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Bruce Logan's avatar

An informative and helpful article Simon. It is difficult to break through the Hamas propaganda that sucks in so many people and the willingness of the New Zealand media to participate in the delusion.

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A van Rijn's avatar

The maddening hypocrisy of it all is that the likes of Phil Goff are supporting the actual genocidal maniacs - HAMAS which has actually put its genocidal intentions on paper for all to read and on October 7th put those words into action.

There is no bringing HAMAS around - it is a cancer that needs to be cut out.

There is no educating the useful western idiots that are so rabidly anti-Israel - unfortunately their voices are amplified by the equally useless western left leaning media, Stuff at the forefront. I just hope that sufficient people keep publishing sufficient balancing viewpoints via sufficient alternative channels to keep our fair weather politicians from concluding that the sheeples are buying into the “Hamas good, Israel bad, Palestinians blameless” mantra they’re bombarded with.

Simon - Hopefully NZME will soon start providing more balanced reporting - have you thought of submitting your opinion piece to them to see if they are now prepared to actually compete with Stuff by moving towards the centre (ie a balanced mix of left, centrist, and right leaning opinion pieces matches with neutral reporting based on fact and science)?

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

I will likely be writing more; I have a few other thoughts in mind so if I do, will be new as this one was specifically directed at Goff's article.

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Tony Richards's avatar

Thanks Simon. Why is the truth failing to get traction here? My kids argue with me and storm out, they’ve all been played. And now Peters!

I was at a University graduation last week and a recipient waved the Palestinian flag onstage, and people cheered, I booed and suffered the wrath of those around me.

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

I think one reason is the the Gaza/Palestinian issue is a proxy issue - by this, I mean it's the issue the radicalised uni students attach their virtue signalling too. For many, they've been taught the West is bad, Christianity is false, everything is colonised etc and so waving this flag becomes a useful expression of this.

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Tony Richards's avatar

Thanks, good answer, yes, collective guilt about western values and the support of what they see as the ‘oppressed’. Sam Harris suggests it originally came from the righteous civil right movement in the US, but got flipped. ‘Free Palestine’ used as a slogan of emancipation from racism and repression. Years of anti Israel propaganda on social media has created a generation of fools who think ‘the land was stolen’. and know nothing of the years of efforts to create a peaceful coexistence that the arabs always rejected. Our government should be openly supporting Israel. Look at the rise of jihadist attacks around the world. We are all in Israel now.

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Pirate Hag's avatar

I don’t get it either and I’m a former lefty Labour-Green voter & have picketed the Israeli Embassy many years ago! The establishment Left, PMC/graduate classes are completely tribal and indulge in motivated reasoning (same with some on the Right). The digital era makes it even worse. Seems people who look at the facts and are prepared to change their minds are fewer than we thought.

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Just Boris's avatar

Well written Simon. The media spin is sucked up by the gullible. And Goff was a fool to start with. How dare he make such a politically naive statement as a NZ representative. Mind you, Winston Peters’ comment in today’s Herald banning Israeli Ministers and comparing Israel to Russia, Myanmar & Belarus makes me wanna cry for the ignorance of our leaders. There’s a bad guy in this story. And then there’s a brave country fighting for its existence. Hamas started it, Israel will finish it.

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

I find the act quite unbalanced on several levels, including that they do not ban Ministers from authoritarian countries with terrible human rights records. The other aspect is technical insofar as Russia and Belarus is sanctioned via a particular piece of legislation. What they have done here is a travel ban, so done via Minister of Immigration I assume.

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Just Boris's avatar

Yes Simon, the hypocrisy and selective morality is notable. The double standards applied to Israel in this war are beyond comprehension:

1. Which other country at war has had to feed its enemy's population? (and has actually tried to do that with 1.8m tonnes of aid that were stolen by Hamas, and still Israel cops grief from the media!)

2. Which other country that is the target of ongoing multiple rocket attacks is not allowed to pursue its aggressors?

3. Which other country has sacrificed its own soldiers to reduce civilian casualties (and has the lowest civvy to combatant ratio in history)

4. Which other country has prevailed against multiple opponents with its hands tied by ignorant fucktards like the UN?

5. Which other country actually provided the so-called '2 state' solution in 2005 (pulling out its own citizens and leaving considerable agricultural infrastructure behind) and then had its women and children attacked by complete barbarians.

6. Which other country is accused of genocide when only the enemy swears to kill every single person in Israel?

7. Which country is accused of being authoritarian but is the only real democracy in the area & has large numbers people from the enemies religion living happily within it and fighting FOR Israel as part of the IDF?

This list could go on. And on. Nobody likes to see innocents killed, but for goodness sake, stop blaming Israel for this war.

Sorry, that was a long rant, but I am just so pissed off with all the crap about Israel being flung around at the moment.

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Stephen's avatar

Goff being a Leftist would naturally have this viewpoint! It's something about how their brains are wired!

