WION, India’s premier English-language global broadcaster, takes a stand on Israel’s assault on Rafah

Events of global importance are rushing at us daily not only in the Russia-NATO confrontation over Ukraine. Developments in and over Gaza are also vying for our attention and are demanding commentary from ‘talking heads.’

I am not an expert on Israeli and West Asian affairs, though I am deeply immersed in what genuine experts in that field are saying hour by hour, day by day.  Moreover, the commonality of the destructive leading role of the USA in both Ukraine and Gaza encourages me to accept invitations from responsible and widely viewed broadcasters like WION as I did yesterday at midday.

See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv77wAv-WHA

I call attention to the way the Indian presenter conducted this interview. He, and presumably the production team standing behind him, know the facts of the case perfectly well and have reached their own conclusions. The interviewee, myself, is being questioned so as to showcase these conclusions through their confirmation by an outside expert.

By the way, the presenter’s introduction places me in Brussels, whereas in fact, I remain in St Petersburg, Russia until 14 May.

Translation below into German (Andreas Mylaeus) followed by transcript in English

WION, Indiens wichtigster englischsprachiger Sender, bezieht Stellung zu Israels Angriff auf Rafah

Nicht nur in der Konfrontation zwischen Russland und der NATO über die Ukraine überschlagen sich täglich Ereignisse von globaler Bedeutung. Auch die Entwicklungen im und um den Gazastreifen wetteifern um unsere Aufmerksamkeit und verlangen nach Kommentaren von „Talking Heads“.

Ich bin kein Experte für israelische und westasiatische Angelegenheiten, obwohl ich mich intensiv mit dem beschäftige, was echte Experten auf diesem Gebiet Stunde für Stunde, Tag für Tag sagen. Darüber hinaus ermutigt mich die Gemeinsamkeit der zerstörerischen Führungsrolle der USA sowohl in der Ukraine als auch im Gazastreifen dazu, Einladungen von verantwortungsvollen und viel beachteten Sendern wie WION anzunehmen, wie ich es gestern Mittag getan habe.

Siehe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nv77wAv-WHA

Ich weise auf die Art und Weise hin, wie der indische Moderator dieses Interview geführt hat. Er und vermutlich auch das Produktionsteam, das hinter ihm steht, kennen den Sachverhalt genau und sind zu ihren eigenen Schlussfolgerungen gelangt. Die befragte Person, also ich, wird befragt, um diese Schlussfolgerungen durch die Bestätigung eines externen Experten in Szene zu setzen.

In der Einleitung des Moderators werde ich übrigens in Brüssel verortet, während ich mich in Wirklichkeit bis zum 14. Mai in St. Petersburg, Russland, aufhalte.

Transcription below by a reader

Anchor: 0:02
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has gone on for more than 200 days, with the Palestinian enclave now having been reduced virtually to rubble. While the declared objectives of both sides have not been achieved, let’s in fact take a look as to what is known so far in this Israeli offensive.

So let’s start with a phase one of a truce proposal. The Egyptian-Qatari agreement demands for a temporary cessation of hostilities between Hamas and Israel. This of course has been the go-to phrase, “temporary cessation of hostilities”. Now the agreement also demands for the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the east, away from the more densely populated areas of Gaza, and towards the border between Israel and the Palestinian enclave. Now the Israeli airplanes and drones would also stop flying over Gaza for at least about 10 hours every day, and for 12 hours on the days when the captives are released. Hamas would then gradually release about 33 Israeli captives; and for every civilian that Hamas lets go to walk, Israel will have to release about 30 Palestinian civilians who at this moment are detained in Israeli prisons. Now for every Israeli soldier, woman soldier, who was captured and who will now be released by Hamas, Israel will have to release about 50 Palestinian prisoners.

1:21
And then, in the second phase of the truce proposal, there would be a permanent end to Israel’s military operations and also for a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza. There would also be another prisoner swap, this time involving all the remaining Israeli men, including the soldiers held captive in the Gaza Strip. The Israelis would be released in return [for] a yet-unspecified number of Palestinian prisoners.

The third phase would see an exchange of the remains of captives and prisoners held by both sides. On the development side this phase would also involve a three- to five-year reconstruction period for Gaza and perhaps more significantly, an end to the Israeli blockade of the Palestinian enclave, that they’ve put in a blockade ever since 2006.

2:05
Now Israel has said that it does not agree to the proposal, but that it will engage in further talks to try and secure an agreement. And this all the while pushing on with its assault on the Gaza Strip. Let’s also take a look as to what is currently happening in Rafah. Rafah is Gaza’s southernmost city and governorate. It borders Egypt. And before the war, Rafah had a population of about 275,000 people. And now, according to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for the Palestinian refugees, there are 1.4 million Palestinians who sought shelter there, and half of them are said to be children.

