Intro
In this episode of “The Ben Shapiro Show,” Ben discusses the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, focusing on the media’s biased coverage and the consequences of their false reporting. He highlights the moral gap between Israel and Hamas, the use of human shields by Hamas, and the media’s role in promoting moral equivalence and spreading blood libels against Israelis.
Main Takeaways
The Media’s Biased Reporting
- Hamas uses civilians as human shields and locates its military assets in civilian neighborhoods, while Israel seeks to save civilians.
- Hamas routinely lies about civilian casualties and inflates statistics.
- The media has a stake in creating moral equivalence between Israel and its terrorist opponents, particularly when it comes to Jews.
- Headlines are written in a way that leads with the claim and then cites Palestinian officials, which gives credibility to the story without questioning the source.
- The media bought into Hamas’s story that an Israeli airstrike killed hundreds in a Gaza hospital, when in fact it was a rocket fired by Palestinian Islamic Jihad that fell short.
- The media’s sudden credulity has consequences, and their lies or pretense cost lives.
- The media’s lack of concern for getting the facts right can have natural consequences that cost extraordinary numbers of lives and prolong or widen the conflict.
The False Hospital Bombing Narrative
- A failed Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket hit a parking lot next to a hospital, causing no structural damage to the building.
- Hamas claimed that the rocket hit the hospital and the media immediately reported it without verifying the information.
- The IDF revealed that it was not an Israeli airstrike on a hospital, and Israel goes out of its way not to hit hospitals.
- Israel provided evidence, including surveillance footage, Al Jazeera footage, radar footage, and drone footage, that it was a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket that hit the hospital.
- The media’s sudden credulity has consequences, and their lies or pretense cost lives.
- The media ran with Hamas’s lies despite knowing they routinely lie.
- The lies have a tremendous international effect and promote moral equivalence between Israel and its enemies.
International Reactions and Protests
- Protests erupted in Lebanon, Jordan, Qatar, Turkey, Canada, Greece, Spain, and other countries in favor of Hamas.
- Some members of the U.S. Congress, referred to as the “Hamas caucus,” are parroting terrorist propaganda and spreading false information about the conflict.
- Joe Biden expressed outrage about the hospital bombing without waiting for all the facts to come out, but later clarified that it appears to have been done by the other team, not Israel.
- Legacy media continues to promote the false narrative despite it being debunked in real time.
- Images of mass casualties in the conflict could shift international opinion against Israel.
Political and Financial Consequences
- The West promoting a deterrent strategy is a smart thing to do to prevent Hezbollah from getting involved in the conflict.
- Joe Biden is asking Congress for a $100 billion package for aid to Israel and Ukraine.
- Republicans still do not have a Speaker of the House, as some House Republicans voted against Jim Jordan for Speaker of the House.
- University of Pennsylvania is facing a crisis due to radical anti-Semitism and donors withdrawing their financial support.
Summary
The Media’s Role in the Conflict
In the current conflict between Israel and Hamas, there is a clear moral gap between the two sides. Hamas uses civilians as human shields and locates its military assets in civilian neighborhoods, while Israel seeks to save civilians. However, the media’s biased reporting creates a false narrative of moral equivalence. They buy into Hamas’s lies without verifying the information, leading to the spread of blood libels against Israelis. The media’s lack of concern for getting the facts right has consequences, costing lives and prolonging the conflict.
The False Hospital Bombing Narrative
Hamas claimed that an Israeli airstrike killed hundreds in a Gaza hospital, but it was later revealed that a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket hit a parking lot next to the hospital. Israel provided evidence to support this, including surveillance footage and radar footage. The media’s immediate credulity and promotion of Hamas’s lies have tremendous international effects, promoting moral equivalence and degrading the Jews. The media’s false reporting has led to protests in various countries and sparked outrage among some members of the U.S. Congress.
Political and Financial Consequences
The conflict has political and financial consequences. The West’s promotion of a deterrent strategy aims to prevent Hezbollah from getting involved. Joe Biden is seeking a $100 billion package for aid to Israel and Ukraine. Meanwhile, Republicans face challenges in selecting a Speaker of the House, and the University of Pennsylvania is facing a crisis due to radical anti-Semitism and the withdrawal of financial support from donors.
Conclusion
The media’s biased reporting and promotion of false narratives have serious consequences in the Israel-Hamas conflict. It promotes moral equivalence, spreads blood libels against Israelis, and ignites protests around the world. The media’s lack of concern for facts and truth prolongs the conflict and puts lives at risk. It is crucial to seek accurate information and challenge biased reporting to promote a fair understanding of the situation.