There is a disconnect between reality & their already biased preconceived view against those who they like to label as the 'oppressors' that ties nicely into their Marxist worldview, underpinned by the 'Dialectic'!

Just as in LA now it is the 'oppressive' Trump Regime causing the chaos, when in reality they are working to fix the mess Biden caused allowing millions of illegals into the country! NOT the fact that the protestors are themselves breaking the law turning up prepared with pallets of concrete blocks set in place to throw at police & others, & set cars on fire! Yes, another peaceful protest - 'a veritable summer of love'!

It was Hamas who murdered, violated men, women & children, took hostages & filmed & spread it all over the world!

What else should Israel do! If Hamas had returned the hostages, that would be an act of good faith & a place to negotiate from!

For 1300 years from Muhammed on, Islam has been terrorising & conquering peoples & nations up until the Ottoman Empire including Christian nations! What was Constantinople before it became Istanbul? Hence we have 49 Muslim nations in the world & one small Jewish state!

If 'right of conquest' achieved that for Islam, then Israel can have her tiny homeland for sure!

Essentially Hamas has engaged in one massive PR stunt to gain the world's sympathy, backed by a godless Western media!

Again another classic 'sympathy for the devil' ploy, & Hamas doesn't care how many of their own people they kill or are killed - they are all 'martyrs' now receiving their reward in heaven!

Again the UN Globalists are behind this & running the 'show'!

Bottom line, Israel has the right to self-defence!

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Gordon Lynch's avatar

It’s not easy to maintain perspective in the face of such unrelenting misinformation & outright deception in all media channels. Personally, I find my “ground zero” in the promise of God’s word, the final authority: “ I am then: did God reject His people? By no means! …”I have reserved for myself seven thousand who have not bowed the knee to Baal”. So too, AT THE PRESENT TIME there is a remnant chosen by grace”. Romans 11:1,4-5

The enemies of Israel cannot finally prevail for the simple reason that the outcome of the battle is not to be decided in the temporal, but has already been determined in the spiritual realm. God is faithful in His covenant with Israel.

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ExtremeKiwi's avatar

Well put Simon, your first person account trumps Phil Goff's perspective in every way possible.

Our media are a disgrace to journalism and mislead according to international dictates. Following the money trail seems to lead back through UN & WEF to the Bank of International Settlements - who would seem to be a law unto themselves. In other words, there is absolutely nothing we can do in New Zealand to fix media bias.

Keep up the great work!

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Mike Houlding's avatar

Media bias must be resisted. First by not buying it - second by getting more and more involved with social media - Substack in particular.

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

agreed, I am quite enjoying the breadth of views here on Substack and it also goes around the frequent bias in legacy media.

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Graeme Reeves's avatar

Thanks for bringing some balance to the debate Simon.

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Isabel Worboys's avatar

Thank you Simon. Brilliant rebuttal. The gross ignorance on the part of our politicians, media, and other supposedly intelligent leaders in our country is appalling and does not bid well for our future.

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Mike Houlding's avatar

Great comment - but very sad. Sad for the horror that is ongoing - the terror of the hostages and the population - and sad for the dereliction of duty shown by Stuff. Sad and amazed too, that so many see Israel in terms of aggression. More power to your pen Simon.

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Hone's avatar

Talking of politicians, how about investigating our ex prime minister who was responsible for UNRWA, did she know that she was funding Hamas tunnels, weapons and enrichment of it's leaders? If she did, she is evil, if she didn't she is incompetent.

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

I raised UNWRA funding while I chaired foreign affairs many times, including tabling evidence. Successive governments, including the current one, turn a blind eye.

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op's avatar

Not surprised unfortunately -he was a good buddy of Palestinian leaders - Goff criticised over Arafat meeting https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/goff-criticised-over-arafat-meeting/PGVI3GDLFZQTXNZWVJFA57IV6Y/

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

Ha, I had missed that! He was also responsible for sending our troops to the likes of Afghanistan with all the issues that arose from that.

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Hal Short's avatar

Well put Simon

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Keith Payne's avatar

What you have described here is unfortunately so commonplace for MSM in NZ. Kiwi's are generally poorly advised on what actually is happening as a result. Netanyahu is certainly a concern but the Israel people will sort him out once HAMAS is gone. Take comfort that several Palestinian militia groups are now taking action against HAMAS, they have had enough bullying and threatening of their extended families for too long. Yes they did the labour to build the tunnels, under duress, but now they still see them full of food, medicine and weapons as people starve. The UN are yet to have their accounting, complicity working through aid agency UNWRA and the Red Crescent needs to be more widely recognised . . . .

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Allister Rose's avatar

Thanks for your sensible voice in this Simon.

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BERYL HARRISON's avatar

Thank you Simon - I cannot understand , how people do not see who is the guilty party , instigating this horror .

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Simon O'Connor's avatar

I suppose part of what we need to do is understand those that do, and adjust our messaging accordingly.

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