The “Human Shield” Fallacy
By Jonathan Kuttab
Truth is the first casualty in war.
In the “fog of war,” it can sometimes be difficult to find the truth. Serious work has to be done, with access to conflicting sources of information, in order to approximate the truth of what is happening in situations of conflict.
One clear instance of this is the claim, repeated as if it were established truth, that Hamas hides behind civilians and deliberately places its weapons, fighters, and command centers in highly populated areas in order to benefit from the protection they offer and thus make it harder for the “ethical Israelis” to attack them.
Recently, this claim was repeated by Secretary of State Blinken when he commented that Hamas hides its forces in and beneath hospitals, schools, bakeries, residential buildings, mosques, and churches. It seems Israel, therefore, is given carte blanche to bomb said hospitals, schools, bakeries, residential buildings, mosques, and churches, with the excuse that such unmistakably civilian locations have become legitimate military targets.
However, not one bit of objective evidence has been presented by Israel that indeed this is the case.
I must admit that I myself fell for that particular fallacy, knowing that the Gaza strip is so tiny and so densely populated that any “military installation” is by necessity within a mile or two of civilian infrastructure by mere operation of geography. The truth, however, as presented by Palestinian-American legal analyst George Bisharat, is that no evidence whatsoever has been provided to date that Hamas uses its own people as human shields or that its elusive tunnels are in fact built under particular hospitals and schools. In a recent interview, Norwegian doctor Mads Gilbert, with 16 years of experience working at Al-Shifa Hospital in Gaza, denounced the Israeli claim that the hospital doubles as a Hamas command center. He asked to be shown any evidence or proof to the claim, a claim Israel has been making since at least 2009. I realize it is quite possible that there may be such cases, but we have not been provided any objective evidence of them. Rather, we are expected to accept such claims as an article of faith.
The twisted beauty of the “human shields” accusation is that it justifies and exonerates Israel for its massive attacks on civilian facilities and the horrendous toll they take on the lives of ordinary Palestinian men, women, and children, while simultaneously maintaining an air of plausibility given Gaza’s geographical limits. In fact, this claim deftly shifts the blame for such horrific casualties directly to Hamas, presenting the group as being totally callous to the suffering of their own people and not just murderous towards Israelis. Israel even uses this method “proactively” by announcing to the world, for example, that Hamas has a major command and control center under the Shifa Hospital. In doing so, Israel justifies its ordering of the hospital’s evacuation, as well as all other hospitals, and thus prepares the global public for its eventual bombing of the hospital—all without providing any evidence.
Furthermore, the accusation provides “moral cover” for what is in reality a genocidal call for revenge against the Palestinian people as a whole. We are shocked that even doctors (90 of them!) have signed a letter asking the Israeli army to attack and destroy all Palestinian hospitals!
Part of what has allowed this narrative to remain so dominant and unchallengeable within the global discourse is the criteria used for believing or disbelieving the news. Statements by Israeli commanders and nebulous “intelligence sources” are taken at face value, even though Israeli officials are known to have repeatedly lied time and again (remember the Shireen Abu Akleh case). Meanwhile, their vaunted intelligence agencies have failed spectacularly to predict, much less locate, Hamas’ tunnels, leaders, and military capabilities. When Israeli leaders claim they are bombing Hamas targets, it is reported as fact. This is so even though the victims are overwhelmingly women and children. No evidence is given that any weapons or fighters were in fact destroyed, as Israel announced it has already bombed 1400 “Hamas targets”.
By the same token, Palestinian sources, including the Palestinian Ministry of Health—which keeps meticulous records of the deaths of Palestinians—is cynically treated by President Biden with skepticism (“I don’t know if their figures are correct”). The media repeats this skepticism, dutifully pointing out that the Ministry is “Hamas-led,” when in fact the Ministry has had an impeccable record of truth and accuracy in its reporting, is comprised of members from multiple parties and none, and it publishes the names, identity card numbers, gender, and approximate age of all the persons it reports as martyrs.
For us, we must take extra care in our consumption of news reports that we vary our sources, to never exclusively rely on the corporate media, to access through the internet such additional sources as the BBC, both Al Jazeera and even Haaretz, and various other non-Western sites as we critically seek to approximate the truth. Always, we must demand evidence and be willing to question the veracity and bias of all sources.
In all cases, we must insist on displaying Christ-like care for all God’s children and mourn the loss of each and every human being, most especially children and noncombatants. We must continue to resist any effort to demonize and dehumanize any population or group, even if we disagree with their political perspective.
Many blessings,
Jonathan Kuttab, FOSNA Executive Director
FOSNA NewS
New Film: "The Law and the Prophets"
Follow the links to watch "The Law and the Prophets," a phenomenal new documentary from director Jonathan Vis. In order to reach as many as possible, Vis made the decision to make the film available online for free, and he personally reached out to FOSNA to help spread the word. The film is an amazing resource, and we are more than happy to do so. Please watch, like, subscribe, and share to get the word out.
