The Grayzone has obtained slides from a confidential Israel lobby presentation based on data from Republican pollster Frank Luntz. They contain talking points for politicians and public figures seeking to justify Israel’s assault on the Gaza Strip. Two prominent pro-Israel lobby groups are holding private briefings in New York City to coach elected officials and well-known figures on how to influence public opinion in favor of the Israeli military’s rampage in Gaza, The Grayzone can reveal. These PR sessions, convened […]

Two prominent pro-Israel lobby groups are holding private briefings in New York City to coach elected officials and well-known figures on how to influence public opinion in favor of the Israeli military’s rampage in Gaza, The Grayzone can reveal. These PR sessions, convened by the UJA-Federation and Jewish Community Relations Council, rely on data collected by Frank Luntz, a veteran Republican pollster and pundit.

The Luntz-tested presentations on the war in Gaza urge politicians to avoid trumpeting America’s supposedly shared democratic values with Israel, and focus instead on deploying “The Language of War with Hamas.” According to this framing, they must deploy incendiary language painting Hamas as a “brutal and savage…organization of hate” which has “raped women,” while insisting Israel is engaged in “a war for humanity.”

In one focus group, Luntz asked participants to state which alleged act by Hamas on October 7 “bothers you more.” After being presented with a laundry list of alleged atrocities, a majority declared that they were most upset by the claim that Hamas “raped civilians” – 19 percent than those who expressed outrage that Hamas supposedly “exterminated civilians.”

Data like this apparently influenced the Israeli government to launch an obsessive but still unsuccessful campaign to prove that Hamas carried out sexual assault on a systematic basis on October 7. Initiated at Israel’s United Nations mission in December 2023 with speeches by neoliberal tech oligarch Sheryl Sandberg and former US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, a recipient of hundreds of thousands of dollars in donations and speaking fees from Israel lobby organizations, Tel Aviv’s propaganda blitz has yet to produce a single self-identified victim of sexual assault by Hamas. A March 5 report by UN Special Representative on Sexual Violence Pramila Patten did not contain one direct testimony of sexual assault on October 7. What’s more, Patten’s team said they found “no digital evidence specifically depicting acts of sexual violence.”

  • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    8 months ago

    The UN interviewed multiple eyewitnesses to the rape of Israeli civilians and captives.

    • Dasus@lemmy.world
      0·
      8 months ago

      Oh look, zionist bots on the move again.

      So you do believe what the UN says? So you do believe that Israel is genociding Palestinians.

      Do you believe a terrorist organisation like Hamas raping someone gives a valid justification for a nation-state to commit ethnic cleansing?

      https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/02/israelopt-un-experts-appalled-reported-human-rights-violations-against

      “We are particularly distressed by reports that Palestinian women and girls in detention have also been subjected to multiple forms of sexual assault, such as being stripped naked and searched by male Israeli army officers. At least two female Palestinian detainees were reportedly raped while others were reportedly threatened with rape and sexual violence,” the experts said. They also noted that photos of female detainees in degrading circumstances were also reportedly taken by the Israeli army and uploaded online.

      Israeli rhetoric is more see-through than the shitty attempts at lies by 5-year olds caught with their hand in the cookiejar.

      • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        8 months ago

        The UN said a Gaza genocide Is plausible and a very real threat, and I believe that.

        No, rape obviously does not justify war crimes. At the same time, sympathy for Gazans does not justify ignoring rape. Both sides in this conflict must be held accountable.

        • Dasus@lemmy.world
          0·
          8 months ago

          You imply we’re to believe UN when an IDF soldier invents tall tales, but you don’t think that there is a genocide going on?

          You just think there’s a “a potential” for it, meaning it isn’t happening?

          On a tangent, how do you feel when you see holocaust-deniers?

          “Both sides must be held accountable”

          So your criteria for the behaviour of Israel is that of Hamas, meaning that you don’t expect Israel to act like a civilised nation state, but like an international terrorist organisation? That is what Israel is doing, yes.

          This isn’t a war between two states. It’s Israel ethnically cleansing Palestinians with garbage excuses.

          Israel is actively and willfully committing genocide. That’s an irrefutable fact.

          https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2024/02/israel-defying-icj-ruling-to-prevent-genocide-by-failing-to-allow-adequate-humanitarian-aid-to-reach-gaza/

          • FlowVoid@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            8 months ago

            I never said Hamas is an international terrorist organization. They are the government of Gaza, to be held to the same standards as other governments.

            The UN said genocide is plausible, meaning possibly happening. I defer to their expertise in this matter.

            On a tangent, I condemn holocaust-deniers, and so does the UN.

      • the post of tom joad@sh.itjust.works
        0·
        8 months ago

        Don’t talk to these clowns man, even that is more respect then they deserve.

        Insult them or silently block them. Let them post their hate into the void, unknowing