ADVERTISEMENTIsrael’s Ministry of Foreign affairs has published an animated video titled “Open your eyes about Gaza” targeting Western coverage of the situation in Gaza during the 2014 conflict with Israel.
The video lampoons a blonde American-accented TV reporter in Gaza, totally clueless of the scenes going on behind him. He describes Hamas’ tunnels used to attack Israel as Gaza’s new subway system and asserts on camera that Gaza’s society is pluralistic while in the background a balaclava-wearing Hamas figure kidnaps a fruit merchant standing by a rainbow-flag.
As the reporter’s assistant hands him glasses “to see the reality of Gaza under Hamas rule,” the journalist gasps, grabs his chest and collapses due to shock. “Open your eyes, terror rules Gaza,” the video concludes. “Some people choose to close their eyes to the reality on the ground. What about you?” asks its description on YouTube.
The Wall Street Journal reports that Uri Resnick, a spokesman for Israel’s foreign minister, said the animated video was “meant to expose the irony of how Gaza is portrayed” in the world media. Asked if it was intended to poke the foreign media, he replied, diplomatically, “I don’t think it is meant to be an insult at all.”
Starting on July 8, 2014, the most recent Israel-Gaza conflict saw 5,226 Israeli air strikes on Gaza, while Hamas and other armed groups in Gaza fired 4,591 rockets and mortars into Israel. Over 2,104 people were killed in Gaza, of which 69% were civilians, according to the UN. In Israel, 6 civilians (including a Thai national) were killed as well as 67 Israeli soldiers.
The Foreign Press Association's response to the Israeli foreign ministry
IsraelMFA</a>'s bizarre video <a href="http://t.co/iiwizHRxEx">http://t.co/iiwizHRxEx</a></p>— Foreign Press Assoc. (FPAIsPal) June 15, 2015