Cracks in the US-Israel relationship are beginning to show | The Listening Post
Summary
TLDRThe United Nations Security Council passes a ceasefire resolution in response to the crisis in Gaza, but its effectiveness is questioned as Israel continues its actions and the US calls it non-binding. The role of media in shaping public opinion is highlighted, with Western media criticized for biased coverage. Additionally, the use of mass surveillance by Israel in Gaza and the political strategy of India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi's re-election campaign are discussed, emphasizing the power of technology and messaging in contemporary politics.
Takeaways
- π A ceasefire resolution at the United Nations regarding Gaza was passed, marking a significant moment despite Israel's non-compliance and the US's declaration of it being non-binding.
- π‘ The resolution's defiance by Israel and the lack of enforcement highlight challenges in the international rules-based order, where rules are selectively applied.
- πΊπΈ The US's stance of supporting the resolution's objectives while labeling it non-binding illustrates complex political dynamics and undermines the resolution's impact.
- π The lack of interest from American news outlets in the story underscores media biases and the influence of domestic politics on coverage of international events.
- π Accusations against the UN of anti-Semitism by Israeli officials reflect tensions and the complex history of Israel's relationship with the UN.
- π² Narendra Modi's reelection campaign in India is powered by an extensive ground campaign and a digital blitz, leveraging WhatsApp and social media.
- π³οΈ Modi's government's control over mainstream media and its portrayal in a positive light showcase the interplay between politics and media in shaping public perception.
- π°οΈ Israel's use of surveillance technology in Gaza for control and monitoring raises human rights and privacy concerns.
- π‘ The BJP's election strategy in India combines extensive volunteer networks and digital platforms, showcasing the power of technology in modern political campaigns.
- π« Criticism of the UN special rapporteur on Palestine by the US and Israeli governments highlights the contentious nature of discourse surrounding the Israel-Palestine conflict.
Q & A
What was the significance of the United Nations Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza?
-The resolution was significant as it marked the first time the UN Security Council called for a ceasefire in Gaza, and it represented a potential shift in the international community's stance towards Israel's actions. However, the US's characterization of the resolution as 'non-binding' and Israel's defiance of it complicate the situation and raise questions about the effectiveness of such resolutions.
How has the Israeli media reacted to the UN's call for a ceasefire?
-The Israeli media has shown almost unanimous opposition to the UN vote, with some officials dismissing the UN as anti-Semitic. This reaction reflects a broader narrative in Israel that views international criticism as biased and unjustified.
What does the US's stance on the UN resolution's binding nature indicate?
-The US's claim that the resolution is 'non-binding' suggests a reluctance to pressure Israel into changing its actions. This stance has been criticized as hypocritical and politically motivated, as it undermines the authority of the UN Security Council and sends a message to Israel that it can act with impunity.
Outlines
π UN Ceasefire Resolution and International Reactions
A ceasefire resolution was passed at the United Nations, calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, marking a significant event despite Israel's refusal to comply and the U.S. declaring it non-binding. This resolution's passage could signify a pivotal moment in Israel's increasing international isolation, challenging its Western backers. The resolution, defied by Israel through its continued bombardment of Palestinians, complicates the defense of Israel's actions by its allies. The lack of interest from American media and the resolution being labeled non-binding by the U.S. ambassador to the UN raises questions about the enforcement and implications of such resolutions. Despite the resolution, the violence and killing in Gaza by Israeli forces continued, underscoring the deep challenges in implementing and honoring ceasefire agreements.
π° Media Coverage and Domestic Politics Influencing International Perceptions
The story explores the complex dynamics between media coverage, domestic politics, and international relations, focusing on the lack of American media attention to the UN ceasefire resolution and its implications for Israel and the U.S. This neglect is attributed to domestic political considerations, especially within the U.S., where media outlets aligned with the Democratic Party are cautious about covering the resolution unfavorably ahead of presidential elections. The narrative also touches on the consistent portrayal of Palestine in Western media through an Israeli lens, influenced by social media's rise, which challenges mainstream narratives and exposes the limitations of Western media's coverage on issues like the Israeli forces raiding hospitals in Gaza.
π Surveillance, Elections, and Propaganda in Conflict and Politics
This section delves into the use of surveillance technology by Israel in Gaza and its implications for the Palestinian population, illustrating a broader trend of technology's role in conflict and control. It further transitions into the political landscape in India, highlighting Prime Minister Narendra Modi's reelection campaign's reliance on a combination of ground-level volunteer networks and digital messaging, particularly through WhatsApp, to influence voters and spread propaganda. This narrative underscores the evolving nature of political campaigns and governance in the digital age, where technology plays a crucial role in shaping public opinion and election outcomes.
