New in PJ Media:
The New York Times wants you to weep for the people of Gaza, and for what Hamas’ massacre of 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7, which Gazans cheered in large numbers, has brought upon them. In service of that goal, on Christmas Eve the Paper of Record ran a weepy piece by a prominent Gazan, someone who has witnessed the Israeli incursion firsthand. Did the Times give this plumb editorial space to a “moderate” Gazan, a known foe of the Hamas regime, one of those “innocent Palestinians” who have nothing, nothing whatsoever, to do with Hamas? Uh, not quite.
“I Am Gaza City’s Mayor. Our Lives and Culture Are in Rubble,” was written by Yahya R. Sarraj and published in the Times on Sunday. The Times identifies the author in terms that make him sound like an airy, inoffensive intellectual: “Dr. Sarraj is the mayor of Gaza City and a former rector of the University College of Applied Sciences there. He wrote from Gaza City.”
Yahya R. Sarraj, you see, is no terrorist, he’s a mild-mannered professor. But what the Times doesn’t bother to remind its hapless readers about is the fact that Hamas controls Gaza, and no one can hold the position of being mayor of the largest city in the Gaza Strip without being either an active Hamas member or entirely sympathetic with the terror group’s outlook and goals. Sarraj even alludes to this matter-of-factly in his piece, writing: “One of my major goals after the Hamas administration appointed me mayor in 2019 was to improve the city’s seafront and foster the opening of small businesses along it to create jobs.”
Sarraj spends the bulk of his article doing his best to move the reader to rage against Israel. “As a teenager in the 1980s,” he says, “I watched the construction of the intricately designed Rashad al-Shawa Cultural Center in Gaza City, named after one of Gaza’s greatest public figures, and its theater, grand hall, public library, printing press and cultural salon.”
This place was so impressive that Sarraj says even Bill Clinton visited it while he was president; it was, in fact, “the gem of Gaza City,” and it meant a great deal to Sarraj personally: “Watching it being built inspired me to become an engineer, which led to a career as a professor and, in the footsteps of al-Shawa, as mayor of Gaza City. Now that gem is rubble. It was destroyed by Israeli bombardment.”
Sarraj claims that “Israel, which began its blockade of Gaza more than 16 years ago and has maintained what the United Nations and human rights groups call an ongoing occupation for far longer, is destroying life here.” Destroying life! Sixteen years ago, in 2007, the population of Gaza was 1,416,543, up from 1,022,207 in 1997. In 2023, it’s 2.2 million, 64% higher than it was in 2007. If the Israelis are “destroying life” in Gaza and even committing a genocide, as many have charged, they’re doing a remarkably ineffective job of it.
There is more. Read the rest here.
mgoldberg says
“Sarraj claims that “Israel, which began its blockade of Gaza more than 16 years ago and has maintained what the United Nations and human rights groups call an ongoing occupation for far longer, is destroying life here.” Destroying life! Sixteen years ago, in 2007, the population of Gaza was 1,416,543, up from 1,022,207 in 1997. In 2023, it’s 2.2 million, 64% higher than it was in 2007. If the Israelis are “destroying life” in Gaza and even committing a genocide, as many have charged, they’re doing a remarkably ineffective job of it.”
It’s unreal… they get away with this turnspeak, this god awful lying and self deception disorder, and these writers of this bilge, get published as if it were all so touchingly sentimental for them and the Times. Meanwhile it’s a ripping apart of Israel, a destructive distortion, aimed at ripping that nation into the nothing pieces from which they were 75yrs ago forced to rebuild a now thriving nation. It is an abomination and I wish there were an avalanche of truth tellers to shame that scurrilous newspaper of deception into the oblivion it truly deserves
Interested reader says
Mr Spencer is an amazing researcher and writer, having the ability to describe perfectly what islam and its supporters are doing to our once beautiful societies. And let me tell you mgoldberg, your ability with words is just as good – I read your last paragraph 3 times because I enjoyed your way with words that much. Kudos to you; keep it up.
Joe says
May Allah wipe Sarraj out as well
bill says
What he says contradicts the claims made yesterday by a journalist that Gaza is like a Nazi ghetto in WW2. I do not think the inhabitants of the ghetto who who were being starved to death built any intricately designed cultural centres, Nor did they have luxury tourist hotels (see Booking.com and Trip Advisor). Well at least Hamas did not only use their concrete for tunnels!.
