Michael Oren, former Israeli Ambassador to the U.S, said on Monday that Palestinian protests on the Gaza border were “a play for media attention.”
The former ambassador’s comments came in the wake of the opening of the U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem, which has sparked protests along the Gaza border on Monday where thirty-seven Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces, CNN reported.
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health over 1,600 people were injured in the clashes.
“Palestinians stirred on by Hamas, burned down their own crossing, burned their own energy lines so they can cry humanitarian crisis to the world and have the world blame us. I hope that this time it won’t work. I hope someday the Palestinians in Gaza like those in Judea and Samaria and the West Bank will come to the negotiating table,” Oren told CNN’s Eric Hill on “New Day.”
Oren was then asked if what we are seeing happening along the border shouldn’t be covered by the media.
“No. You have to make your decision what should be covered, but it is certainly a play for media attention, and it is working stunningly. It works every week,” Oren responded.
“As we are speaking now the Syrian army is attacking the Yarmouk Palestinian refugee camp, they’re killing hundreds, maybe thousands of Palestinians. Has CNN covered it? Has anybody covered it? Does anybody care when Syrians kill Palestinians? It’s only when there’s a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, and Hamas knows this. And it knows if it sends kids to the border to break through the border Israeli soldiers have to defend that border that’s going to get media attention. It works very well,” he continued.
The opening of the new embassy in Jerusalem is one of President Donald Trump’s campaign promises. Israelis consider the ancient city as their capital, while Palestinians view East Jerusalem as the capital of a future Palestinian state. The international community, however, considers Tel Aviv as Israel’s capital.
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