π² Modi's Political Strategy and the BJP's Dominance
The narrative focuses on Narendra Modi's political strategy, emphasizing his effective use of media and technology to bolster his image and the BJP's dominant position in Indian politics. It details Modi's omnipresence in Indian media, his strategic use of WhatsApp to communicate directly with the electorate, and the BJP's comprehensive messaging tailored to various constituencies. The piece highlights the financial and organizational strength of the BJP, including its extensive volunteer network and the significant financial resources at its disposal, enabling an unparalleled election strategy and emphasizing the party's ambition and the challenges it poses to the democratic playing field in India.
π³οΈ Electoral Bonds Controversy and Modi's Campaign Innovations
This section examines the controversy surrounding electoral bonds in India and their impact on the BJP's funding, leading to a discussion on the broader implications for democracy and transparency. The narrative describes how the BJP leveraged these funds to craft a pervasive public relations campaign and build an organizational behemoth, outmatching opposition parties in reach and resources. It also portrays the BJP's strategic approach to electioneering, including personalized voter outreach and the exploitation of digital platforms for propaganda, underscoring the sophistication of Modi's campaign strategy and its implications for the political landscape in India.
Mindmap
Keywords
π‘Ceasefire Resolution
π‘International Isolation
π‘UN Security Council
π‘Non-binding
π‘Ethnic Cleansing
π‘Surveillance Technology
π‘WhatsApp
π‘International Rules-based Order
π‘Mainstream Media
π‘Genocide
Highlights
The United Nations Security Council passes a ceasefire resolution, marking a pivotal moment for Israel's international isolation.
The US declines to use its veto, signaling a potential shift in its stance towards Israel's actions.
Israel continues its bombardment and defiance of the UN resolution, highlighting the difficulty for Western backers to defend its actions.
American news outlets show a lack of interest in covering the story, possibly due to discomfort with the implications of the US's mixed message on international rules.
The US ambassador to the UN incorrectly claims the resolution is non-binding, which is contrary to the UN Charter and could embolden Israel's defiance.
Israel's media shows near-unanimous opposition to the UN vote and a lack of interest in international law or criticism.
The Indian election campaign uses technology and social media, including WhatsApp, to spread propaganda and influence voters.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's party, the BJP, has a significant advantage in media coverage and funding, which could impact the election's fairness.
The BJP's extensive ground network and messaging strategy create a powerful electoral machine that reaches every corner of the country.
The Indian election process is marked by a lack of a level playing field, with the BJP dominating the political landscape.
Israel's use of surveillance technology in Gaza contributes to a dystopian reality for Palestinians, with severe consequences for those wrongly identified as threats.
The UN Special Rapporteur on Palestine publishes a report titled 'Anatomy of a Genocide,' which is rejected by both the Israeli government and the US State Department.
The US State Department's spokesman is criticized for accusing the UN Special Rapporteur of anti-Semitism without evidence, reflecting a pattern of attempting to discredit critics of Israel.
The Israeli military uses Gaza as a testing ground for new methods of killing and spying on Palestinians, turning the area into a 'hellscape'.
The BJP's use of electoral bonds has made it the wealthiest political party in India, allowing it to fund an extensive PR and organizational machine.
The BJP's messaging strategy focuses on presenting Modi as a strong, unapologetic leader and a symbol of development for India.
The Indian political landscape is deeply polarized, with domestic politics influencing media coverage and public opinion.
The international community's double standards and hypocrisy are exposed by the situation in Gaza, leading to a loss of moral authority.
The BJP's extensive use of social media and technology in elections represents a new frontier in political campaigning, with potential implications for democracy.
