Media Analysis

As Israel massacres more Gazans, ‘NY Times’ continues its distorted coverage — with one honorable exception

It took a visiting New York Times reporter from Cairo to finally tell some truths about Israel’s ongoing massacre of Palestinian demonstrators inside Gaza. Meanwhile, the paper’s Israel correspondents continue to distort and whitewash.

Declan Walsh came over from Egypt into Gaza ahead of today’s massive demonstrations, expecting “an uneventful evening” on Sunday. Instead, distant Israeli snipers, “barely visible in their fortified perches,” opened fire at a group of Palestinian women right in front of him, and then shot again, hitting one of them, Alaa Asawafiri, in the stomach. Her brother told Walsh: “She wasn’t holding a stone. So what’s the excuse for shooting her?” Walsh checked with the Israeli army mouthpiece, Lt. Col. Jonathan Conricus: “In a text message he said he could not find any trace of the shooting.”

Multiply Declan Walsh’s eyewitness account by 42 and you have the death toll so far today, with another astounding 2,000 wounded. Once again, not a single Israeli has suffered as much as a scratch.

But Walsh’s Times colleagues who are based in Israel continue their usual coverup. Today’s online report says only that the Gaza demonstrations “turned violent,” as Israeli soldiers “responded with rifle fire.” Again, that’s not what Declan Walsh saw. He witnessed peaceful women protesters, well inside Gaza, shot down by distant snipers without any provocation.

Today’s online Times article also dwells on the supposed danger to Israel: “The Israeli military said some in the crowds were planting or hurling explosives, and many were flying flaming kites into Israel.” In the Times, the killer kites get as much coverage as the dead and injured Palestinians. Why didn’t the Jerusalem bureau just call their colleague Declan Walsh, who was on the scene?

The Times bias even stands out in its headline: “At Least 37 Palestinians Die in Protests as U.S. Prepares to Open Jerusalem Embassy”

The Times then reinforces its distortion with its sub-headline: “Protests on Gaza border turn bloody.”

This Media Malpractice cannot be an accident. The Washington Post did not try and hide the perpetrators behind the passive voice. The Post: “Israelis kill dozens of Palestinians in Gaza protesting U.S. move to Jerusalem”

UPDATE: A few hours later, the Times did change the main headline on its story, as its editors suddenly discovered the active voice. It now reads:

“Israel Kills Dozens at Gaza Border as U.S. Embassy Opens in Jerusalem”

Widespread online protest and angry ridicule about the NYT’s first headline must have gotten noticed.

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Predictably, the zionist media (well deserved title) did not speak up for the occupied. Richard Haas, on MSNBC, spoke of the Palestinians not coming for peace talks, casting blame entirely on the Palestinians, and did not fault the Israelis. He may have forgotten, or is ignorant about, the fact that Obama/Hillary tried to get the zionists attend peace talks, even bribing them jet fighters, and they rejected it. How about speaking about the US halting the billion of dollar in aid, so that the Israelis will get that message, and end the occupation? Deep down, all pro Israeli members of the media are gleeful that the US embassy is now in Jerusalem.
It was amusing to see Ted Cruz over there. How many US embassy openings has he attended in other parts of the world?

Fox News coverage is straight Netanyahu script, including all on the scene interviews of embassy move coverage of aUS officials there. CNN & MSNBC not so much, but no coverage at all of why Palestinians feel it necessary to protest near the Gaza fence.

The propaganda works, too. I read a few of the comments after the article and many express sympathy for the Palestinians, but put all the blame in Hamas and none of it on the Israelis who are doing the killing. It’s as if the Israelis have no choice and no responsibility. A lot of people blame Trump, which is fine, but it is also superficial partisan point scoring. Trump happens to have done what most Israel wanted. He is their ideal American President.

But it’s not just the NYT. The commenters wouldn’t be so easily swayed if we weren’t culturally disposed to side with Israelis shooting unarmed Palestinians.

FOLKS- It is time to look at the facts. The illegal blockade of Gaza was significantly tightened when the Palestinians defied Israel and elected Hamas in free and fair elections, hence, had to be punished for their uppity behavior. The PA refused to abide by the elections and attempted a coup in Gaza which Hamas preempted. Abbas is a quisling who gets paid to control the Palestinian population, which he does harshly. Hamas continues to act uppity, hence, needs to be eliminated. Israel wants the situation resolved, hence, has made Gaza unlivable, their economy destroyed, their water undrinkable. The Great March of Return was an act of desperation which Israel intends to crush with extreme violence to finally break the people’s will. The lack of support from the so-called US Palestinian Solidarity Movement has essentially doomed the prospects for anything other than death and defeat. The escalation of the Syrian conflict with Israel targeting Iranian forces provides a convenient diversion which the US Zionist influenced media will seize upon, in addition to other misrepresentations. There is a strong possibility of regional war in the Middle East as the empire attacks all perceived enemies. If Israel has its way, Gaza will be fobbed off on Egypt with Israel washing its hands of responsibility. International law? Get serious, it is an imperial jungle out there! Defiance will not be tolerated, chaos facilitates dynamic stability, and most of the 99% (particularly in the Third World) are expendable.

Norman Finkelstein comments on the current situation in part 3 of a three part interview. At this stage of the game, he is advising the Gazans not to go ahead with the May 15th demonstrations which he believes will only results in mass killing and maiming to no avail. http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/14/will-gaza-march-end-in-israels-worst-killings-yet-3-3/

From a related article- “The West Bank’s civil society, that same incubator of activism that developed the BDS movement to “represent our cause,” were completely silent. The Palestinian diaspora was missing in (in)action. Those same voices, who always complain that no one cares about Palestinians, performed no concrete action in solidarity with Gaza. Where, in the U.S., were the mass petitions, hunger strikes, sit-ins, demonstrations or public forums in support of Gaza?” (Muhammad Shehada) http://normanfinkelstein.com/2018/05/14/today-gaza-falls-into-the-valley-of-death-failed-abandoned-and-unwanted/

“If you want a vision of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – forever.” (George Orwell) https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/george_orwell_159438

Michelle Goldberg’s column today was remarkable. Equally as remarkable, the Times just shut down comments and deleted all the comments which had been posted. Ah, just checked again and now they have re-opened commenting and reinstated at least some of the prior comments. I am sure the Times editors have been more deluged than usual this morning.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/14/opinion/jerusalem-embassy-gaza-protests.html