Paul Rogers, Professor of Peace Studies at Bradford University and openDemocracy’s International Security Editor, summarizes impressions for the first days of the Israel/Lebanon ceasefire and states some observable, but easily overlooked, facts:
What was scarcely mentioned by the politicians were the “ordinary” losers. In Lebanon there were 1,100 people killed, more than 3,600 wounded and 750,000 displaced. In Israel, 157 were killed, 1,500 wounded and 300,000 displaced. Israel’s economy was damaged as economic activity across much of the north ceased, but Lebanon’s infrastructure was far more badly affected; there, 15,000 homes were destroyed, and there was huge damage to bridges, roads, power plants, communications, shops and factories, creating a repair bill of around $7 billion.
The coverage of the war across the middle east was more intense than any other story of the period, even Iraq. The twenty-four-hour reporting by numerous regional news channels emphasised the civilian losses in Lebanon. The media coverage in Britain and across much of Europe increasingly highlighted the damage in Lebanon, especially in Beirut and Tyre. By contrast, American TV reporting focused more on Israeli perspectives and experiences.
(link to article)
