BMJ's Bad Medicine

Congratulations to Dr Simon Fishman and yourselves for the execution and publication of this inspired search into citations relating to victims of international conflicts, including Palestinians.

Such an exercise provides a wealth of directly relevant data which places into its true perspective the biased condemnation of Honest Reporting by the BMJ.

Posted by: Clive Burton at Mar 3, 2009 4:25:25 PM

Why don't you start a petition for non medical as well as medical readers to let the BMJ know how we feel about this?

Posted by: G.F at Mar 3, 2009 4:36:31 PM

I don't think there were 1508 dead in this last war. That was made up by palestinians. The hospital said about 500 died. We need pictures of Irsaeli, lots, to show the bomb damage and hurt people. there is nothing to counteract what Palestinians in gaza show.

Posted by: Ellen Smith at Mar 3, 2009 4:44:47 PM

Thanks for telling the unadulterated truth about yet another anti-Israeli/anti-Jewish bias coming out of (used to be merry) old England!

Posted by: Steve Seiff at Mar 3, 2009 4:48:54 PM

Anything British is antisemitic. I find this with the BBC as well. It looks like they have a large Moslem community that they are afraid of.

Posted by: Norbert Diamant at Mar 3, 2009 4:58:51 PM

Notwhitstanding this BMJ's Bad Medicine which indeed it is, each time I see the word PALESTINIANS it gives me the willies...

What right do the Arabs have to be called Palestinians is beyond my comprehension...
They are Arabs from Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Syria, etc, who came to PALESTINE attracted by the relative bonanza the European Jews brought with them in the late 1800's and early 1900's with all the work that built the infrastucture of modern Israel...

But PALESTINE is the name given by TITUS to eradicate the memory of Judea and Israel, to the extent of even changing the name of Jerusalem...
And if anybody believes that Palestine was JUDENFREI as the rewritters of History pretend, it won't hurt to remind them that the Crusaders killed there as many Jews as they did Muslims and even after, there was always a significant Jewish presence in Palestine...

Then, may I ask what right in hell do those Arabs have to be called "PALESTINIANS" ???

Because if anything, the only ones entitled to be called
Palestinians as the Britons did in the days of the Mandate, are the israeli Jews.

PERIOD.

Posted by: Jacob Mandelblum at Mar 3, 2009 5:04:43 PM

Does BMJ fear Hamas/PA or do they want to promote more anti-Israeli sentiment? Let`s balance the truth so the public gets an accurate picture. Ray

Posted by: Ray Coburn at Mar 3, 2009 5:09:41 PM

Why did everyone believe that Obama was not a muslim. If he was not, why is he sending Clinton to Israel with one million dollars for the arabs. It's the Israeli's that are under attack in their own home land. Why is this being allowed. This means the Israeli's will be destoyed for sure. HAS THE WHOLE WORLD GONE MAD????? Does no one see what Obama is doing to this country and ISRAEL ?????

Posted by: Shirley Ozur at Mar 3, 2009 5:14:41 PM

Perhaps the percentage of Muslim subscribers to or staff in critical positions within the BMJ is influencing its editorial bias. Certrainly Dr. Fishman's statistics reflect a relative disinterest in reporting deaths that occur in much greater numbers elsewhere in the world.

Posted by: MLR at Mar 3, 2009 5:22:07 PM

Gentlemen:
I have read the comments set forth herein and very impressed by the depth of these comments. You are doing a fine job of reporting and keeping Citizens, like myself, informed of the events at hand but most important the through research to get at the truth. This is professional journalism! Keep up the good wotk.
Shalom,
Dan

Posted by: Dannel R. Ballesteros at Mar 3, 2009 5:28:36 PM

Misrepresentation of information puts all information reported in the BMJ in question.

