▁in ▁which ▁the ▁protest s ▁were ▁described ▁as ▁" ar med ▁confront ations ▁in ▁which ▁Isra eli ▁sn ip ers ▁return ▁the ▁fire ▁of ▁protest ers ," ▁not with standing ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁human ▁rights ▁N GO s ▁have ▁stated ▁the ▁demonstr ations ▁were ▁" over wh el ming ly ▁peace ful ." ▁In ▁particular , ▁he ▁mentions ▁articles ▁by ▁David ▁Hal bf inger , ▁who ▁was ▁embedded ▁among ▁the ▁Isra eli ▁sn ip ers . ▁ ▁An ▁ID F ▁sp okes man , ▁Brig . ▁Gen . ▁Ron en ▁Man el is , ▁wrote ▁for ▁the ▁Wall ▁Street ▁Journal ▁that ▁the ▁world ' s ▁media ▁had ▁fallen ▁for ▁what ▁he ▁said ▁was ▁" a ▁well - fund ed ▁terror ist ▁propag anda ▁operation " ▁consisting ▁of ▁lies ▁craft ed ▁to ▁win ▁" the ▁international ▁propag anda ▁war ." ▁The ▁protest s ▁were ▁st aged , ▁the ▁demonstr ators ▁paid ▁actors , ▁and ▁Ham as ▁orch estr ated ▁the ▁violence ▁to ▁capture ▁the ▁head lines . ▁" If ," ▁he ▁concluded , ▁" I ▁need ▁to ▁lie ▁like ▁Ham as , ▁then ▁I ▁prefer ▁to ▁tell ▁the ▁truth ▁and ▁lose ." ▁The ▁ID F ▁social ▁media ▁chief , ▁L t . ▁Col . ▁Jonathan ▁Con ric us ▁thought ▁that ▁graphics ▁from ▁the ▁Palest in ian ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁border ▁had ▁allowed ▁Ham as ▁to ▁win ▁a ▁PR ▁battle ▁" by ▁a ▁knock out ," ▁and ▁attributed ▁the ▁result ▁to ▁an ▁Isra eli ▁failure ▁to ▁minim ize ▁Palest in ian ▁cas ual ties .