Behind the Curtain - Atrocities Masked, Consent Manufactured

Gemma Tognini, The Australian Newspaper’s go-to columnist and hater of anything Arab, is outstandingly brilliant at mischaracterising reality; Tognini is so good that she’s not far behind Belle Gibson’s misguided world of delusion and unhinged narcissism.

Anyone not aware of Belle Gibson, or her infamy, should watch the Netflix series Apple Cider Vinegar – apart from being a brilliantly produced series that compels viewers to watch with hungry intent that captivates, you’ll quickly come to understand the world of delusion and narcissism.

Today, The Australian, in its usual pro-Zionist stance, ran a piece by Tognini that perpetuates a one‐sided Gibson-like narrative that not only distorts the truth but also serves as a propaganda tool for the Israeli government.

Her piece, riddled with emotional manipulation and a glaring lack of context, fails to address the complexities of Israel’s 80-year long occupation, instead opting for sensationalism that demonises Hamas while absolving Israel of its own atrocities. It’s not journalism; it’s a calculated effort to manufacture consent for Israel’s ongoing violence against Palestinians.

The article centres on the tragic deaths of Shiri Bibas and her two young children, Ariel and Kfir, who were taken hostage during the 7 October 2023 Hamas jailbreak from Israel. Tognini’s portrayal of events isn’t only deeply flawed, it omits critical details that challenge her narrative – like failing to mention that Hamas attempted to return the bodies of the Bibas family months ago, but Israel rejected the offer.

It’s a crucial detail that underscores the Israeli government’s willingness to exploit tragedy for political gain rather than seek resolution or closure for the victims’ families.

The Israeli government, under Netanyahu, has a long history of using such incidents to justify its brutal occupation of Palestinian territories and its systematic oppression of Palestinians. Framing Hamas as the perpetrator of evil,

Tognini deliberately ignores the broader context of Israel’s decades-long campaign of violence, displacement, and apartheid against Palestinians — ranging from the illegal settlements to indiscriminate airstrikes on Gaza. Israel’s crimes have led to the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians, including countless children. Yet, Tognini’s piece conveniently disregards these realities and fails to address this fact.

Her portrayal of Gazans as bloodthirsty spectators celebrating the deaths of Jewish children is dehumanising and factually wrong and geopolitically naïve, as is the case with everything Tognini writes. How Tognini depicts the Palestinians reinforces racist stereotypes that justify Israel’s collective punishment of the Palestinians.

What Tognini ignores is the unimaginable suffering the Palestinians have endured and the open-air prison they have become. What she describes aren’t evidence of inherent evil but rather the desperate actions of a people pushed to the brink by decades of oppression.

Asserting Hamas is solely responsible for the deaths of the Bibas family is contradicted by both Hamas and Shiri Bibas’s husband—the father of Ariel and Kfir—who claim that the family was killed in an Israeli airstrike.

Mr Bibas’s claim raises important questions about the circumstances of his family’s murder. Israel’s military operations in Gaza have been marked by war crimes that have a reckless disregard for civilian life, with reports of multiple airstrikes targeting residential areas and causing mass casualties.

The probability Israeli forces played a key role in the deaths of the Bibas family is high. Tognini’s article reflects a trend in Western media that consistently portrays Israel as the victim while ignoring the suffering of Palestinians. The bias is evident in her condemnation of the West for their perceived failure to support Israel, yet she remains silent on their complicity in enabling Israel’s crimes.

The US and the West have provided Israel with billions in military aid, bankrolling its occupation of Palestinian territories. The tragedy of the Bibas family shouldn’t be weaponised to justify violence. The international community must hold Israel accountable for its war crimes and demand an end to its policies of apartheid and ethnic cleansing. Tognini’s piece is an example of how Western media serves as a mouthpiece for Israeli propaganda, perpetuating a narrative absolving Israel of responsibility while demonising Palestinians.

As journalists, there’s a duty to seek the truth and provide a balanced perspective, even when it challenges prevailing narratives. The deaths of Shiri, Ariel, and Kfir Bibas are a tragedy, but they must not be exploited to justify a genocide or obscure the reality of Israel’s oppression of the Palestinian people.

Tognini’s article is disgraceful journalism and to the cause of peace. Ignoring critical facts and perpetuating a one‐sided narrative, she contributes to the cycle of violence and hatred that Israel has been central to for decades.

The media’s got to move beyond sensationalism and confront the uncomfortable truths of Israel’s war crimes. It’s hard to separate Tognini from Gibson and their delusional reality and unhinged narcissism.

If Tognini keeps producing commentary like this, she may have her own Netflix series entitled "Delusions, Denial, Deception."