What noone ever refers to is the only reason for Israel’s strict control over what gets into Gaza is to stop the repeated murders of Israeli citizens by suicide and other terrorist attacks. There was actually no occupation of Gaza and no Israeli forces were present in Gaza. If Hamas just gave up its oft stated aims to eliminate the sovereign state of Isrrael and cease trying to murder Jews, which was why it turned to rocketing Israel’s towns as easy access to Israel was denied to them, there would be no need of any controls. Prior to 7/10 thousands of palestinians entered Israel for work every day anyway.These are all well know facts but the Western media chooses to repeat Hamas’ lies rather tha the print the truth.
Rick Olsha says
AM ISRAEL CHAI !!!!!
FYI says
“Our lives and Culture are in Ruins”
Maybe you should have thought about that before you attacked Israel which belongs to the God of Israel.the god of hamas{allah/hunbaal} the god of the kaaba is NOT the Biblical God.Hamas subscibe to ‘allah’
allah/islam for Jews I KINGS 18.21
replace baal with allah {=hubaal.the god of the kaaba}
The koran CURSES Jews and insists muslims not be friends with Jews/Christians koran 5:51.The gharqad tree prophecy is surely known.
allah/isam for Christians 2 Cor 4:4.allah’s greatest enemy is a man called the King Of Kongs{Sahih Muslim vol 4 hadith#5611}
The Jews are supposed to dwell in Israel.The Land of Israel was attacked.Innocent peope were massacred by hamas.
See Joel chapter 3 v 19-21
FYI says
A man goes to a pub punches a big guy in the face but realizes he can’t win so he kidnaps his wife and family and runs off and hides in a cave.The big guy comes after him ,releases his family and understandably and justfiably,puts the perpetrator in Hospital
Then the perpetrator calls the media from his Hospital Bed.
“The guy who came after me was a big bully.I am the victim here.What did I do wrong?
My life is in ruins and my body is in bits.It is not fair {bawling}”
Who caused this?
HAMAS and their toxic cult islam.
Why Gaza really is in rubble?
Joel 3 v 19-21
And the Israelis are the bad guys?..they are fighting against the same evil murderous cult that is attacking Christians.
Jews and Christians are the People of the Book.That’s the Bible.
Glenn Jerry says
NYT surges in the national Islamopandering derby.
OLD GUY says
Who really owns the NYT? Have we also allowed our media to be owned and controlled by foreign governments or their operatives? When the wealthy can sell everything and anything to the highest bidder, even enemies of state this is what you end up with. It’s about time we elect individuals who will pass laws that actually protect American citizens and not just the Rich, the Corporations and the Foreign investors.
OLD GUY says
Who really owns the NYT? Have we also allowed our media to be owned and controlled by foreign governments or their operatives? When the wealthy can sell everything and anything to the highest bidder, even enemies of state this is what you end up with. It’s about time we elect individuals who will pass laws that actually protect American citizens and not just the Rich, the Corporations and the Foreign investors.
WPM says
The same people who run the Times today would have condemned our bombing of German and Japanese cities in 1943-1945??The Times that backs the never ending mayhem in the Ukraine with not peace plans in sight .. THe Times ,backs a known terrorist organization Hamas who only goal is to wipe Israel off the map ,a goal it is willing to kill all its own people to the last ones while the leader of Hamas hold up in foreign 5 star hotel and feast on high end food and high end escort girls they steals billions in aid meant for their own people..
James Lincoln says
WPM,
To your point, I don’t think that the Allies would have won World War II under present-day rules of engagement – as well as lack of support from the mainstream media.
WPM says
True war is a very bloody messy business ,the people of Israel do not want to wipe off the face of the earth. They have every right to defend themselves from Hamas who start this bloody messy business I pray to God that Israel will finish it on their terms with Hamas wipe off the face of the earth and the leaders of Hamas no longer breathing oxygen. Nothing less then that will encourage more jihad against Israel and the rest of the world.
James Lincoln says
Agree 100%, WPM.
Troybeam says
Supporting Hamas is allowing them to attack the world & they are just getting started.
Roland says
The NEW YORK TIMES is nothing but a left wing rag of a newspaper anylonger, when will any balance return to their articles?
It’s disgusting!
chrissy01 says
I do not quite get it. Someone please explain! Gaza was also inhabited by Israeli citizens and under Israeli control until 2005, when they turned the whole region over to “Palestinians”. It was called “Land for Peace”. They ran hothouses and a veritable mediterranean agriculture there successfully, which meant work for many Palis. When leaving, Israel made the same hothouses a gift to the Palis who dismantled them in no time for the spareparts and they lie in ruins since. Now how is Israel occupying a stretch of land that it turned completely over to Palis??? I don’t follow. am serious about this question. Please someone take the trouble and explain.
Virtually, with the term “occupation”, they describe the fact, that Israelis are not willing to sit on a silver platter waiting to get extinguished.