We are being played

This column originally appeared on my Substack, News Uncut. At News Uncut we give you the news and views that are suppressed in mainstream media. This week, one of the articles was this one about the Israel/Hamas war. It’s behind the paywall at News Uncut but I’m giving you part of it for free here. Click the link at the bottom if you’d like to read the rest

It’s impossible to write anything about the Israel/Hamas ‘war’ without offending a whole slew of people on one side or the other – probably both, in equal measure. After all, there is so much death and destruction on both sides anyone looking at the pain and misery – particularly inflicted on the children – has to be deeply affected.

But the attitudes to the conflict generally are so extreme right now – akin to the dramatic response from the establishment to the covid fear – that it’s very difficult to achieve a balanced view of what is really happening in that small part of the globe.

We need to get that balance if we are to a) stay sane, b) stay on relatively friendly terms with friends and family and c) not be blinded to what is really happening both in the Middle East and at home right now.

Because we are being played.

Yet again a big, shiny, impressive-looking, dramatic scene is being paraded before us and, like a cheap stage magician’s act, it’s a big distraction held in front of our eyes to stop us seeing the real action going on.

There is always a third way

One thing I have learned in the last few years is that when we are made to believe that there is only a choice of two sides, that’s a sure sign we are being played.

“You’re either with us or you’re with them” is the message. You may remember George W Bush saying that very phrase after 9-11.  “Either you are with us, or you are with the terrorists.”  No. There’s a third option. There’s always a third option that should be considered and probably followed.

I have heard absolutely compelling arguments supporting each ‘side’ of this conflict and have been brought to tears by stories (sometimes with pictures) of suffering and death on both sides.

Similarly there are serious figures being presented showing the numbers of deaths of children and citizens – on both sides. Who has it worse and who has committed the greatest number of atrocities? In that discussion we need to include Hamas’ record of harming its own people by embedding itself within the ordinary citizens’ streets, together with Israel’s tendency to bomb where children are living, and even kill its own people, according to reports.

Why?

But only sporadically do we hear those questioning the very existence of the war. Why now? Why such a huge and successful initial attack? Why do all Western governments seem to be speaking and acting in lockstep again, as they were during covid and then with Ukraine?

One brave Israeli, Efrat Ferguson, who used to be an IDF operative commented immediately after the Hamas attack on October 7^th that there was no way the Israeli forces could not have known about the impending invasion.

A number of other people since, particularly those who’ve been on the sceptical side of the covid issue, have questioned the whole incident in a similar way. How did the most sophisticated defence force in the world not know this was about to happen and not respond immediately? Was it (they have whispered) intentionally allowed to happen? Is Netanyahu that evil (yes, according to many in Israel and outside of it)….

For the rest of this article, and a whole load of other good stuff, click here