This column was written right after the Rajya Sabha debate on Gaza bombings.

The facts first: On one side is the richest country of the region – largest recipient of US aid, with the most advanced defence force.  Owner of the fourth largest armed contingent in the world, with sharp/insidious intelligence agencies like Mossad and Shin Bet (which would make Guantanamo and the rich US tradition of extra-ordinary rendition very very proud), the occupier/perpetrator who has spread its occupation from 4-5 per cent of landmass in West Asia to 92-98 per cent as of today! It is also called Israel!

On the other side are the original Arab inhabitants of the land who have been pushed to a corner thanks to geo-political trickery and northern colonial powers’ (read UK, now US) pathological inability to honourably exit. They’ve constantly been shrunk – presently to a stretch of 41 kilometres by 6 kilometres (and counting), without any army, navy or armed forces. They have been blockaded for 8 years, only because they made the mistake of democratically electing Hamas to power in 2006. Since 2006, these people have been bombarded thrice – in 2008/9, 2011/12 and since July 7, 2014, which is continuing till now, even as this column is being written. (And one is not even listing the low intensity, under-the-radar attacks, torture and violations that are committed by Israel regularly.) This side is called Gaza Strip, part of Palestine (comprising Fatah-ruled-West Bank and Hamas-ruled-Gaza Strip).

The latest aggression by Israel has invoked global outrage – from New York, London, Sydney, South Africa – right to Delhi and Srinagar. But more outrageous has been leading western media’s slant in reportage and their word-smithing. Equating the two sides and drawing parity is peddling untruths and indulging in propaganda – it cannot be called journalism! Calling this disproportionate use of force in reducing Gaza to rubble (under the watchful eyes of international media corps) “war” is being complicit in the violence.

The words first: When 521 have been killed via shelling or ground surge with over 1050 tonnes of explosives used, a more apt English word western mainstream could consider, is, genocide/slaughter/massacre and/or brutal aggression. Similarly, when one party, i.e. Israel is occupying and spreading its occupation via settlers while violating all international laws, the English word for Israel is perpetrator and/or aggressor. And when the perpetrator is continuously shelling an unarmed population of refugees in the largest open-air prison in the world, rendering them desperate to escape violence, the apt English word is aggression and/or genocide, not war or self defence!

The coverage: This bizarre word-play takes a grotesque turn with Fox and MSNBC group –  that isn’t even worth a discussion. However, when New York Times claims the Brazilian rout by Germany in FIFA 2014 was akin to 1-70, not 1-7, and a few inches away claims Israel and Hamas escalated their military confrontation , the reaction can only be one of enduring outrage. Confrontation? Seriously, that’s the English word?

That hallowed public broadcaster, BBC, has been accused of committing the classic Western-colonial-gaze reportage, giving more than 500 air-strike/ground-surge induced civilian deaths of women, children and the disabled (amongst others), the same air time as the 18 deaths in Israel. Noam Chomsky, John Pilger and Ken Loach are among 45,000 signatories who have signed an open letter to BBC calling on its journalists to reflect the reality of Gaza’s occupation while reporting on Israel’s assault. MPs Andy Slaughter and Katy Clark have also signed the letter, along with musician Brian Eno and comedian and film maker Jeremy Hardy.

What about Indian media – the over-present 24X7 breaking-news channels? Their self-obsession and navel gazing continues with Lutyens’ Delhi coverage and celebrity sightings. Gaza gets a mention, but as speed news or imported western agency footage, laden with Western-media perspective. Social media too has more than its fair share of Zionist zealots who think Israel should be the bench-mark template for India, and emulating Israeli aggression, a patriotic wet-dream! Economic Times has gone to the extent of equating Hamas with Muslim Brotherhood and supporting Israel’s right to legitimate defence. Legitimate?

Indian public broadcasters have definitely fared better than BBC by holding panel discussions with nuanced, complex and dedicated time-elucidating historicity. Predictably, Ravish Kumar’s Prime Time on NDTV India served as redemption. On July 17, he held an hour-long prime time discussion on Gaza bombings. From invoking the 1936 Allahabad conference on Palestine, the Balfour Declaration, to roasting some Jews for reducing Gaza slaughter to cinema (with pop-corn, hookah and hillside viewing), the show had it all – including grilling perpetual hawks like retired diplomat Vivek Katju and BJP spokesman Dr Sambit Patra. This was at par with Guardian and Slate’s reportage .

The Parliament debate: Finally, on July 21, a fortnight since the slaughter started, the debate took place in Rajya Sabha. It was a debate that would make Indians proud and embarrassed in equal measure. Some sterling speeches on the aggression and violence inflicted on that 41/6 kilometre stretch inhabiting 1.8 million Gazans, the historical injustices, India’s moral position, the fact that we were the first ones to recognise Palestine’s right to statehood and one of the last ones to engage with Israel diplomatically. There was the nugget that India was the largest buyer of Israel’s defence arsenal and might be co-financing the slaughter in Gaza. Some speakers who stood out were Sitaram Yechury (CPIM), Majid Memon (NCP), D Raja (CPI), and Sharad Yadav (JDU). Ghulam Nabi Azad (LoP) did give a good opening speech. Many called for a resolution condemning the Israeli violence, and demanding immediate cessation of arms purchase and trade relations with Israel. One hopes Rajya Sabha TV uploads the debate unedited.

But three speakers of BJP, Anil Madhav Dave, Chandan Mitra and Tarun Vijay, seem to have received their media-spokesperson’s memo straight from Israel. They talked of equivalence, parity of the two sides, violence and unrest across MENA (Middle East and North Africa), and the need to invoke peace. Seriously? Peace in the face of such repression and injustice? What next, South Africa-style truth and reconciliation? It sounded eerily similar to taking points from Israeli media’s strategy, brilliantly deconstructed by Marwan Bishara.

The Indian foreign minister, Smt Sushma Swaraj, predictably turned down the call for a resolution condemning Israeli violence  and stopping the arms purchase on a mere technicality. That the debate was listed for short discussion clause which doesn’t allow resolutions was the excuse.

She further added that Indian assistance to Palestine was 20 million USD and assistance to UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency) was 1 million USD. Wish she had told us tax-payers (in USD), how much India spends on arms purchase from Israel too. Unsurprisingly, a great debate closed insipidly – something which would have satisfied neither Arabs, nor Isrealis, neither Palestinians/Gazans, nor Indians.

One hopes the Indian media will do better, even if they don’t scream “we are all Gazans today”. One hopes the Indian media doesn’t Foxify, but gives the debate and the realities coverage keeping in mind the perspective of people and power.

I for one, would not mind joining the clarion call “We are all Gazans today!” Just like our parents’ generation who agitated against the Vietnam War with that iconic Bengali slogan (I am not Bengali but Odiya, yet the slogan stayed like an enduring legacy), “Amaar Naam, Tomar Naam, Vietnam!”

And here’s Rafeef Ziahdah on what Gaza really teaches, Life.