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Friday, February 26 2010UK Warrant for Queen Esther's Arrest
A UK judge issued an arrest warrant for Queen Esther, who is due to arrive in London for a speaking tour of British universities. Tayab Ali, the solicitor who obtained the warrant, told Backspin editor Pesach Benson, "Mordechai and Esther had every right to resist the oppression of Haman's Amalekite regime, but Jewish defensive measures were disproportionate and war crimes did occur." A spokesman for Queen Esther condemned the warrant, and reiterated her refusal to meet with a UN commission investigating civil unrest after the collapse of Haman's center-right cabinet. Media reports, human rights groups, and Amalekite non-governmental organizations say 125,000 people -- mostly Amalekite civilians -- died in fights with the Jews. Jewish groups dispute this, putting the death toll at 75,000 -- all of whom were combatants. Top 5 Israel Groups On Facebook
Rebranding and Renaming iSrael
The Knesset approved a bill changing the name of the Jewish state from Israel to iSrael, effective immediately. "We learned from the iPad, iPhone and iTouch that the lower case "i" is great branding," said Avital Leibovich of the iDF Spokesman's dept. "It conveys a high tech image we can tap into since it's also the first letter of our country's name." She, along with a representative from the iEmbassy in London, blogger Aussie Dave of iSraellyCool, and Jeffrey Halper of iCAHD, were invited by iBA radio to discuss the effects of the name change. Not everyone was happy with the move though. "We'll have to change all our stationary," griped one AiPAC official speaking on condition of anonymity.
Thursday, February 25 2010License Fee Revolt
It's easy to understand Flashman's anger. The Beeb spent £200,000 of public money to cover up the Balen report on publicly-funded anti-Israel bias. Flashman's license fee revolt will be worth watching. Regarding Mabhouh's Passport, Part 2
With large segments of world opinion self-righteously outraged over the abuse of passports by Mahmoud Mabhouh's killers, I've been waiting for details on the Hamas honcho's own travel documents. Reuters fills in info I haven't seen elsewhere.
With Dubai police not talking about Mabhouh's abuse of passports, it's up to enterprising journalists to dig up that part of the story. Earlier this week, the Winnipeg Free Press reported that Mabhouh entered Dubai with a phony Iraqi passport issued by Iran's Revolutionary Guards. HonestReporting Radio Debuts
Yarden Frankl and I discuss coverage of Afghan civilian casualties, compared to coverage of Palestinian civilian casualties. Is there an MSM double standard between the IDF and NATO? February 25 Links
• Palestinian Authority: Still Stealing "Hundreds of Millions Wednesday, February 24 2010The ABCs of Correcting the Record
The Australian Broadcasting Corp. News is under government scrutiny for its coverage of Israel. This is noteworthy partly because the examples cited by Senator Eric Abetz were initially repeated on air plenty of times. But more eye-opening were the publicly funded news service's flat-footed efforts to correct the record. The following is from a hearing whose transcripts are online here (pdf format).
At least the ABC admits that far more people saw the erroneous coverage than the correction:
Its a fact of life that corrections don't get the same audience as the original stories (Jayson Blair's an exception to that rule). But even by MSM standards, the ABC's response is pretty sad. Andrew Bolt fills in more details. See additional food for thought at the American Journalism Review. Rachel Corrie 101
Rachel Corrie's parents filed a civil suit against Israel's defense ministry. The trial gets underway on March 10 in Haifa. Corrie, a 23-year-old US citizen, came to Gaza with the International Solidarity Movement as a human shield against IDF operations against smuggling tunnels. She died in March, 2003, accidentally run over by an army bulldozer. Her death's a tragedy. She was clearly worth more to the Palestinian cause as a living activist than as a blond-haired "martyr." Rachel Corrie went to Gaza to be a human shield. That Rachel unfortunately died as the very human shield she set out to be moots her parents' lawsuit. If I were Palestinian, I'd even argue that it cheapens her memory. One point I'd like to see this lawsuit clarify: Did Rachel Corrie really know what she was doing? If it turns out she didn't, the Corrie family should consider seeking legal action against the ISM. Tuesday, February 23 2010Regarding Mabhouh's Passport . . .
