On Friday's World News, ABC's Charles Gibson highlighted a Lebanese blog poster who implied that most Israelis are not "reasonable" enough to care about the safety of innocent Lebanese civilians. Responding to an Israeli poster, also quoted by Gibson, who had expressed wishes that the Lebanese people be safe during the airstrikes, the unnamed Lebanese poster implied that most Israelis are unreasonable while complimenting the Israeli poster: "I can rest a little easier in this difficult time because I have found reasonable voices in Israel."
Gibson opened the segment declaring that although "the Israeli and Lebanese governments are not talking to one another," citizens on both sides were communicating through the Internet by posting on blogs. He first quoted an unnamed Israeli soldier: "I'm sending you my best wishes and hope that you and your family will be strong and be alright until this horrible situation will be over." (Transcript follows)
Gibson then quoted a Lebanese poster who, despite actions by the Israeli military to warn civilians ahead of airstrikes and the impending ground war, implied that most Israelis are not "reasonable" enough to care about the Lebanese people. Gibson: "And this from a Lebanese poster: 'I can rest a little easier in this difficult time because I have found reasonable voices in Israel.' One hopeful sign tonight in the Middle East."
Below is a complete transcript of the segment from the July 21 World News with Charles Gibson:
Charles Gibson: "Well, the Israeli and Lebanese governments are not talking to one another, but their citizens are on the Internet, blogging and posting, even while missiles are falling. An Israeli soldier wrote on a Lebanese blog that we saw, 'I'm sending you my best wishes and hope that you and your family will be strong and be alright until this horrible situation will be over.' And this from a Lebanese poster: 'I can rest a little easier in this difficult time because I have found reasonable voices in Israel.' One hopeful sign tonight in the Middle East."
