"Hamas launches media war..."
Hamas launches media war for Gaza control
Did I read that correctly? A media war?
It shows how powerful the media can be. Hamas, a group more famous for shootings and car-bombings now wields the press conference to show its message.
Is it sign of Hamas showing a preference for, or at least aknowledgement of, the power of non-violent communication?
Or are journalists wrongfully lending legitimacy to the terrorist organization by even showing up?
Of course the withdrawal is monumental, and that action is inspiring the press conference(s), but does this mean things might settle down a bit, or will the conflict now be more of a "war" with identifiable soldiers and a seeming parity among the sides from the media standpoint?
Did I read that correctly? A media war?
It shows how powerful the media can be. Hamas, a group more famous for shootings and car-bombings now wields the press conference to show its message.
Is it sign of Hamas showing a preference for, or at least aknowledgement of, the power of non-violent communication?
Or are journalists wrongfully lending legitimacy to the terrorist organization by even showing up?
Of course the withdrawal is monumental, and that action is inspiring the press conference(s), but does this mean things might settle down a bit, or will the conflict now be more of a "war" with identifiable soldiers and a seeming parity among the sides from the media standpoint?
posted by bp at
6:02 PM
2 Comments:
Is it sign of Hamas showing a preference for, or at least aknowledgement of, the power of non-violent communication?
Hamas did perform well in elections, in yet another sign that elections are not necessarily a route to non-violence. (What if they get a 'mandate' for intifada for example?) A professor of mine at St. Andrews never failed to emphasize that terrorist organizations are all about attention; it is not surprising that organizations with increasing legitimacy (through elections) are using media to further make their point.
Either, as you say, times are unprecedented and the violence in Palestine/Israel is finally de-escalating, or it is simply shifting to a new battleground. The lack of consideration of the potentially violent, or exclusionary, effects of elections is dangerous both in Palestine/Israel and in nearby Iraq. Elections seem portrayed as panaceas rather than options, and the deliberate efforts at inclusion in Iraq only serve to illustrate just how complex a process having and implementing free and fair elections is.
Back to your final note on legtimation, I do not think that the Palestine/Israel situation will ever be fully traditionalized into state-state conflict. The asymmetry of the situation will undoubtedly persist and we both know the best solution to asymmetry (from a weak perspective) is insurgency. The question becomes similar to the question in Iraq, that is, can insurgents such as Hamas be persuaded into peaceful political participation and accorded some legitimacy of cause. That Hamas is willing to entertain that option is encouraging for the future. Iraq is much less clear given the conflation of Qaeda with former Baathists, but potential options are still the same – bring them into the process and attempt peaceful rather than violent campaigns. In either the Palestinian or Iraqi cases legitimacy of governments is increased through broad inclusion and unfortunately there has got to be a live and let live sort of attitude towards building peace. Human rights and terrorist trials can happen later on when times have settled.
By
Anonymous, at 12:28 AM
Yeah, I agree that asymmetry will continue. That's for sure.
And elections are just one step, and certainly not the end of a transition or sign that democracy has flowered.
The use of media by non-state actors in that region is not new. Bin Laden's tapes being sent to al Jazeera, beheadings put online, terrorists faxing in after a bombinb to take credit.
But I do see the use of any means other than violence as encouraging. It's good the removal of settlers from Gaza hasn't turned violent.
But it's really just begun.
By
bp, at 4:19 PM
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