Pictures have always been the preferred tool of propaganda. They serve as the perfect punctuation to any argument. They are like a definitive fist on the table, acting as an undeniable scientific proof That is why the current conflict between Israel and Hamas is taking place more violently online than on the ground. Both sides have been using photography more intensively than they have bombed each other mostly because if anywhere, this battle, this war, will not be won on the ground but in the world's public opinion.
Both sides have taken to social media with extreme force, bypassing in the process the traditional media, in order to use their dedicated fans as a volunteer army armed with pictures, to spread their message, their vision of the world. And their weapon is photography. We, as couch ridden spectators, can only watch and decide, slightly aware than behind every image shared, tweeted, reposted, there is an agenda. Similar to when you read a newspaper and know in advance their political orientation, you also have to know who posted the image in order to better understand their meaning. The real and only losers, in this battle, is the traditional media, wether they are print or digital. They have become a side activity as they no longer control the news, overcome as they are by the onslaught of information coming directly from either side and their legion of volunteers. They cannot even remain a beacon of authenticity and credibility as they have little or no time to verify their informations. Like all of us, they are swept away by the incessant flow of information, where propaganda freely mixes with real news, manipulated by people who care more about conclusions then facts. There is no neutral in a war, no objectivity. What we choose to portray, to publish and to share reflects our opinions.
We can choose to deliberately and openly take sides, trying desperately to close our eyes on the images from the "other side". But that leads nowhere. Nowhere that any decent human being would be comfortable living in. So we have to continue to confront it, with all the misery and internal conflict that it brings. We have to keep on trying to believe in objectivity hoping that the news from both sides will eventually merge into a clearer, unbiased view. And we have to try with whatever force we have left to avoid making an opinion before we have all the facts. To not give in to our irrational emotions. We should leave behind those who cheer for their favorites, as if on the sideline of a boxing match using photographs as cheerleading utensils, and hope that the images that remain the strongest are those who promote peace.

Paul Melcher