While the world directs its scorn at the Israeli Mossad for abusing EU passports, I've been wondering about the passport Mahmoud Mabhouh used to enter Dubai. Winnipeg Free Press correspondent Sam Segev sheds some light:
20 #Israel Tweople Worth Following
The solution: Follow the following "tweople;" more importantly, however, is to check out who follows them, as well as who they're following. It means investing some time -- intuitively clicking on certain people to find out more -- but the due diligence is worth it. As you check out Twitter's Israel scene, be sure to follow MediaBackspin, HonestReporting, our colleagues at HonestReporting Canada and look at who we're networking with. This list is in no particular order -- it's just my part in helping newcomers to Twitter put the "social" in "social media." • Martin Kramer There are a lot other twitterers worth following, but the list got unwieldy after 20. Want to plug anyone else(including yourself)? Post your recommendations in the comments section. Monday, February 22 2010Mossad Passport Affair: A Stick to Beat Israel?
Despite a lack of evidence, sensationalized reporting drives the story. See HonestReporting's latest communique: Mossad Passport Affair: A Stick to Beat Israel? Milestone Moment for Citizen Journalism
The NY Times tracked down some of the brave people who helped get the video out. The chain includes Iranians in and out of the country using email, Facebook and YouTube before Soltan's death went viral. The videos making the biggest impact on the world are no longer produced by the mainstream media, but by ordinary people armed with -- in this case -- a cell phone and an internet connection. Sunday, February 21 2010February 21 Links
• Israeli Embassy Tweets About "Hit On #Dubai Target" Thursday, February 18 2010Double Standards? NATO's Afghan Errors
Why are Afghan civilian casualties "accidents" but Palestinian civilian casualties are "war crimes"? See HonestReporting's latest communique: Double Standards? NATO's Afghan Errors Wednesday, February 17 2010MSM's Whodunit: Blame Mossad Without Proof
Although there's no proof, two Daily Mail articles state that Israel's Mossad was responsible for the Mahmoud al-Mabhouh hit in Dubai: I can't imagine that the Mossad would steal Israeli identities to kill Mabhouh in Dubai even while an Israeli delegation made a historic visit under tremendous scrutiny. Despite the certainty of the Daily Mail headlines, you have to read on towards the bottom to find the important small print:
The world's a better place without Mabhouh. Whether or not this is traced back to the Mossad, Palestinian rivals, or someone else, my sympathy goes to the victims of this identity theft. Tuesday, February 16 2010February 16 Links
• Is Hamas Accusing Paul Martin of Trying to Locate Gilad Shalit? Monday, February 15 2010Andrew Sullivan and What Sometimes Happens to Israel's Defenders
I just finished reading Andrew Sullivan's post, What Often Happens To Israel's Critics I. Sullivan was coming to the defense of Johann Hari, a columnist at The Independent. Sullivan's entitled to his views, so instead of asking Why?, I'm asking Why now? You see, the fight Sullivan weighs in on was back in 2008. That's ancient in blog years, so here's a quick recap: It began in advance of Israel's 60th anniversary: Hari compared Israel to sh*t (literally) in a column based on an invented quote, which HonestReporting pointed out. Rather than address the issues we raised, Hari's follow-up column smeared HonestReporting, claiming we (along with Melanie Phillips and CAMERA) were trying to intimidate him and other critics of Israel. It was a charge HonestReporting responded to before the blog storm petered out. I didn't see anything in Sullivan's post indicating a new development, and I even looked at Hari's archives to see if I had missed something. Secret prisons in Afghanistan are beyond our scope. And then I saw where I believe Sullivan picked up on Hari. On the side of the page was this box. Check out item 3 on the list. Amazing. The half-life of Hari's tripe is longer than Iran's uranium production, and The Independent's readers were already giving this radioactive commentary a life of its own. Sullivan just enriched it even more. UPDATE Feb. 16: Sullivan posted a part 2 item, but for whatever reason, removed it. All that remains is Sullivan's tweet. When I posted this last night, it should have occured to me that Hari's column was boosted to its popular status because of the traffic from Sullivan's blog. That's the more likely case. But my original question remains. Why is Sullivan writing this now? If this has anything to do with his dust-up with Leon Wieseltier, leave HonestReporting out of it. 3 Important Differences Between Paul Martin and Alan Johnston
British Journalist Paul Martin was arrested by Hamas after he showed up at the trial of an Abu Rish Brigade member accused of providing info to Israel. According to AP, Martin came to show support because he had interviewed the defendant a few weeks ago. I initially assumed Martin was a moonbat film maker in over his head, but the Times of London sheds more light on his professional background. It also turns out (via Solomonia) that Martin was arrested by Hamas before. Martin's situation doesn't begin to compare to the kidnap of BBC journalist Alan Johnston in 2007.