Perhaps instead of writting appealing to the BMJ to change its head line.....perhaps....it would be best to review some of the other articles. If indeed a proportion of their other articles misrepresent the facts..or the headlines are meant to arouse emotions instead of clarifing truth, then the BMJ as a medical information journal should be discredited. Which will have to 2 benifits:
1.it will question BMJ's value as an accurate reporter of information
2. it will symultaneously make BMJ and other editors more careful about printing information that can fall under Honest Reportings microscope.

If not, then perhaps the reason for the bias could be explored. i.e. bias of editors, writers, money?

If both the above is untrue..then we are back to the asking BMJ to consider correcting misinformation.
However once a bell has been rung...it is at best hard to unring it ...especially if it is repeated again and again as propaganda. Forinstance, on Alternet commentators often print that our Federal Reserve Bank is a private bank....owned by the Rothchildl's and others. Constant conrrection have forced them to drop the Rothchild's as owners..but there are still many who repeat time and again..that the America monitary problems are caused by the privately owned Federal Reserve Bank.

I was wondering if it is not necessary for Israel PR to do more than danage control at this point in time..when ARab influence in countries is growing. Perhaps it is time for Israel to be more pro-active instead of mostly re-active inorder to protect Israel's future safety and survival.

Posted by: ellie at Mar 3, 2009 6:06:06 PM

There is a concerted effort to demonise Israel and the jewish people. It`s about time people woke up to the fact that muslims have an everlasting hatred of the jews and through lies and deception will seek to destroy their reputation. They will go to any lengths to achieve this end, so remember things aren`t always what they seem to be.
Eventually the truth comes out e.g. Jenin did not turn out be the massacre it was said to be in the media reported by the Arabs. There are umpteen examples of this deception and exaggeration which have come to light about the Israel-Lebanon war.

Posted by: Carole at Mar 3, 2009 6:07:43 PM

The British have always been Anti-Semitic, why does this surprise anyone? Look back at their history in the Middle East.

Posted by: Othniel Seiden at Mar 3, 2009 6:11:13 PM

I agree that the BMJ has crossed the line, but it is now a total waste of time writing to them, thanks to the disgusting emails/letters they've received, some containing curses and death threats. Hardly the way to win friends and influence people, is it?
Honest Reporting, you should demand that when letters/emails are sent, they are at least civil. Otherwise it's counterproductive, surely?

Posted by: Marianne at Mar 3, 2009 6:52:07 PM

It is not at all surprising to see Dr. Simon Fishman's findings, I wish that it were. Everything seems to be juxtaposed.

Are the majority of us (including all types of media, and most of them) gliding through life with blinders on, our hearing off, and in total apathy in regards to the world?

Despite our biases, prejudices, and just plain myopathy of the brain, can't we tell who threw the first punch, missile, or bottle rocket, when this happens just a few feet from us?

It appears to be a very simple fact in common, which is the thread of very convoluted thinking. This thread is the lack of importance for humanity. If life is of minute significance, then how can kindness, mercy, or compassion ever enter into cognizant consideration?

If the government does not care about humane treatment, then as the laws affect the constituency, they trickle down and become weak as water by the time it impacts the average citizen. This is my interpretation of the mindset we encounter when dealing with a "terrorist mentality."

Until this frame of mind changes, we can not even hope for enlightenment, or any modification in the outcome of global behavior, views, or interest in changes.

Posted by: suzi clark at Mar 3, 2009 6:59:41 PM

Well, I'll be danged and scrubbed with a scouring pad. Finally someone other than myself,Jacob Mandelblum has said the truth about the Arabs. Thank you, sir. There has never been a Palestinian people, sans what are today Israeli Jews, never has been a Palestinian language, flag, homeland, or anything else that would say those people have a claim on the land. The Jewish nation, however, has a history going back thousands of years and there has NEVER BEEN A LACK OF A JEWISH PRESENCE in what today is called Israel. Keep in mind that those people who are called Palestinians come from Apartheid states in which no other people other than Arabs may live. There are Apartheid states in the Middle East...every Arab state is one, but Israel is as far from Apartheid as possible. I don't hate any group of honest people; I abhor and despise those who practice something like Apartheid and then blame it one the only group in the Mid-East that doesn't practice it.

