by your agenda. You know that there are atrocities occurring against an innocent population and yet you still have the gall to claim to cherish human life? That makes absolutely no sense.
You have an army that is using white phosphorus over civilian populations and still call it the most moral in the world. Please look up the term: “cognitive dissonance”, if you don’t already know what it means, then apply it to yourself.
I do not support the use of rockets by Hammas, however what choice do they have? What should they be doing in their position? Palestinians have been backed in a corner with 2 choices: either submit to whatever plans Israel has for them or do whatever little they can to retaliate.
Israel broke the truce when they killed 6 Palestinians and that’s when and why the rockets resumed.
The murder of innocent people that you so self-righteously support is now on your hands and will never be forgotten by those involved. Some are sure to grow up and take revenge and that blood will also be on your hands.
How does that really make you feel?
How is bombing a population the answer to the conflict in any way? Unless they plan on murdering every single Palestinian, how does it not simply prolong the struggle?
January 8th, 2009 at 1:17 pmiamwhoiam Says:
You are so trapped in your “agenda”, you’re actually supporting a terror organization.
January 8th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
________
So?
You support a terror organization every time you pay taxes. What’s your point?
January 8th, 2009 at 1:22 pmiamwhoiam:
“But we won’t talk to Hamas, just like you would not talk to Al-Qaeda or sit quietly even for 8 hours, let alone 8 years, if L.A was bombed by Mexico.”
The US has actually been talking to the Taliban in Afghanistan/Pakistan because we are ever so slowly realizing that military might isn’t the only answer to every problem, however…
We are not occupying Mexico nor do we have a blockade of medicals supplies, food or aid around their country. How could you think that this example could even possibly come close to equating to what’s actually going on?
January 8th, 2009 at 1:26 pm666lattes Says:
We are not occupying Mexico nor do we have a blockade of medicals supplies, food or aid around their country. How could you think that this example could even possibly come close to equating to what’s actually going on?
January 8th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
____________
Well, to be fair – thanks to NAFTA we are making their farmers poor by dumping millions of tons of corn into Mexico’s economy, but even that’s not even close to the same thing as the Gaza situation.
January 8th, 2009 at 1:49 pmCorrection to my replies 34 and 35: Obviously, the “Engel interview” I linked to is that of US Congressman Eliot Engel, not Richard Engel, the MSNBC reporter in TP’s original clip.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:39 pmIF Hamas was launching rockets into your city, wouldn’t you want your government to do something about it? During the cease fire, Hamas was launching rockets into Israel and the Israelis stayed quiet, honoring the cease fire that Hamas ignored. Once the cease fire expired, that is when Israel launched its offensive. You idiots act as if Israel acted unprovoked. I’m not saying everything Israel has done has been right, but it is Hamas provoking anger against Israel this time. At least Israel vacated the Gaza like promised, what has Hamas done. If the Palestinians don’t like it, they should help oust Hamas, the group taking refuge within their schools and public facilities and residential areas. Israel didn’t tell them to go there.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm#45
IF Hamas was launching rockets into your city, wouldn’t you want your government to do something about it?
If I was being denied food, fuel, and freedom I would fight back against my oppressor. Didnt some of your founding fathers fight against the British to achieve these priciples ?
Obviously you have no concept of history or human suffering. DOpe
January 8th, 2009 at 3:14 pmSpooning_leads24kin Says:
“IF Hamas was launching rockets into your city, wouldn’t you want your government to do something about it?”
Yes. I would want them to solve the issue instead of making it worse. The murder of innocents for revenge is, not only overrated, it doesn’t work as a solution.
What’s in in for you to support prolonging the conflict? Are you sure?
January 8th, 2009 at 3:16 pmSpooning_leads24kin Says:
At least Israel vacated the Gaza like promised, what has Hamas done.
January 8th, 2009 at 2:52 pm
____________
Oh, please. Israel never pulled out of Gaza, and you know it.
Sure, they took out the settlers and the troops, but they retained control over the borders, the infrastructure, the airspace, the ports – everything that a government needs to have control over if it wants to be considered independent.
Israel retained these things, keeping a stranglehold on Gaza. They made sure Hamas would fail as a government, and made sure they’d be forced to do the only thing they could – launch some firecrackers over the wall.
Mission accomplished.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:47 pmAnd amid the “aid supplies” that were delivered into Gaza yesterday during the 3 hour cease fire there were supplies being transported to the very Hamas terror group trying to be rooted. Now the Lybians have attacked Israel too thanks to left wing propaganda. For a country that “supposedly” supports Israel, there sure are a lot of Jew haters in here. And you wonder why right wingers oft compare Obama to Hitler. FN dope smokin idiots. Lets all sing Kumbaya and fire up the ole bong for peace, you demster divers make me sick!.
January 8th, 2009 at 3:58 pmYou’re awfully uptight dude, maybe you should get a little spooning goin’…
January 8th, 2009 at 4:06 pmSpooning_leads24kin Says:
——————————————————————————–
“And amid the “aid supplies” that were delivered into Gaza yesterday during the 3 hour cease fire there were supplies being transported to the very Hamas terror group trying to be rooted.”
First of all, link? Second, are you suggesting that supplies got into the hands of the government in charge of distributing supplies in Gaza? That is a simply stunning developement.
“Now the Lybians have attacked Israel too thanks to left wing propaganda.”
I know that rockets came from Lybia, but what are you talking about? What is “left wing propaganda”?
“For a country that “supposedly” supports Israel, there sure are a lot of Jew haters in here.”
Who gets to choose which countries our country supports and why? Why are we, as citizens, not permitted to weigh the pros and cons of such support without being accused of being racist. Questioning Israel does not automatically equal Jew-hating, but claiming anti-semitism to mask every wrongdoing has worked pretty well so far, hasn’t it?
“And you wonder why right wingers oft compare Obama to Hitler.”
I didn’t know they were, but now that you mention it, yeah, especially since Obama also seems to be an unquestioning supporter of Israel, so it doesn’t really make any sense at all. 10 Good-usage pts. for “oft”.
“FN dope smokin idiots. Lets all sing Kumbaya and fire up the ole bong for peace, you demster divers make me sick!.”
Well, you encourage me to be a better person while continuously focused on being a better speller. Thank you for your inspiration. You continue to make the world a better place.
January 8th, 2009 at 4:24 pmiamwhoiam
Call people repugs because we don’t believe in your massacres.
Yeah blame the civilians for acting like civilians. Brilliant.
I guess they have 2ft hamas people running around too.
January 8th, 2009 at 5:19 pm