Daud Kuttab: The Challenge of Arab Journalists and Gaza

The absence of international journalists from the streets of Gaza allowed Israeli spokespersons to spin the rational of the war mostly unopposed. Local Hamas leaders' unavailability -- for security reasons -- provided Israeli representatives an unchallenged opportunity to manipulate information. On more than one occasion, I, as a Christian nationalist who is opposed to the Hamas policies, found myself correcting clearly false assertions. Without the ability to present a forceful counterpoint an entire mythology was created leading many naïve viewers to buy the Israeli rationale hook, bait and sinker.