Transcripts
finally a ceasefire resolution passes at
the United Nations but what difference
does it make when Israel will not honor
it and the US calls it
non-binding in Gaza the horrors of
ethnic cleansing are compounded by
Israeli surveillance technology and
Narendra modi's reelection campaign in
India powered by an army of foot
soldiers on the ground and a messaging
Blitz on
this past week's United Nations security
Council resolution demanding a ceasefire
in Gaza the first to do so is
significant although not for the reasons
its authors may have intended the
passage of the resolution at the highest
body of the UN with the US declining to
use its veto could Mark a pivotal moment
in Israel's increasing International
isolation for its Western backers the
fact that Israel through its continued
bombardment and starvation of
Palestinians is defying that resolution
makes their role that much harder to
defend in the Israeli media the
opposition to the UN vote is almost
unanimous more striking is the lack of
interest from American news outlets the
implications this story raises are a
little uncomfortable for them as well
they hit close to home because a fallacy
has been exposed the one about the
us-led inter interntional rules-based
order in which the rules are selectively
applied we those in favor of the draft
resolution please there raise their hand
it was the ultimate mixed message sent
from Washington to Tel Aviv that upon
examination amounts to some cynical
politics
abion for at least 32,000 Palestinians
in G
including those who have been starved to
death in front of our eyes the ceasefire
resolution that passed at the United
Nation Security Council this past week
comes too late for those still getting
killed by Israel's bombing of Rafa the
patients and medical staff at alifa
hospital still getting shot by Israeli
soldiers it has had no discernable
effect after vetoing three previous
ceasefire resolutions the American
government finally allowed this one
which would last just 2 weeks to carry
but the US's ambassador to the UN then
argued incorrectly according to Legal
experts that unlike every other
resolution the security Council has ever
passed this one was in a category of its
own that it was somehow
non-binding we fully support some of the
critical objectives in this non-binding
resolution and we I hope she was being
merely rhetorical because she certainly
can't can't be speaking from a legal
perspective all un Security Council
resolutions are binding the UN Charter
makes that perfectly clear it then takes
another resolution to determine what
actions will be taken if the parties
defy it as Israel uh has said it's going
to do but whether or not it's enforced
it's certainly binding as a matter of
law if the Americans are arguing that
this is a non-binding resolution they
are winking at Netanyahu by saying you
really don't have to implement it the
message to the Israelis is that you can
carry on with the war until you achieve
whatever objectives you have in mind I
don't think uh Benjamin Netanyahu cares
much about the International Community
the United Nations security Council the
UN they've made it clear within minutes
of the resolution passing that the
Israelis have no intention of abiding by
it and indeed less than 24 hours after
the passage of that resol olution about
17 Palestinians were killed in an
Israeli bombardment with scores of
others injured so the message is clear
Israel has no intention of abiding by
resolution 2728 call on the parties to
um cease
fire the Netanyahu government put on a
display of outrage over the Biden
administration's refusal to veto the
resolution by initially cancelling a
visit by an Israeli delegation to
Washington before or quietly
rescheduling it it could have recalled
its defense minister yoab Galant who was
already in DC Shoring up more American
Arms shipments to Israel it did not
other political figures like security
minister itamar benir dismissed the UN
as
anti-semitic this in a country that owes
its very existence to the United Nations
on the Israeli Airwaves the calls for
Palestinian blood keep
coming and partisan domestic politics
are also a big part of the mix cast our
mind back pre October 7th where you have
a deeply polarized
Society the anti- BBY Camp the
demonstrations every week and the pro
BBY Camp reaction splits along those
lines what you will see from journalists
in the anti-b camp is aha he we have bi
destroying the reputation of
Israel for the other
side this is dangerous un America losing
its
way
who's the guy who can stand up to this
you guessed it Benjamin
Nat what stands out in the American
media coverage of this story is the
noticeable lack of it for the US to fail
to side with Israel at the UN is almost
unheard of and is certainly newsworthy
couple that with the legal side of the
story The us arguing that a security
Council resolution is somehow not
binding one would expect journalists to
test that position pick it apart we're
not seeing that neither are American
News consumers and like Israel domestic
politics in the US are having an impact
there has been a great deal of lack of
interest uh uh in American media
especially the so-called liberal media
in the United States regarding the
resolution the Biden Administration is
trying to avoid the Fallout of the
exstension and therefore media that are
supportive of the democratic party made
sure that they really did not dedicate
so much time and coverage so that they
would minimize any possible
repercussions that would be exploited by
their opponents in the Republican Party
especially a few months before the
presidential elections the lack of
coverage it's consistent with the manner
in which the question of Palestine has
been
represented in the uh West
uh in mainstream media and that has
basically been through the prism of an
Israeli lens you're not Hamas Israel is
a democracy and uh as a Jewish State uh