Obtaining a quick release for Martin without appearing to recognize Hamas will be tricky. Can the UK Foreign Office pull that off? Of course, Martin's situation has to be seen in the context of issues of press freedom in Gaza and the West Bank I blogged last week. In those cases, the problems were limited to Palestinian journos. Martin's arrest is a clear signal that foreign correspondents are losing room to maneuver too. Sunday, February 14 2010Win an Apple iPad From HonestReporting
Enter for free to win an Apple iPad by subscribing to HonestReporting. That's iPad, not iPod. Already a subscriber? Refer your friends, and for each one who registers with HonestReporting, you'll receive an extra chance to WIN! Date of Prize Drawing: Sunday April 11, 2010 at 12:00 noon EST. Giveaway rules here. Other prizes include HonestReporting jackets, caps and t-shirts. Good luck! Avatar Photo Ops in Bilin
You gotta like the latest photo opportunity stunt to keep Bilin in the news. Protestors dressed up like characters from Avatar.
Santa got tiresome anyway. Howabout ripping off other blue characters like Blue, the Blue Devil, or the Blue Beetle? Countering Canadian Campus Media Bias Against Israel
Canadian campuses are due to host the odious Israel Apartheid Week, but problems aren't limited to that event. See HonestReporting Canada's latest communique: Countering Canadian Campus Media Bias Against Israel. Thursday, February 11 20105 Questions on Vote Rigging at Palestinian Journo Union
The PA hijacked recent elections held by the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate to ensure key positions for Fatah cronies. Ramallah journo Hani al-Masri told the Jerusalem Post :
The Maan News Agency further adds:
This raises an awful lot of questions. Here are five off the top of my head.
UPDATE Feb. 11: The Media Line raises a related issue which I'll phrase as question number 6. Is it any wonder that Fahmi Shabaneh, who recently blew the whistle on PA corruption, turned to the Israeli media? Wednesday, February 10 2010'I'm Unconvinced By Every Term I Draw On In My Reporting'
The problem: You and your Hamas colleagues are de facto rulers of Gaza after seizing the strip in a bloody coup more than two years ago. But you feel delegitimized by news services which continue to describe Hamas as "the deposed government" because Mahmoud Abbas dismissed the national unity government and appointed Salam Fayyad to replace Ismail Haniyeh as Prime Minister. The solution: Formally ban media references to the Hamas as Gaza's "deposed government." Well, Hamas did just that, leaving Palestinian journalists stuck in the middle. Fares Akram of Xinhua describes the situation in a remarkably frank dispatch:
Hamas and its apologists base much of its legitimacy on elections for a Parliament that recently expired. Abbas enjoys an open-ended presidency thanks to approval of the democratic bastion that is the PLO Central Council. In other words, Palestinian democracy is a mess. Pondering who -- if anyone -- has a mandate to represent the Palestinian people in Israeli peace talks can only lead to uncomfortable questions that are better swept under the rug. Best is to let the Palestinian journalists in Gaza grapple with the question on their own, right? The Camera Doesn't Lie, But What About the Caption?
An Israeli and Palestinian scuffled during a riot -- right in front of AP and Reuters photographers. But as Elder of Ziyon points out, the captions are vastly different. The Israeli in black has the Palestinian in a headlock.
Now for AP:
The captions at Daylife didn't include the names of the photographers. I added their names from Yahoo links 1 and 2. Strictly speaking, the two captions don't contradict each other. But credit Bernat Armangue with going the extra mile to more carefully describe the context. Elder of Ziyon also posted some other images from Shuafat showing why rock throwing isn't so harmless. The London Times, Jenin, and Goebbels' Big Lie
At the Times of London, Robin Yassin-Kassab reviews a Palestinian book called “Mornings In Jenin.” Kassab writes:
Although the UN admitted that no massacre took place in Jenin during the 2002 Operation Defensive Shield, Kassab’s casual reference shows how accepted the libel has become. It's a great example of Joseph Goebbels' theory of "The Big Lie."
