Loudspeakers mounted on trucks are seen near the Israel-Gaza border on its Israeli side after broadcasting Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations, on Friday.Rami Amichay/Reuters
Palestinians in Gaza were supposed to be a captive audience to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
Israeli media published photographs of equipment and loudspeakers transported to the Gaza Strip’s eastern border in preparation for broadcasting Mr. Netanyahu’s speech live to Gaza, and he told the UN that Israeli intelligence was beaming his words to every cellphone in the sealed enclave.
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Or at least that was the intention.
Nature may have stood in the way of Mr. Netanyahu’s efforts as the wind carried away the sound of his voice on the loudspeakers. Technical glitches may have also been a factor as several Gazan residents interviewed by The Globe and Mail said that they did not receive anything on their phones. The impact of the 42-minute speech on the ground was unclear, leaving the Israeli leader’s message far from those it was intended to reach.
“We did not hear anything at all, neither the loudspeakers at the border nor any messages on our phones,” said Khaled Mahmoud, 52, a resident of the Bureij refugee camp. “All around us were the sounds of bombing and airplanes … the continuous sound of war.”
Mr. Netanyahu addresses the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Friday.Richard Drew/The Associated Press
Only hours after the speech he learned that Mr. Netanyahu was trying to address the people of Gaza and the hostages held by Hamas, Mr. Mahmoud added.
Mr. Netanyahu, who has often used props and performative actions during UN speeches, told the annual gathering in New York that, “I want to do something I’ve never done before. I want to speak to those hostages through loudspeakers – I’ve surrounded Gaza with massive loudspeakers connected to this microphone in the hope that our dear hostages will hear my message.”
Speaking first in Hebrew, then English, he quoted from the Book of Exodus Moses’s plea to Pharaoh to release the Israelite slaves. “Let my people go,” he said.
“Free the hostages now. If you do, you will live. If you don’t, Israel will hunt you down,” he said. He also said a Palestinian state would never be established.
Even if the speech did not physically reach most residents, reports in Israeli media and social networks that he was broadcasting his words was enough to influence perceptions of the conflict.
Some Gazan residents said it aimed to create fear, uncertainty, or a sense of control, even if the broadcast failed.
Ahmed Nassar, 58, who lives in the Nuseirat refugee camp, called it “psychological war at its best.”
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He added: “With this behaviour, Netanyahu believes he can, alongside military operations, break human spirit and control people’s lives and minds. This is not an ordinary political speech, it is a step aimed at psychological control of the population.”
The wind may have been a major factor in preventing Mr. Netanyahu’s words from reaching the beleaguered population. Despite the loudspeakers’ strength and solar-powered batteries designed to operate for long hours, they could not reach all areas because of terrain and weather conditions. Some residents described the sound as scattered and unclear, while others said they could not hear it at all.
The broadcast attempt came at a time when international attention was focused on the conflict in Gaza, Mr. Mahmoud noted.
“The timing and method suggested a focus on psychological and symbolic impact rather than practical communications, showing the use of media as a tool in modern conflicts,” he said.