New York Times readers were astonished yesterday at what was on their front page — a very long, moving account of how Palestinians experience Israel’s occupation of the West Bank. The article’s headlines set the tone: first, “The Misery at the Heart of the Conflict,” followed by “. . . for millions of Palestinians, the routine indignities of occupation are part of daily life.” The report continues, and spreads over two entire pages inside the paper.
Reporters David Halbfinger and Adam Rasgon looked closely at the lives of 6 West Bank Palestinians, and photographers Dan Balilty and Samar Hazboun provided 9 humane photographs. The article opened by describing how Muhammad Sandouka, a 42-year-old construction worker, built his home in occupied East Jerusalem — and then had to demolish it himself after Israeli authorities ordered him to raze it to “improve views of the Old City for tourists.” Israeli said it would charge him $10,000 for expenses if he didn’t tear his home down himself. There’s a painful photo of him standing amid its rubble.
So far, the Times report has stunned the pro-Israel lobby into silence. The article has attracted 825 comments, the crushing majority of which indict Israel’s occupation and sympathize with the Palestinians.
David Halbfinger, the lead reporter for the article, is the now-departed Jerusalem bureau chief, and he never covered Israel’s occupation with this kind of honesty and depth when he was stationed there. Why the Times allowed him to write this report now may remain a mystery, but a valuable and detailed article that just appeared in Slate suggests some answers. Aymann Ismail, a staff writer at the online publication, got reporters and stringers in Israel/Palestine to talk to him anonymously about how their work is censored or distorted.
Ismail found that there are several answers. Simple anti-Palestinian prejudice is one explanation. “Layla,” who had contacts in the New York Times opinion section, was shocked to find out about “the sheer racism and dehumanization from rank-and-file opinion editors when talking about Palestinians.”
“Omar,” another anonymous reporter at a different newspaper, covered Israel’s 2014 assault on Gaza:
To Omar, when a statement came from the Israel Defense Forces, senior editors at the paper treated it as fact. When Omar recorded a statement from an eyewitness on the ground that contradicted the Israeli military’s account, he said the top editors called it unreliable.
The Slate account describes fear and bias among higher-level editors. Omar again:
We have the world’s best editors, who were really sincere about their desire to be truthful in the reporting on what’s happening. And then we had another tier of editor above them who were more mindful of the tone of the media organization, and dictated a lot of the tone.
Unless David Halbfinger and Times editors come clean, we may never know why he had to wait until he left Israel/Palestine to get this valuable account in print. But Layla says the overall atmosphere is changing for the better, and here’s her intriguing explanation:
The collective political consciousness has shifted largely because of Black Lives Matter. . . Last summer, our newsrooms as a reflection of a larger society had to take a hard look at state violence, how we perceive it, how we cover it, in a way we haven’t done before.
Video, May 19/21
Debunking Israel’s ‘Human Shield’ Defense in Gaza Massacre – YouTube
“Debunking Israel’s ‘Human Shield’ Defense in Gaza Massacre”
“Abby Martin gives 5 points that evaporate Israel’s assertion that the civilians it kills in Gaza were ‘human shields.'”
By now the zionist criminals are pooping in their pantaloons and wondering if Hamas has taken over the NYT ,, without Israel,s express authority.
Call an “Extraordinary Meeting ” of the WZO .Invite AIPAC,ADL,BOBDBJ,Haim Saban,Sheldon Adelson,Chuck Schumer,Bill Crystal,Paul Wolfowbitz,Stephen Spielberg,Dan Senor ,Mark Regev,Mel brooks,Mark Zuckerberg and tell them to invite 2 -influential Jews each and tell their friends to invite 2 inflinutual Jews etc.David Axelrod,Jared Kushner ,Wolf Blitzer , etc , etc , etc.
This may be the “End Times” that we were taught about.Our Jew hating opponents are claiming the 2SS is dead and the intl community should focus all their efforts on a Bi National State with equal rights for all.
Subject for discussion–How to spirit 5 million Arabs out of Israel.All options on the table.
Change starts with fine cracks in the beautiful china porcelain.
The first invisible cracks with the general western public might have started in 1982 with Sharon’s crimes in Lebanon. But those cracks, while there, could not be seen. Then a few more as our world became smaller and more global and “real” information leaked out. Again, still nothing more than hairline cracks. The structure was intact. These could be seen by only keen observers. With sites like Mondoweiss and others, the cracks increased. Information was slowly leaking beyond the control of propagandists.
Then the 2014 assault on Gaza turned heads. Cracks became visible for many to see, but not yet speak about. It was still dangerous. In recent years the porcelain (cast with imperfect and tarnished clay) weakened. Some would speak about it. Then more and more would speak about it. But the the gatekeepers who needs jobs could not.
Then there is a sudden break as the pot can no longer hold the water, the plate can no longer be used? It is always sudden, and a sometimes violent change when the break happens. Then the world reacts. Is this where we are now?
What will hold the tide back? Claims if antisemitism? (A term that was created by a true Judeophobe and adopted by Zionism)
Declaring that all thuggish behavior is really Anti-Semitic? This is a defense against the tide. A narcissist’s cry. It is all that is left. Israel needs to remove Palestinians and Arabs to be safe. This is the argument. Isn’t this the argument of all colonial expansionistic movements? (All groups and and individuals can point to thuggish behavior and slap it with identity politics for gain or positioning. I can count the times in my life of verbal or physical assaults as a woman… or when gay men were accosted in my presence, etc. )
Israel exists. It will survive. But it will not survive at the expense of Jews of the world who will thrive and move on. The Zionist movement will die. The gates have broken and the gatekeepers have lots credibility. The Jewish grandchildren of my generation will be ashamed of their Zionist grandparents.
The porcelain wall might have broken.
And the New York Times is also signaling the next phase: Israel may no longer care about U.S. pressure (such as it is):
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/05/24/world/middleeast/Israel-American-support.html
As Israel’s Dependence on U.S. Shrinks, So Does U.S. Leverage…Israel has quietly sought, and perhaps achieved, a large measure of autonomy from its half-century of reliance on the United States
The media dam has finally burst!!