Cauldron of Terror - "I am a Warehouse!"

Hello and welcome to Cauldron of Terror - Hamas, Israel and the World - 500 Days in Gaza. The author is Mark Silinsky, president of Kensington Security Consulting where we bring education to national security. Today’s episode looks at some of the drama associated with the Israel-Hamas tragedy. Among the more interesting and theatrical characters is 66-year-old Christopher Gunness, a BBC journalist and communications specialist who served as director of advocacy and communications, and chief spokesperson, for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) from 2007 to 2020. Both the BBC and UNRWA are key players in Gaza.

Gunness was born in Trinidad to an Indian father and an English mother and was educated at Oxford University, after which he joined the BBC World Service. From there, he took employment at UNRWA, focusing on Palestinian issues. And this is where his service becomes controversial and relevant to our podcast. Critics, including watchdog groups, highlighted the UN's tight and often disguised connections with Hamas. They also reveal the BBC’s role in information operations that, in their view, skew a general perception of Israel and lionize Hamas operatives. This is a subject of our upcoming book, Cauldron of Terror. How does this relate to Christopher Gunness?

In his capacity as communications spokesperson for UNRWA, Gunness has a loud and credible voice in casting global opinion. He described his job as a necessary burden. “I knew it was probably the toughest UN spokesman job on the planet – but I didn’t know exactly how tough it was going to be, because the job really is a lightning rod for a lot of the totally understandable anger that is felt about the UN in general – not just UNRWA -- on the Israeli side and the Palestinian side.” It took an emotional toll on him. He broke down on Al Jazeera, relating an Israeli attack. "What is happening in Gaza, particularly to the children, is an affront to the humanity of all of us. If this had happened in the UK the Security Council would be meeting in emergency session. The injustice of it all is enough to make any heart burst.” So, he turned to art as a catharsis and a means of broadcasting the plight of Gazans.

He became dramatic. He was literally dramatic. In fact, he was a one-man show. As a playwright and single actor, he cast himself as a warehouse in Gaza that is blown to bits by Israeli artillery. ''I am a Warehouse,'' begins with a slideshow of alleged Israeli atrocities – buildings reduced to rubble, kids scrambling for cover, mothers wailing over corpses, snarling teenagers. Standard fare. Then, for 40 minutes he addresses the audience in the persona of a warehouse in the process of disintegration and incineration. He explains, 'I am a dying warehouse, the victim of an excruciatingly painful fire that burned me down.'' This human-warehouse is clearly in writhing agony as Israeli artillery shells, some loaded with white phosphorous, set him aflame. The contents of the warehouse also perish. The facility stored food, medicine, basic health items, and other humanitarian supplies “pass through me”, the warehouse explains, adding, “I am a lifeline to a society behind bars”.

The British newspaper The Guardian liked it, and so did many others. But it didn’t get rave reviews in Israel. By all accounts, there were no standing ovations. In Tel Aviv, the opening show was heckled, and 20 of the 100 ticket holders walked out. Other performances in Tel Aviv and Haifa were canceled.

The UN was protective of its employee. Its webpage pleaded, “His Twitter account is carefully watched. His every word is deconstructed and parsed for nuance and intent. He is indefatigable in his advocacy for the five million Palestinian refugees in the Middle East who are the responsibility of UNRWA. A regular voice in media coverage of the Palestine conflict, Mr. Gunness has been reviled and revered for his dogged commitment to easing their plight.”

Mr. Gunness stood by his artistry. ''This is about as far away from propaganda as I think you can get. 'It is a genuine attempt to tell a story in an apolitical way.'' Apolitical? Many would dispute that. Some would ask, “If this is not political drama, what is?” Unfortunately, it is difficult to find out because we could not find it on YouTube or any other social media. Maybe you have seen it. If so, please give it a review. We at Kensington welcome your opinion.

This concludes a podcast from “Cauldron of Terror – Hamas, Israel and the World – 500 Days in Gaza. Nothing in this podcast represents the official position of the United States government. On behalf of Kensington Security Consulting, thank you for listening.