The dangers of writing about the new UN Report on Gaza

By now you know the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC) has published its new Report on the Gaza-Israel war of 2014 (“Report of the detailed findings of the Commission of Inquiry on the 2014 Gaza Conflict”, ohchr. org). If you read this blog, you’ve seen more than one essay about this Report. You know (shudder) there will be more.

If a writer is sensitive about maintaining high readership numbers, writing about this Report could be dangerous. The topic doesn’t seem to attract readers. It seems to repel readers. At least, that’s my short-term experience.

Is that true? Do these stories repel you—or keep you away?

I can think of only one reason pro-Israel readers could be repelled by such essays: they already know that a Report from the UNHRC will be biased, one-sided and prejudiced against Israel. They know what the Report’s conclusions will be. Therefore, why should they read about something when they already know the beginning, middle and end of it?

It’s a good question. I hope my readers won’t abandon this blog because I’ve stubbornly chosen to continue to beat this toxic topic.

I’ve got a number of essays to write about this story. I’m going to do that because I believe more writers should take on the Report. Confront it. Point out why it can’t stand a simple truth test. Show where it fails. Show how these Israel-haters think. Show how they misrepresent law to criminalize Israel.

Rip off their mask of professionalism. Let the world see how venal they are.

Talk about how this Report hurts the world more than it hurts Israel (I’ve hinted at this in today’s post below). Beat it to the death it deserves so that no one will dare do it again.

Nevertheless, despite such bravado, I don’t want to frighten away my readers. For me, that would be self-defeating. I don’t want my readers to look elsewhere for analysis and news comment. I want to stay on your ‘go-to’ list.

So I’ve got a plan. If you’re tired of ‘THE REPORT’, I’ll help you. I’m going to try to give you something each day that is NOT ‘UN REPORT’. Each day I write, I’ll try to publish a non-UN story.

In addition, each time I do publish a ‘UN REPORT’ story, I’ll try to make sure that, if you don’t care to read it, you’ll have something else to read here instead.

I want you to have a fresh reason each day to visit the blog. I’d be pleased if you’ll stay with me.

Thanks!