Rocket barrage hits Israel, media buries story

You would barely know that 41 kassam rockets were fired into Israel on Tuesday, and another 30 so far today. You would barely know that there’s been another civilian injured. You would barely know this because the media are suppressing the news and burying it when they do mention it.

CNN doesn’t think a rocket barrage on Israel merits a separate story from Yisrael Beitenu leaving Olmert’s coalition. But they do find it newsworthy to put the news of Palestinian civilian deaths, and the death of a senior PIJ terrorist, in their “Highlights” section.

  • Right-wing political party withdraws from the Israeli government coalition
  • Israel Beiteinu says it was concerned about peace talks with the Palestinians
  • NEW: Palestinian sources: Stray missile hits car, kills three Palestinians
  • Israeli army, Palestinian witnesses: Israeli troops kill senior Islamic Jihad leader

Funny how “30 kassam rockets hit Israel” isn’t up in that highlight box.

Buried about halfway down the story, we have this information:

But the Israeli military said it is responding to daily rocket and mortar fire from Gaza militants on civilian targets inside Israel.

Palestinian militants fired about 20 Qassam rockets Wednesday into and around the central Israeli town of Sderot, an Israeli army spokesman said. No injuries were immediately reported, according to paramedics.

Sderot has been a frequent target of such rocket attacks. Qassams are simple rockets manufactured by Palestinian militants. They rarely travel a significant distance but have occasionally injured and killed people.

On Tuesday, snipers stationed near the Gaza-Israel border shot and killed an Ecuadorean kibbutz farmer as he tended his field Tuesday morning. An IDF spokeswoman said such attacks are “the reason Israeli forces are operating in Gaza.”

Once again, see how the major media outlets disparage the risk of Sderot’s citizens. Just because the kassams haven’t killed more than a dozen people—yet—they are “simple rockets manufactured by Palestinian militants.”

The kassams are deadly weapons of war, whose purpose is to drive the residents of Sderot out of Sderot. And it’s working.

The New York Times, at least, mentioned yesterday’s kassam and mortar attacks high up in its story. The Times, however, buried this quote by Mahmoud al-Zahar, the foreign minister of the democratically-elected leaders of the Palestinians. The ones that the EU and Jimmy Carter say that Israel should negotiate with. Here’s what al-Zahar had to say:

As Mr. Zahar left a Gaza City mosque on Tuesday afternoon, where he had prayed before his son’s funeral, he said Mr. Bush’s “fate will be his end, his and his nation’s.”

Mr. Zahar said that “Israel will also be wiped out,” adding “all must remember this when the Palestinian flag is raised one day.”

Yep, sounds like a man Israel can deal with to me. Absolutely.

You would barely know from reading any of the AP articles that there is currently a rocket and mortar barrage on southern Israel.

The residents of Sderot and Ashkelon woke up Wednesday to a continuing rocket barrage, as at least 30 Qassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza towards the two cities. Several people suffered from shock.

Wednesday’s salvo followed the 41 rockets fired at the western Negev Tuesday. At least 12 Qassams were fired at Sderot, 11 more at Ashkelon and several at the Eshkol regional council, within an hour. Most of the rockets landed in open areas, but a loud explosion was heard coming form Ashkelon’s industrial area and security forces were trying to locate its origin.

However, the AP is eager to report that Palestinians in the West Bank are on strike over the “massacre” yesterday that killed 15 Hamas terrorists. They’re also reporting that Israel is dismantling outposts. And that Yisrael Beitenu is leaving Olmert’s coalition. But in none of those stories will you find that there is currently a rocket barrage keeping Sderot’s children out of school and near their bomb shelters.

Instead of a snow day, Sderot children stay home due to possible bombs falling on them. It’s surreal, and yet, the world does not think that the attacks on Sderot merit a response like the IDF killing the greatest number of terrorists in one shot this side of a Hamas rally.

Apparently, there’s a 100% chance of kassams in Sderot today, and a 99% chance of the same tomorrow. There is, however, a 100% chance of thousands of news articles on the missile strike that went astray and hit a car full of civilians instead of terrorists. Never fear. The unbiased media is on it.

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8 Responses to Rocket barrage hits Israel, media buries story

  1. lawhawk says:

    Just another day under Israeli double standard time eh?

  2. kat says:

    Are there any bloggers in Sderot who are documenting what’s happening? This might be a situation where we need to go around the media and make sure it’s the people who are paid attention to, rather than the journalists.

    If there aren’t any bloggers there, or no good ones, why not? I would think this is prime blogging material.

  3. Herschel says:

    Yesterday I looked at the CNN site just to see what their comments were about the killing of the Hamas terrorists, NOT ONE #$%^% WORD about rockets fired into Israel!

    And when I am at my local JCC health club, half of the tv sets are tuned to CNN until I change the channel!

  4. Rahel says:

    Kat, you may be able to start your search at Sderot Media and Israel Insider.

  5. David M says:

    The Thunder Run has linked to this post in the – Web Reconnaissance for 01/17/2008 A short recon of what’s out there that might draw your attention, updated throughout the day…so check back often.

  6. Moe says:

    Nope, no mention of a rocket attack on Israel, but we are kept up to the minute with Britney and her issues.

    I hate commercial news!

  7. Pastor Tukei Kennedy says:

    The way the news media behaves leaves a lot to be desired. I dont like the way your so called CNN reports about world issues let alone those of Israel. Their unfairness is always plain for all to see.

  8. Maksim says:

    my relatives in Ashkelon just told me that they got two rockets also — one Sat 19th and one Sun 20th. Those are not Quassam rockets — they can’t reach that far. To reach Ashkelon — which is a major city north of Sderot– they need Katushas or something similar. But that kind of news is not favorable now when our (American) government is pushing for a deal with the Palestinians. The reality is something quite different, however.

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