Pages

▼

Sunday, June 23, 2024

US Media Disinterest In American Hostages In Gaza Matched By 23 Other Countries With Citizens Held There (Daled Amos)

By Daled Amos



On June 19th, CNN's Jake Tapper interviewed the parents of Hersh Goldberg-Polin, one of those being held hostage in Gaza by Hamas terrorists. One point is painfully clear in the interview. The apathy of journalists for Hamas captives is exceeded only by the indifference of the countries outside of Israel whose citizens are being held prisoner by the terrorists:


Tapper: One thing that I've always wondered about throughout this entire process since October 7th: there are eight hostages with dual American-Israeli citizenship, including your son. Five of them, including your son, are believed to be alive. Three of them, not. Are you surprised that more isn't made in American Media and by American politicians about the fact that there are five presumably living American hostages being held by a terrorist group in Gaza.

Rachel Goldberg-Polin: I definitely think it is shocking that the vast majority of Americans have no idea that there are eight U.S. citizens currently, right now, as we're speaking, being held hostage in Gaza. I feel so strongly that I have these memories when Brittney Griner was being unjustly detained. And of course, Evan Gershkovich who's still being detained. These for me are household names. The vast majority of Americans have no idea that these eight U.S. citizens are being held. It's already 257 days and I find it just shocking.

Mrs. Goldberg-Polin does not offer an explanation for the indifference of the media in the US to the American hostages in Gaza. Such apathy reminds us of the similar lack of enthusiasm the US media has for covering the story of Ahlam Tamimi, the mastermind of the Sbarro Massacre who lives as a celebrity in Jordan, where King Abdullah refuses to honor its extradition treaty to send Tamimi to the US to face trial.

The media's betrayal of its responsibility to cover important stories that affect the lives of American citizens enables the ignorance we see about what is going on and undermines popular US support for rescuing hostages and dealing with the threat of Hamas terrorists.

But as the interview makes clear, the countries whose citizens were kidnapped are no less apathetic:

Rachel Goldberg-Poline: People also aren't aware that of the 120 remaining hostages, that they are representatives of 24 different nations. They are Christians Jews, Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists. I very rarely hear anyone advocating for the Muslim Arabs, who are being held, or the Thai Buddhists being held or the black African Christians being held. There are Nepalese, Argentinians, Germans, Polish -- you just don't hear it. They try and I don't know who "they" is, but the world is trying to create this monolithic, homogeneous group of people, and it's an absolute disservice and injustice, to those people being held.

How often do we hear that the hostages are from 24 different countries, and not just from Israel? What accounts for their apathy?

These are the 24 countries, aside from Israel, whose citizens are being held captive:


o  Argentina
o  Austria
o  Brazil
o  Bulgaria
o  Canada
o  Colombia
o  Denmark
o  France
o  Germany
o  Hungary
o  Italy
o  Mexico
o  Netherlands
o  Paraguay
o  Philippines
o  Poland
o  Portugal
o  Romania
o  Russia
o  Serbia
o  Spain
o  Thailand
o  United Kingdom
o  United States

One would have expected a united, public outcry.

Actually, there was one, back in April: US and 17 other countries with hostages in Gaza call for their release in exchange for a ceasefire

The Biden administration released a call from the leaders of 18 countries with citizens held hostage in Gaza calling for their immediate release in exchange for “an immediate and prolonged ceasefire” that would lead to the “end of hostilities.”
One odd thing about this is that it took six and a half months for countries with such a common interest in rescuing their citizens to make a public statement.

Another odd thing is that there were countries that could not bring themselves to join in this public statement. Not mentioned in the list of participating countries:

o  Italy
o  Mexico
o  Netherlands
o  Paraguay
o  Philippines
o  Russia

Here is the text of the statement, from the White House website:
We call for the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas and Gaza now for over 200 days. They include our citizens. The fate of the hostages and the civilian population in Gaza who are protected under international law is of international concern.

We emphasize that the deal on the table to release the hostages would bring an immediate and prolonged ceasefire in Gaza, that would facilitate a surge of additional necessary humanitarian assistance to be delivered throughout Gaza, and lead to the credible end of hostilities. Gazans would be able to return to their homes and their lands with preparations beforehand to ensure shelter and humanitarian provisions.

We strongly support the ongoing mediation efforts in order to 'bring our people home'. We reiterate our call on Hamas to release the hostages, and let us end this crisis so that collectively we can focus our efforts on bringing peace and stability to the region," the statement concluded.

Why did 6 countries refuse to sign on?

One hint might be in the way Israel National News reported the statement in its subtitle:

The US and 16 other countries whose citizens were kidnapped by Hamas issued a joint statement blaming Hamas for prolonging war by refusing to release its hostages.
Take another look at the statement.
See what's missing?
There is no mention of Israel.

Israel National News is right. By putting the onus completely on Hamas releasing the hostages, this statement holds Hamas completely responsible. That goes against the party line that Israel has to accept a prolonged cease-fire in its war against Hamas first.

But countries who did sign off on the statement are not even demanding for the release of all of the hostages:
The deal on the table that would bring a ceasefire to Gaza simply with the release of women, wounded, elderly, and sick hostages is ready to go, a senior administration official said, and Hamas has rejected that.
It took half a year for those countries to get together and issue a united statement, and they cannot even demand all of their citizens be released.

Don't expect any show of unity in the UN, in some General Assembly Resolution calling for the release of the hostages. Such a moral condemnation of a violation of international law and moral decency is clearly beyond the United Nations.

No wonder Hamas feels like they can hold out indefinitely.

Buy the EoZ book, PROTOCOLS: Exposing Modern Antisemitism  today at Amazon!

Or order from your favorite bookseller, using ISBN 9798985708424. 

Read all about it here!
 

 

at