Comment: Watching American TV in Beirut

A selection of comments sent to us in response to Habib Battah’s editorial Watching American TV in Beirut.  

All countries are evacuating their citizens but who will evacuate the Lebanese? The Lebanese should also be rescued and evacuated from Lebanon, they are also civilians in a war zone, but there is no one to save them.
Furqan, India

Though the media here do not show headless and armless babies, they do show destruction on both sides. Bush and Olmert have entered into endless war when the opportunity for diplomacy was so obvious.
George McGinnis, US

 

The US news is a web of lies and deception that will back Israel all the way simply because the US is a big backer of Israel.
Brendan, Australia


Wanted to say how much I appreciated the article about the inappropriate reporting (if you can call it reporting) coming out of American media. It’s obvious that no one in the media is trying to understand what’s going on. They are obviously following a script.

 

I found out recently that Wolf Blitzer was a reporter for the Jerusalem Post years ago. This would explain his skewing of the news.
Peggy, US

In Australia we are suffering the opposite with our media. We are flooded with stories and sympathetic commentary about Lebanon and Hezbollah and ignoring Israel.

Little explanation is being given about Hezbolla’s tactics, which endanger Lebanese civilians and infrastructure. Israel‘s mistakes are highlighted while Hezbollah’s targeting of Israeli civilians and infrastructure is given very poor coverage.
Ben, Australia

We get a lot of facts wrong. But let me point out some things you cannot dispute. Hezbollah started and perfected suicide bombing against civilians. Their ultimate goal is the destruction of Israel, which would mean killing women and children. All the rockets that have been fired have been targeting civilian targets, again women and children.

 

Hezbollah operates inside cities and villages in order to hide among people, so if they are hit they can at least get some protection.
Duane Coad, US

I care deeply for the people that are being killed and displaced, whether in Lebanon or Israel.

Those peoples have suffered so much for so long, it is heartbreaking. I wish they would not see all American people as the enemy. We are all just people, trying to survive in this world.
Chris Miller, US

 

If those Lebanese Americans were Israeli Americans waiting to be evacuated from a war zone, the US government would have evacuated them within hours after the first bombings started.
Paul, US

I think one sees what one wants to see. I don’t just watch American TV, I browse the world for a balanced viewpoint, that is why I am here on Aljazeera.


My impression is that most of the world media are either very anti-Israeli or trying to remain neutral.
Ian, UK

You minimise any and all acts of aggression done by Hezbollah, but you never even mentioned Hezbollah’s attack and subsequent kidnapping of Israeli soldiers, which triggered the conflict in the first place. 

Ben, US 

Source: Al Jazeera