Like all the other rounds in previous years, once again – war statements are delivered live to the public, while the same public is left to hear of the effective surrender to Hamas from Arabic news stations and Telegram channels.
In every one of the last rounds of war, from Protective Edge to Shield and Arrow, we heard belligerent statements of war from the Prime Minister, Defense Minister and the IDF Spokesperson live or in a recorded statement to the press. The Egyptian or Qatari mediated cease fires, meanwhile, were only knowable to the public in Arabic or from translation provided by Arab affairs reporters.
After the declarations of starving out Gaza, shutting off the electricity and closing off the water, including explicit statements by the Prime Minister’s Office that no aid will be introduced into Gaza, it happened this morning, with dozens of trucks entering Rafah. No-one checked them, and no-one knows who has them now.
But that’s not the issue.
The IDF Spokesperson, who last week denied this transfer of aid did not even address it in the daily briefing. Netanyahu himself, or his office and even the “senior political source” are also silent, not allowing the Israeli public to hear that Israel is taking it easy on the Hamas government in Gaza.
If there is anything that was profoundly damaged during the Simchat Torah Massacre, it is the trust of the Israeli citizenry in the IDF and the Prime Minister. We can understand the shock on Sunday in the face of a surprise attack and the fact that nothing functioned here. But two weeks after, it seems that what was will also continue to be. The public is directly informed very loudly of crushing, pounding, and collapsing. The concessions, gestures, and surrender remains to be gleaned from “foreign media outlets.”
This is not how you rebuild trust.