As long as Arabs want to take by force what Israel would freely give them there will be war and killing in that part of G-d's world. I'm cross-eyed angered that Secretary of State Clinton is going to give Hamas a few billions of our dollars to rebuilt Gaza. Unfortunately, NOT A SINGLE CENT will go towards that goal; it will to to re-arm Hamas and continue to starve the people under whose thumb Hamas control.

Posted by: Beverly Kurtin at Mar 3, 2009 7:29:54 PM

It seems to me that there still some people in the UK who wish to live and think as they were after 1918. First the UK promised a land to Jews and then gradually took 97% back and yielded to the Arabs who they had favored believing they would be easier to control. If you do not believe this check the history.
It is really sad that the Nazis has one thing right about the UK: they used to describe England as the perfifiuous people but that was in relationship to the French because the Nazis that England would fight on to the last French soldier. This was good propaganda and it worked on some French hence Petain.
The other proof is this Bishop Wlliamson who is a most bigotted person and denier of the Holocaust. I believe that the Prime minister Gordon Brown has the reponsibility to go after ALL those who are anti Jewish and take a hard stand and not to tolerate any further rhetoric. This had nothing with Freedom of speech but taking advantage of this freedom by coming up with blatent lies,
Paten.

Posted by: Paul Tenenbaum at Mar 3, 2009 8:47:06 PM

Why am I not surprised by this latest from another anti-semitic British group.
The British are famous for their anti-jewishness and they have always been the butt-lickers of the arabs.
maybe because they're afraid of loosing arab oil contracts ?

Posted by: Moshe at Mar 3, 2009 8:48:56 PM

Why being surprised? UK is a terror state. UK citizens are behind murderous attacks in Tel Aviv in 2003 and in Mumbai in 2008. And regarding British physicians...Well they also terrorists:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/uk/2007/jul/03/topstories3.terrorism

probably the used to read BMJ too often.

Posted by: val at Mar 3, 2009 10:01:15 PM

Yes, Moshe, they are. Remember Churchill´s famous words that the kingdoms of the world run on oil and who is it that has the oil?And we, the older generation, still remember how difficult it was for Jews to get to the then Palestine - a British territory. The Brits are fine and mostly good people. However, their attitudes to the Jews...well, they never change.
Jana

Posted by: jana ondrackova at Mar 3, 2009 10:49:18 PM

I remember the Nazi loving Mufti of Jerusalem, when I lived in my place of birth, Bethlehem.

Posted by: rezasantorini at Mar 3, 2009 11:58:00 PM

I am very angerd about Helery Clinten giving millions of dollars to terrorist state they can purchase more bombs to blow up more homes in Sderot Ashkelon and all over Israel wane s America waik up and see what hapen in Israel soon be in American back yard .Palestinian people they can learn to live in peace and recognize that state of Israel never desapier ,we are there to stay it is our father land ,and they want to live in peace need to start to teach love not hate to they generation of children .

Posted by: eva baker at Mar 4, 2009 12:18:09 AM

Great work Dr.Simon Fishman. This is an eye opener.
Why do I feel that we are losing the battlle of public opinion inspite of all the facts

Posted by: ilana karmi at Mar 4, 2009 12:25:01 AM

It's interesting that there is NO citation for the numbers of Israelis/Jews killed by Arabs/Muslims/Palestinians/Terrorists.

Is there any explanation for this omission? Does this not matter?

Posted by: Thomas Spiegler at Mar 4, 2009 2:49:04 AM

l hope everyone is catching on, THE COUNTRYS attacking israel want world domination. they lie, they kill and destroy and care about nothing. There attitudes of peace will be just another lie. Israel please be aware of obama I don't trust him for a second. I'm sure we'll be hearing of our United states dollars being filtered to terrorist groups. Thanks to our lying president.

Posted by: JOHN at Mar 4, 2009 4:30:03 AM