2:42
An Israeli army spokesperson has said that it is evacuating about a hundred thousand Palestinians from Rafah. While the Palestinians have been asked to evacuate, the big question of course is: where have they been told to go? Now according to the IDF forces, this of course is the area, the one that you’re seeing in the red, [that] is the place where Palestinians have been asked to flee. This is Al-Mawas, and this displacement, according to the Israelis, will be temporary. Now there were airdrop leaflets that stated that residents living in Rafah must immediately flee to Al Mawas. And this is what is happening at this moment, saying– where the Israelis have further said that if people stay on in Rafah, then they are putting their own lives at risk. About 40,000 tents, which can each accommodate about 12 people, have been built in the Khan Yunis area, for people who will have to flee from Rafah.

3:32
Israel will also withdraw the Nahal Brigade from the Netzaim corridor, which cuts across Gaza, dividing it into northern and southern sections, and is now redeploying about six brigades with about 3,000 to 5,000 soldiers each to a base near Rafah. And according to various reports, the operation will be conducted with artillery, air and naval support, plus electromagnetic and intelligence operations that likely last many months.

3:57
Now, to discuss this and much more, and also the consequences of what an offensive on Rafah would, of course, mean, we’re being joined by Dr Gilbert Doktorow, who’s an author, historian and a political commentator, and is joining us live from [Petersburg]. Now, Dr Doktorow, this is a crucial moment in this war. We’ve been talking about it for the last seven months. And now Israel has begun, we’re given to understand, sending in its tanks. It has also, at this moment, taken control of the crossing, the Rafah border crossing with Egypt. You know, tell us what this military operation would actually mean. The United Nations has described it as going to be a catastrophic operation if it goes ahead.

Doctorow: 4:37
I think the emphasis has to be put on your last words, “if it goes ahead”. The Israelis are positioning themselves to apply maximum pressure on Hamas to accept a minimum of advantages coming from a ceasefire and exchange of hostages or prisoners. This is the obvious point. Israel, Mr Netanyahu, wishes to present itself as the victor, as the ones dictating the terms of any ceasefire and of any ultimate settlement of the Gaza war. At the same time, behind this facade, there is a different reality. And that reality is the position taken by the United States in the last few days. The United States military assistance and continuing supply of weaponry to Israel is a necessary precondition for Israel to prosecute the attack on Rafah that it is now talking about so loudly.

Anchor: 5:46
So the question that I want to ask you is obviously this: I mean, the Israelis have been taking part in these negotiations for a truce deal to try and get hostages back. There have been protests that have been going on, you know across the state of Israel, where family members of those who have been taken into custody by Hamas, they’re demanding that Netanyahu must strike a truce deal. Do you think Netanyahu has shown enough sincerity in actually going ahead with the negotiations to secure the release of the Israeli hostages who for seven months have been in the Gaza Strip?

Doctorow: 6:19
Sincerity and Mr Netanyahu are not compatible terms. This is true of politicians in general. It comes with the trade. But Mr Netanyahu is a special case. And by that I mean: his lies and his distortion of the realities for the sake of Israeli aggrandizement are unprecedented. Now, the real question is not the sincerity of Mr Netanyahu, nor is it the sincerity of Joe Biden. Joe Biden is not a Boy Scout either. But what we really are talking about is the ability of Mr Biden to tolerate any further atrocities by Israel in the Gaza Strip, considering the domestic political situation in the United States.

Anchor: 7:18
And it’s interesting that you have brought in the role that is played by the United States of America. Although we talk about it as being an Israeli offensive, the fact is, this is essentially an offensive that Israel is carrying out with American weapons. And the scale of the American involvement in this offensive is something that is not appreciated. The Israelis are using American weapons, the Israelis are using American intelligence, American satellites, and also American data on which targets to strike next.

With that being the scale of the American involvement, and also looking at the protests that have broken out, do you think this war will cause Joe Biden to pay a political price in the presidential elections?

Doctorow: 7:57
It is precisely to avoid paying that price that Biden is reportedly telling Netanyahu, “The game is up. And if you proceed with this offensive that you are talking about so loudly, you will not have American weapons, which means you will fail badly.” The reason for Mr Biden’s position has nothing to do with humanitarian concerns. The man is callous and is morally in the same camp as Mr Netanyahu. The issue is political survival, and the recent student university demonstrations have shown that Biden cannot win the election if this continues as it has, and if he is not showing some resistance to the atrocities of the Israelis.

Anchor: 8:47
All right. We’ll have to leave it there. Thank you very much indeed, Dr Doctorow, for joining us and giving us that perspective there.

Doctorow:
Thank you.