Who knew

Most people think [Gaza] is like a war zone and that everyone here is really depressed and involved in politics. But it's not always about war. It's also about families, friends and love”

Rawan Yaghi

Gazan student

Cute. Anyone reading that on the BBC website might think. “Oh! Gaza is not like a war zone after all, and not everyone there is really depressed, nor involved in politics. It’s all about families, friends and  love, and quite likely, apple pie.”

But wait. Hang on.

We know not whether she told Jon Donnison that she was being creative, as is her wont, or just joking, as is definitely not her wont.

If she did tell him so, or if she dropped a tiny hint, we wouldn’t know from reading the article. 

We wouldn’t know, even if she told him  - off the record -  whether he may have shared it, in confidence, with his editors at the BBC, and if so, we know not whether it slipped their minds, or thought it irrelevant. So many ‘ifs’ and so little time.

I should have known.  She was not just the wide-eyed innocent with the A-level reading list, graciously grasping the opportunity to widen her horizons and fulfill her literary potential amongst the Dreaming Spires, the beaming  recipient of a benevolent and altruistic gesture from the Oxford University students who volunteered to donate cash from their hard-earned student loans towards her costs.

No. She was a blogger . A bloody political activist with a blogfull of creative writing all about depression, war, war and war. She doesn’t directly address politics, true. Would that she did. All she need do is create a maudlin stream of fodder for the anti-Israel brigade who need nought more than that to fuel their mania.

Same goes for Emily Dreyfus, the girl with the name that resonates ‘should know better’. They’re a bunch of anti-Israel campaigners. Did you know this Jon? Go on, tell us. Who knew?