supports and and believes in every life
mattering and so and this is matched in
Canadian and United Kingdom and other
Western States foreign policies it's
harder for the Western mainstream media
to continue uh with their biased
coverage in large park because you have
the proliferation of social media from
the gazin street to the rest of the
world and because of the extent to which
mainstream media in particular is very
sensitive about being criticized from uh
Israel and its uh right-wing supporters
in particular it's been shy uh uh to
highlight actions that are deemed to be
critical of Israel is now actually
supporting genocide okay we could maybe
just avoid that language if that's okay
for now because that is
something and obviously a us vote of
abstention on Security Council
resolution demanding a ceasefire would
certainly be something that they would
wish to ignore or minimize or sweep
under the
rug among the other stories getting
swept under Israeli forces raiding
hospitals in Gaza such as Al shifa
producing horrific testimonies of the
coldblooded execution
[Music]
starved and so on and that coverage that
is coming from below is challenging the
Western media coverage on these things
the Western
media even subconsciously is aware that
it is feeding Into The Narrative of the
demise of its
own
standing outside of a western
space it's
done no one takes seriously Weston
claims to be standing up for
international nor no one wants to hear
it after Gaza the world will not be
lectured to there's no moral Soap Box to
stand
on it has dissolved away in the double
[Applause]
standards and the naked
transparency of the hypocrisy over Gaza
that leaves us with a real problem we do
not have a space that we can go
to
last year Amnesty International revealed
that Israel was using facial recognition
systems in the West Bank to entrench its
occupation of Palestinians there new
details have now emerged about the
technology that Israeli solders are
using in Gaza and Tark NAFA is here with
more well for months now we've heard
reports and seen videos of Palestinians
forced from their homes Crossing
checkpoints where they are scanned by
isra isi cameras some of these videos
are truly dystopian in addition to being
watched Palestinians are also harassed
by Israel
forces this week a New York Times piece
revealed more information about the mass
surveillance Israel has deployed on
Palestinians in Gaza according to
Israeli intelligence officials who spoke
to the times anonymously it's part of an
expansive and experimental effort to
collect C and catalog the faces of
Palestinians without their knowledge or
consent developed by a private Israeli
company called corite Israeli officials
say the system was initially used to
search for Israeli captives in Gaza but
has since been used on a much wider
scale to hunt down Hamas suspects one of
the problems with this kind of
Technology as one Israeli officer
confirms is that it routinely gets it
wrong with Israeli soldiers accused of
abusing torturing and executing
Palestinians in Gaza the consequences of
being incorrectly identified as a Hamas
fighter can cost you your life the
Israeli military has always used Gaza as
a lab in which it can test and develop
new ways of killing or spying on
Palestinians artificial intelligence is
reportedly being used to generate
Targets in Gaza facilitating what one
Former Intelligence officer has called a
mass assassination Factory we've also
seen several videos of Israeli drones
shooting at and killing unarmed
Palestinians all of this technology has
turned Gaza into a hellscape in which at
least 32 and a half thousand
Palestinians have been killed by Israeli
forces thank you TK in just under 3
weeks time on April 19th India will
begin a 6 week long election process
cess for its next national government it
will all culminate on June 1st and prime
minister Narendra Modi is expected to
win an historic third term in office
Mod's popularity ratings are high many
of his opponents are mired in corruption
cases filed by Mod's government and then
there's the news media mainstream
outlets in India have been almost
entirely captured by modi's party the
BJP churning out coverage that ranges
from the sycophantic to the openly Pro
government and that surval media
landscape may not be the most powerful
weapon in the bjp's Arsenal it also has
a formidable get out the vote machine
that combines an extensive volunteer
network with the power of WhatsApp to
influence voters spread propaganda and
at times soow disinformation the
listening posts Mino shiavi now on the
all-encompassing information ecosystem
that is likely to help putting NRA Modi
back in the prime minister's office in
New
Delhi Indians have grown used to the
omnipresence of their prime minister
he's on billboards he's in the papers
both in ads and in the news TV channels
seem to have little else to cover and on
March 16th the very day the dates for
India's elections were
announced Narendra Modi was whatsapping
the country a letter from the Prime
Minister was delivered straight into the
phones of hundreds of millions of
[Music]
Indians the transformation that has
taken place in the lives of people is
the biggest achievement of our
government over the last 10 years it is
your support that gives me immense
strength I am confident that we will
continue to take our nation to Great
Heights
together it was unvarnished election
hearing by the ruling part party using
the resources and access to phone number
databases of the government and it was
unsurprising it was all happening on
WhatsApp technology is very much part of
the Arsenal which the BJP or prime
minister Narendra Modi uses the BJP
understood before any other party every
Indian may not have literacy and public
health and so on so forth but they have
their cell phones India has the cheapest
data in the world so the BJP in areas
where it wishes to contest seriously it
