In 2013 I wrote a short (Chinese) article on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict that talked about misinformation, anger, and the power of potent symbols. It was one of my very first articles that were published in a newspaper.
In 2023 I’m seeing all the same things happening again, and I’m seeing people saying the exact same things I’ve said ten years ago.
“A French TV channel reported in 2000 a video of a 12-year-old Palestinian boy shot by the Israeli army in his father's arms, sparking global outrage and indirectly leading to the Second Palestinian Intifada. 13 years later, Israel believed that this report damaged its national image and compiled a 36-page report claiming "no evidence" that the boy was killed by the Israeli army, demanding a correction from the TV channel.”
“But what does this even mean anymore? Countless lives have been lost and countless acts of brutality against Palestinian civilians by the Israeli army are well-documented in the Israel-Palestine conflict. If the boy in the video wasn't killed by the Israeli army or didn't die at all, does Israel believe that pointing this out can wash away the suffering and bloodshed of thousands of innocent people in the war?”
“Israel claims that the inaccurate report from that year “caused harm” and contributed to years of resistance by Islamic militant groups against Israel. Yes, a simple video clip can be given too much significance and perhaps become a symbol that inspires certain uprisings. But people don’t rise up solely because of one boy’s death. Some exploit the situation for their own purposes, but for many who willingly risked their lives on the battlefield, it was the last straw that broke the silence.”
“The lone figure confronting tanks in front of Tiananmen Square. The little girl fleeing from the flames of the Vietnam War. The person frozen in a photograph while jumping from the World Trade Center during the 9/11 attacks.
We don’t even know who they were, and the reality of the moments they appeared in may be different from what we imagine. But people’s anger came first, and then they created martyrs and symbols.”
“Sometimes, one person’s death can indeed spark a nation’s anger, making outsiders feel uneasy. However, that moment captured in an image often symbolizes the many injustices a nation faces. It might be a long-oppressed people, countless daily deaths on the battlefield, or leaders failing to protect the basic rights of one person (every person) as citizens, or it might symbolize a nation’s dignity in the international community.”
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