Tuesday, February 9 2010NY Times and Conflict of Interest Appearances, Part 2
When I first blogged the NY Times and Conflict of Interest Appearances over the issue of Ethan Bronner's son serving in the IDF, I pointed out that Western journalists having personal relationships with Palestinian stringers and activists create their own conflicts of interest too. I was thinking along the lines of ABC anchor Peter Jennings and his well-known "relationship" with Palestinian spokesperson Hanan Ashrawi. But as Tom Gross points out, conflicting interests applies to other extracurricular activities:
The problem ain't limited to the Gray Lady. In 2007, Israel allowed a Hamas member employed by the BBC -- subsequently identified as Fayad Abu Shamala -- to enter Gaza to secure BBC reporter AlanJohnston's freedom. I didn't see the mainstream media ask if perhaps the Beeb should reassign Shamala. Shamala's own conflict of interest is well-known. Speaking at a Hamas rally on May 6, 2001, the BBC reporter declared:
I'm not commenting on whether Bronner should be replaced. If the MSM is suddenly into cleaning up conflicts of interest, let's just be consistent. Monday, February 8 2010BMJ's Selective Editing
See HonestReporting’s latest media critiques: • While a British Medical Journal online story includes positive material, why is it missing from the medical publication's print edition? BMJ's Selective Editing • NY Times public editor Clark Hoyt has called on the paper to reassign Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner. Find out why. NY Times and Conflict of Interest Appearances Sunday, February 7 2010NY Times and Conflict of Interest Appearances
NY Times public editor Clark Hoyt today calls on the paper to reassign Jerusalem bureau chief Ethan Bronner. Why? Because Executive editor Bill Keller confirmed what Electronic Intifada first claimed: Bronner's son serves in the IDF, creating a conflict of interest for the paper. Keller wrote that he doesn't intend to replace Bronner. I'm not going to comment on whether or not Bronner should be replaced over this. I just want to see the MSM be consistent here. All the western journos in personal relationships with Palestinian stringers and activists -- whether it's marriage, living together, or having an affair -- create conflicts of interest too. UPDATE Feb. 8: YNet News fills in some more info about Bronner. UPDATE Feb 8: Worth reading: The Jerusalem Post got reax from Israel's foreign press corps. Jeffrey Goldberg also weighs in. Thursday, February 4 20104 Goldstone-Related Articles You Need to Read
A number of important Gaza/Goldstone related articles came up today. It's easier to address them together in one blog post. 1. Asa Kasher takes an excellent, in-depth look at the moral issues of the Gaza war. He has a knack for taking broad issues of war ethics and coherently organizing them -- without losing important details. Kasher first came to my radar with this article in Azure on international law and Operation Cast Lead. 2. Jonathan Dahohah Halevi analyzes the Hamas response to the Goldstone report. In a nutshell, In a nutshell, the Hamas position that the entire Holy Land -- from the Jordan to the Mediterranean -- is the basis for legitimizing thousands of rockets at Israeli communities over the years. 3. Robin Shepherd debunks The Independent's so-called "expose" and related staff editorial. Donald Macintyre reported that the IDF "rewrote the rules of war for Gaza" based on one anonymous officer in a Yediot story -- which for reasons unclear, was never published. The Indy then opines that Israel should learn from the Kahan commission that investigated the Sabra and Shatilla massacre. Shepherd writes
4. The Jewish Chronicle got itself a nice scoop: Tzipi Livni plans to visit the UK in several weeks "to test the process for the issuing of arrest warrants for alleged war crimes." Sounds like a media circus waiting to happen. The 'Blood Lust' of Israeli Public Opinion
Russia Today interviewed Israelis who favor new military action in Gaza. The video was posted on RT's own YouTube channel, which means they're responsible for the headline:
By the way, Israel Matzav was one of the "blood lusting" Israelis interviewed. Israelis are entitled to favor new military action against Hamas. It doesn't mean they enjoy it, as the word "lust" implies. Fishermen's Tales at the BBC
The BBC breaks out the violins for Gaza fishermen, who are restricted from sailing too far from the Gaza coast. But their biggest threat isn't the Israeli navy. It's the terrorists who sent explosive barrels floating onto Israeli shores this week. YNet News writes:
Are fishermen complicit in the barrel bombs? Even if they're not, Hamas has boasted that Iranian rockets are often smuggled by sea. Wednesday, February 3 2010Gary Kenzer to Address Chicago Limmud
The event will be held at Oakton Community College in Des Plaines, IL on Sunday, Feb. 14, from 8 am to 11 pm. Gary's presentation is from 12:30 pm to 1:45 pm. For more info, see Limmud Chicago, or call Gary at 1-847-674-8783. Tuesday, February 2 2010Israel Releases Goldstone Response
• Israel's own investigations into Operation Cast Lead are published: Israel Releases Goldstone Response • The public broadcaster holds itself to account for its Mideast coverage: NPR's Self-Examination NPR's Self-Examination
I also hope the BBC takes note. The do-no-wrong Beeb gets a helluva lot more public money than NPR could ever dream of, which is why it smugly spent half a million pounds of TV licence money on lawyers to cover up the Balen report -- Malcolm Balen's radioactive assessment of the Beeb's Mideast coverage. After reading this London Evening Standard commentary, you'll appreciate why I'm so taken by NPR's openness:
Will NPR act on this? Stay tuned . . . Monday, February 1 2010Christians in Hamastan
Israel's Channel 2 takes a closer look at the precarious status of Christians living in Gaza. Hamas ceased to shock me after it legalized crucifixion of Christians last year. |