About the film:
"In Israel, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, the law is whatever Israel deems to be in the best interest of Jewish Israelis and to the detriment of Palestinians. Israel violates the civil and human rights of Palestinians as a matter of standard, accepted policy. However, there are brave, determined individuals who are trying to expose the destructive, unjust, and sometimes invisible ways in which Israel exploits and oppresses Palestinians. The Law and the Prophets explains the mechanisms of control that Israel deploys to subjugate Palestinians. These mechanisms, some violent and some nonviolent, have been perfected through decades of civil and military rule of Palestinians both within Israel, and in East Jerusalem and the West Bank."
Thank You!
FOSNA raised $5,215 for Al Ahli Hospital in Gaza.
Thanks to your amazing generosity, Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA) has raised $5,215 for Al Ahli hospital in Gaza, in the wake of the bombing of the hospital grounds that killed many Palestinians who were sheltering there from Israeli bombardment. The gift has been channeled through the American Friends of the Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem. The Episcopal Diocese of Jerusalem administers the hospital.
Save the Date: Giving Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Take Action!
Shut it down for Palestine! November 9! We must keep building momentum and increase the pressure with more marches, walk-outs, sit-ins, and other forms of direct action directed at the political offices, businesses, and workplaces that fund, invest, and collaborate with Israeli genocide and occupation. LEARN MORE.
Keep calling. Keep Writing. Don't stop. Stay loud. As evidenced by yesterday's walk out by capitol hill staffers, our pressure is making an impact. Keep it up. CALL NOW.
Take It to the Pews! Our churches and meetings are complicit. They shouldn't be; they don't have to be.
1. Using the template at the following link, contact your local, regional, and national leadership. LEARN MORE.
2. PREACH PALESTINE, and don't stop preaching Palestine. We are collecting a library of resources at the following link. LEARN MORE.
3. Take the Pledge and Join the Apartheid-Free Movement. Now more than ever. LEARN MORE.
4. Stay tuned for updates regarding FOSNA's direct action in Philadelphia.
Get Involved
We invite you to join us in the following events and activities:
November 10: Zoom
Transnational Solidarity Amongst Liberation Theologies: Palestine & Beyond
On Friday, November 10th at 7:00am PT / 10:00am ET, join Sabeel for a transnational and interfaith conversation on liberation theology and solidarity among movements. Speakers include: Naim Ateek of Palestine; Nancy Cardoso of Brazil; Aravind Jeyakumar of India; Farid Esack of South Africa
November 11: Dearborn, MI
Do Justice, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly...
The Intercultural Community Center of Dearborn’s eagerly anticipated Second Annual Palestine-Israel Forum serves as a platform to hear the compelling narratives of life spanning from the Nakba (Catastrophe) in 1948 to contemporary events.
As the conflict persists, we are dedicated to fostering open dialogue and reflection on the Holy Land. It is not just a time for learning but also a time for concerted action and collaboration to seek a just and peaceful resolution.
November 15: Toronto, ON
Peace Is Possible: A Human Rights Pacifist Lawyer Speaks
This year’s James Graff Memorial Lectures (Canadian Friends of Sabeel) features Jonathan Kuttab, an internationally renowned human rights lawyer and author.
This in-person lecture will also be held online for those outside the Toronto area with the purchase of a ticket. For more information contact us: info@friendsofsabeel.ca
Tickets must be bought in advance.
November 19: Online
VFHL Film Salon: "Media and the Palestine Problem"
Is it bias, laziness, fear of being fired, or just plain ignorance? New report after news report offers unbalanced, incomplete, un-contextualized, or just-plain wrong reporting on Israel and Palestine.
What are the consequences of this for public opinion and government policy?
Weekly
Sabeel Prayer Service. Join Sabeel every Thursday (6pm Palestine) for online Bible Study, discussion, and prayer. Examine scripture in light of the ongoing realities confronting the Palestinian Church and the pursuit of Palestinian liberation.
Wave of Prayer. Subscribe to receive Sabeel's Wave of Prayer, enabling friends of Sabeel around the world to pray over issues of critical concern to the Holy Land on a weekly basis.
Kumi Now! October: November 12 to November 18 - Children's Rights
Kumi Now is an online gathering every Tuesday (6pm Palestine) with a guest speaking on the weekly topic. Register here.
As people around the world celebrate Universal Children’s Day this month, we are reminded that Palestinian children are denied the human rights and opportunities available to children elsewhere in the world including only a short distance away in the settlements and Israel. Now, our grief for the thousands of children being denied their most basic right to live is beyond words, as is our heartbreak over those permanently traumatized.