Exposed: Hasbara, the dark art of spinning Israel’s war on Gaza
The other day British journalist Piers Morgan interviewed Israel’s ambassador to the UK, Tzipi Hotovely on his Youtube program, Piers Morgan Uncensored. Morgan had been a staunch Israel defender until a couple of weeks ago, when he reversed his position. He called Israel's war on Gaza, "shameful war" and a "forever war". On the program, Ambassador Hotovely told Morgan that Israel had killed over 30,000 members of Hamas. That’s 50% of the people killed in Gaza to date were Hamas militants.
Let that sink in.
In Canada, 68,000 people are in the Canadian armed forces. That is only 0.17% of the population. In the UK, 100,000 are in the British army. That works out to only 0.15% of the population. In Gaza, the 30,000 Hamas dead represent 1.5% of the population!
Conservative estimates are that Israel has killed just under 60,000 Palestinians in Gaza. Ambassador Hotovely says half the dead were Hamas-linked – whether fighters, or civilians. She said she had no idea how many were children; no one is keeping the figures. It’s a little hard to believe.
The estimate is that up to 10,000 kids are buried under buildings Israel’s missiles destroyed. More than 16,000 children were murdered by the IDF (Israeli Defense Forces). Just how many of the dead Hamas fighters were children? Were there any Hamas supporters among the thousands of murdered babies, toddlers and preteens?
Israel’s ambassador to UK on the hot seat
Here is part of Piers Morgan’s interview with Tzipi Hotolevy on 28 May. Hotovely was so outmaneuvered by Morgan that you can tell Israel has lost the Hasbara war. One almost feels sorry for her (but not quite.)
Tzipi Hotolevy (TH): Israel is not killing children. Israel is not killing children. Hamas is using children as human shields.
Piers Morgan (PM): Israel is killing children every single day.
TH: This is a blood libel you’re putting on Israel. You know it’s not true.
PM: No, it’s not actually. What you’re trying to do is be very weaselly with your words. The truth is, you are killing a lot of children you would argue you’re not doing it.
TH: No Hamas is using them as human shields
PM: You are killing children on a daily basis. That is indisputable. My interesting question to you is how come you know exactly how many Hamas terrorists you’ve killed but you have no idea how many children you’ve killed?…
TH: Are you familiar with international law?—answer my question. Because international humanitarian law says very clearly as long as you are targeting civilian targets, you’re allowed to attack hospitals if you know there are terrorists. [what? ed.] Israel is not deliberately killing children. And this accusation is a fake thing you keep saying again and again when you know we’re a democratic country that cares about human rights. Hamas is deliberating using the children as human shields.
Since when is asking about how many children Israel killed a blood libel?
Well, Piers Morgan interviewed another Israeli “expert” or apologist— this time a lawyer — on 3 June.
Below: 2025 Cartoon by Carlos Latuff (Brazil)
22 New West Bank Settlements coming…
Natasha Hausdorff, a British Jew, is a London-based barrister, an international law expert and a member of the pro-Israel lobbying group UK Lawyers for Israel. Wikipedia says that Hausdorff “has stated that she opposes the creation of an independent Palestinian state, arguing it has no foundation in international law, and that Israel is the legitimate sovereign power over the West Bank.”
Piers Morgan asked her about the 22 new Jewish settlements in the West Bank that the Israeli government recently approved. He noted the international community views the settlements as illegal. Hausdorff responded,
“‘Illegal’ settlements is a misnomer, it’s a misapplication of international law to the status of the territories. These blood libels, occupation, ethnic cleansing, colonialism, apartheid and genocide ae all part and parcel of the propaganda …”
There we have it. Both spokeswomen (one’s directly employed by Israel, the other may be missing a pay cheque) claimed it was a blood libel to say that Israel kills children. In addition, the lawyer said that everything that “Israel stands accused of
The occupation
Ethnic cleansing
Colonialism
Apartheid
Genocide “
boils down to “blood libel”—meaning we can’t talk about it because it ‘falsely’ accuses the Jews (the Israelis) of killing, or doing very bad things. Originally, blood libel referred to Jews during the middle ages in Europe accused of killing Christian children and baking their blood into Passover matzoh. Clearly it was a dangerous lie that invited Jew hatred. So when both spokeswomen on Pier Morgan’s show shouted “Blood libel” –how convenient. Israel’s military is ranked fourth in the world, behind Russia, the US, and China. The IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) continues to murder hundreds of Gazans each week by dropping 2000 pound bombs, dispatching armed drones and missiles, and sending snipers to shoot at starving children, women and men queuing for food. This is over and above the 55,000 Palestinians Israel killed in the 19 months of Israel’s war on Gaza. But it’s a blood libel to use any of the terms above that accurately describe what Israel is doing and what Canada’s establishment Jews continue to defend.
Photo at the top: “Unbroken Spirit: Worship Amid Destruction” by Abdelrahman Alkahlout (Palestine), a professional photographer since 2009. This photo won 3rd prize in the 1839 Awards competition, May 2025.