Gaza Conflict a War of Numbers and PR
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Gaza conflict: a war of numbers and PR TH URSDAY 10 JULY 2014 "If Gaza was located off the coast of Lincolnshire, people in Manchester and London would live in fear of Hamas rockets" - the PR battle between Israel and Hamas intensifies. As the volley of rocket fire intensifies from both sides over the Israeli/Gaza border, so too has a campaign of photographs, numbers, cartoons and video aimed at garnering global support for each side's cause. Israel has traditionally struggled to get the same international public backing for its airstrikes against Hamas that other countries get for campaigns against "terrorist organisations". In turn, Hamas needs to justify its presence in Gaza by showing that it is both a credible threat to Israel and a protector of Palestinian people. This ideological battle is being played out on social media in a range of
Transcript of Gaza Conflict a War of Numbers and PR
Gaza conflict: a war of numbers and PR
T HURSDAY 10 JULY 2014"If Gaza was located off the coast of Lincolnshire, people in Manchester and
London would live in fear of Hamas rockets" - the PR battle between Israel
and Hamas intensifies.
As the volley of rocket fire intensifies from both sides over the Israeli/Gaza
border, so too has a campaign of photographs, numbers, cartoons and
video aimed at garnering global support for each side's cause.
Israel has traditionally struggled to get the same international public
backing for its airstrikes against Hamas that other countries get for
campaigns against "terrorist organisations".
In turn, Hamas needs to justify its presence in Gaza by showing that it is
both a credible threat to Israel and a protector of Palestinian people.
This ideological battle is being played out on social media in a range of
messages.
One approach taken by the Israeli Defence Forces has been to try and
explain to the world the threat it is facing – asking "What would be it be like
if terrorists could shoot rockets into your country?"
On Wednesday the IDF released maps (pictured, above) imagining if Gaza
was located on other international borders – and the cities that would be in
the range of Hamas rockets if they were.
If Gaza was located in the Wash estuary, off the coast of Norfolk and
Lincolnshire, rockets could hit Manchester, Birmingham, Leeds and London,
the IDF says.
The IDF even created an interactive map, so users could type in a global
location and see the range of Hamas rockets from that point.
One problem – they appear to have got their numbers a little wrong. The
range of the M-302 rocket the IDF bases its maps on is 160km, but the
range on the maps extends 40km further.
ContextThe "put yourselves in our shoes" strategy is one that has been used by
Israel before. In 2008, Israel’s foreign ministry set up a media centre in the
rocket-bombarded southern Israeli town of Sderot.
The media centre was a reaction to Israeli feelings that the international
community did not understand the threat coming from Gaza.
"We thought it was essential to show the context in which Israel's decisions
are being made and that there is a sequence of events," the foreign
ministry said at the time.
And the threat from Gaza is something that Israel continues to try and show
through numbers.
IDF ✔ @IDFSpokespersonFollowROCKET COUNT: Hamas fired over 365 rockets at Israel in less than 3 days. That's about one rocket every 10 minutes.
3:17 AM - 10 Jul 2014
IDF ✔ @IDFSpokespersonFollow#Imagine if most of the people in your country lived in range of #rocket fire
11:01 PM - 9 Jul 2014
Object 1
Hamas also uses numbers to get its message across – that civilians are being targeted
in Israeli airstrikes.
Al Qassam Brigades @qassamfeedFollow#Breaking #Update #Urgent Israel attacked #Gaza with 600 strikes in
three days. #Gazaunderattack #Israel
10:02 PM - 9 Jul 2014
Israel's response is that it is Hamas that are putting civilians in danger (see video,
below), not Israelis – saying that Hamas is deliberately locating itself in residential
areas, and is using "human shields".
Object 2
That row intensified with the death, according to Palestinian officials, of a family of
eight on Thursday morning, including five children, in an Israeli airstrike.
The IDF has made no official comment to the deaths which the Palestinian
Health Ministry said occurred in Khan Younis in southern Gaza.
Israel says it is targeting homes in Gaza – but only when they are being
used for military purposes. Hamas says the attacks are more indiscriminate.
See more examples of Hamas and al-Qassam Brigades social media
battling below.
IDF ✔ @IDFSpokespersonFollowWhat a house looks like after Hamas takes control: rockets near people, terrorists mixed with families. RETWEET.
2:41 AM - 10 Jul 2014
Al Qassam Brigades @qassamfeedFollow#Breaking #Update #Urgent Families in #Gaza. #Gazaunderattack #Israel
9:30 PM - 9 Jul 2014
IDF ✔ @IDFSpokespersonFollow#Imagine if a major city in your country was targeted by #rockets
5:57 PM - 9 Jul 2014
Al Qassam Brigades @qassamfeedFollow
#Breaking #Update #URGENT: War Cup in Gaza. #Gazaunderattack #Israel
7:10 PM - 9 Jul 2014
IDF ✔ @IDFSpokespersonFollow
Kindergartners living near Gaza take cover as Hamas terrorists fire rockets at Israel.
7:44 AM - 9 Jul 2014
Al Qassam Brigades @qassamfeedFollow
#Breaking #Update #Urgent #Photos #Pictures of Israeli shelling for Gaza residential houses. #Gazaunderattack #Israel
9:22 PM - 9 Jul 2014