develops messaging for each constituency
that was something that Prime Minister
Modi and the Baria J party understood
very well Mr Amit sha who is actually
virtually the number two to Mr Modi in
the within the BJP few years ago while
speaking to party workers he had
actually boasted you know it is very
easy for us to take the message because
we have the largest WhatsApp Network in
the
country
now that was not a Bast that is actually
true you actually have a centralized
cell within the BJP which actually in
the morning it decides okay these are
today's messages which are to be
publicized and they're kind of broadcast
to various parts of the country
the bjp's messaging is carefully
tailored and highly produced with the
party's star campaigner front and center
in virtually all of
[Music]
it the Modi motorade drives through
throngs of cheering Indians the videos
from that make it to Whatsapp groups
YouTube shorts and Instagram reels the
Prime Minister hangs out with kids in
schools and presents 20-some social
media influencers with awards from the
government
he prays at multiple temples with
cameras in tow even if the holy sight is
underwater those clips don't just stay
on social media they make the Evening
News bulletins look closely on his
screens he even decided to go underwat
to pray at the submerged dwara all this
is part of media strategy creating a
nationwide
perception that Narendra Modi as the
leader of this ruling party wants to
take India
forward wants to create a developed
India and make it the third largest
economy in the
world one senior leader of the BJP had
said about Mr Modi he said for Narendra
Modi elections is a battle of images and
that is what the Indian Prime Minister
has shown himself to be very good at and
you can agree with this ideology his
policies or disagree but it is his
skills at political marketing that have
been noticed we must remember that in
India democracy Works in different uh
language zones so the question is how do
you recognize a party
Modi electoral symbols are important in
the case of Prime Minister Modi it is
the recognition value of the Modi name
the Modi face he has different personas
that he has presented to the
public one is that of a term called
visha Guru which means world leader his
performance on the international stage
is constantly projected back
home the other aspect of the messaging
is that of being a strong an apologetic
Hindu who goes and leads ceremonies in
temples almost performs like a head
priest some of his party people have
likened him to a Godlike figure the
messaging is extremely comprehensive
which is according to data the most
expensive in India's history the bjp's
finances are formidable the party is the
wealthiest in India its funds boosted by
a financial tool it launched in 2017
called an electoral bond this powerful
instrument ushered in a wave of
political donations to numerous parties
across India the bulk of the money
however nearly 60% went to the BJP
amounting to about 60 billion rupees
more than 725 million earned between
2017 and just 2 months ago February 2024
when the Supreme Court declared
electoral bonds illegal due to their
lack of transparency the money is in the
bjp's coffers though and it it Powers
not just an incessant stream of PR but
also an impressive organizational
Behemoth that underpins the party's
election strategy on paper today the BJP
is the largest political party in the
world it is larger than the Communist
Party of
[Music]
China so there is a huge network of
party volunteers who was spread across
the country besides that it's very
important to understand that the BJ is
not a standalone organization but it is
part of a fairly large ideological
umbrella group the S parar it's an
organization which was formed in 1925
almost 100 years ago and everywhere they
have a presence so during elections it
is not just the BJP which is out
campaigning but you have leaders and
cader which fan out to virtually every
village and every electoral booth in the
country I think the do too campaigning
uh is a very effective method you know
each page of the Electoral roles is
assigned to one person so that person
goes you know to the visits the families
to try and to find out have they
benefited from the policies and the
programs of the party if not why not it
is a party that's driven with the will
to par and therefore every tool becomes
very important for them now
[Applause]
[Music]
the other query we must ask is the
playing field now a level playing field
for the BJP and the opposition and we
must as journalists it's our job to flag
that yet for all the many problems that
the opposition faces they are going to
put up candidates and fight the BJP but
the BJP is working on a very very simple
tack that they part of the messaging
right now is to say there is no
alternative to us that is all part of
the hype Modi versus whom you know that
Modi is the only answer to
India back to Israel Gaza the US and the
UN this past week the United Nations
special raor on Palestine Francesca
Alban published an extensive report the
title anatomy of a genocide which the
Netanyahu government says it utterly
rejects so apparently does the US state
department its Chief spokesman Matthew
Miller said of Alban I can't help but
note a history of anti-Semitic comments
that she has made Miller needs to do
some research the Israeli government has
been accusing Alan of anti-Semitism for
years now conflating her legitimate
criticism of an illegal occupation for a
form of hatred and in late 2022 65
Scholars all experts on anti-Semitism
endorsed Alban's work saying that
Israel's supporters are simply out to
silence her some online voices have
described Matthew Miller's comments as a
new low for the Biden Administration but
it's not like we haven't heard that
before we'll see you next time here at
the listening
post
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