The AP spins, spins, spins for Hamas. Imagine that the Mexican drug lords sent fifty mortar shells into Texas. Imagine the worldwide headlines, and the angles of the articles. Now turn your attention to yesterday, when Palestinian terrorists sent a barrage of fifty mortar shells—not “crude, homemade” kassam rockets—into Israel. It’s an artillery barrage. The AP couldn’t even give it its own story. They mixed it with the news that Hamas was beating Palestinians who are calling for reconciliation between Hamas and Fatah in the early wire stories:
Hamas fires dozens of rockets at Israel
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired more than 50 rockets into Israel on Saturday, the heaviest barrage in two years, Israeli officials said, while Hamas police beat up reporters and confiscated their equipment.A Hamas official was killed and four civilians were wounded when Israel hit back with tank fire and air strikes, said Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia.
Note that the beating of reporters is more important than the fact that Palestinians are rallying against Hamas. But here’s where the AP’s wheels are going “rrr-rrr-rrr” in the mud, slinging it as far as the eye can see:
Hamas acknowledged it launched some of the mortars – an unusual move as the Islamic militant group does not usually take responsibility for such attacks. Hamas fears triggering another Israeli invasion similar to a three-week operation aimed at stopping daily Palestinian shelling two years ago that killed about 1,400 Palestinians.
The later release still carried the dual stories, as apparently being bombarded with 54 mortars does not rate its own news article under Israeli Double Standard Time.
Palestinian militants in Gaza fired more than 50 mortar shells into Israel on Saturday, the heaviest barrage in two years, Israeli officials said, raising the prospect of a new Mideast flareup.
Also Saturday, Hamas police beat reporters and news photographers covering a rally in Gaza City, drawing a stiff condemnation from the reporters’ association.
The most important aspect of the story, obviously, is that reporters were beaten. And today’s story? Well, we’re back to quoting the Israeli military in the headline:
Israeli military: Rocket from Gaza hits Israel
Palestinian militants fired a rocket into southern Israel on Sunday, while Israeli troops killed two Palestinians in a fresh wave of violence along the volatile border with Gaza.The violence came a day after Palestinian militants fired some 50 mortar shells into Israel – the heaviest Palestinian assault since a bruising Israeli military offensive two years ago.
Note the juxtaposition of Hamas firing rockets into civilian areas, and Israel invading Gaza to stop the firing of rockets into civilian areas. There is no such thing as cause and effect when it comes to Israel and the media. Israel would never have had a “bruising military offensive” if Hamas had not been killing and wounding Israelis on a regular basis with rocket and mortar bombardments. Oh, and remember how I keep on saying I could just cut and paste stories from past years? Take a look at this post from 2008, a year before the “bruising military offensive.” The AP didn’t even bother to cover the near-miss on a nursery. They were too busy spinning for Hamas.
Now to today’s AP spin. What’s going on in Israel today? Why, it’s a “fresh wave of violence.” Hamas sending rockets into Israel? Violence. Terrorists shot while trying to infiltrate Israel? Violence. Israel defending itself from mortar attacks? Violence. As to that “volatile border”? Well, all of the volatility is from the Palestinian side. If there were no rockets, no mortars, no attacks, there would be no IDF action.
Here’s a perfect example of the way the news media delegitimize Israel and legitimize Palestinian terrorists:
Gaza Health Ministry spokesman Adham Abu Salmia said a 22-year-old man in Gaza suffered moderate shrapnel wounds from Israeli tank fire after the rocket attack. The Israeli military said militants fired upon troops patroling the Gaza-Israel border, and troops returned fire, identifying one hit.
Abu Salmia said rescue teams also recovered the bodies of two Palestinian men who were killed overnight along the border. There were no details on their identities, and the military had no comment.
Note that the Palestinian spokesman is named, the wounded Palestinian is aged, and the AP says it couldn’t find out the names of the dead terrorists. The AP has not yet named the Fogel family members killed in last week’s terrorist attacks. And the AP almost never names the Israeli spokespeople it quotes. It is the most subtle form of bias, and it does its job. Israelis are nameless and faceless. The Palestinians become personalized. You see it over and over again. Check back in my archives, and I’m sure you’ll see it as far back as I’ve been posting about Israel.
Well, that’s about all the anti-Israel propaganda news I can take before my Sunday morning breakfast.
The violence came a day after Palestinian militants fired some 50 mortar shells into Israel
I can’t even understand the mind-set it takes to write that sentence.
I mean, calling it “violence” is silly and offensive, but if you’re going to do it, at least do it correctly
“The ‘violence’ started the day before when Palestinians”…..
Another horribly funny bit is Hamas acknowledged …an unusual move as the Islamic militant group does not usually take responsibility…”
No, and the AP knows this well as they usually uncritically pass along the old, “A previously unknown group called the United Warriors of Allah has taken credit” bit.
“Also Saturday, Hamas police beat reporters and news photographers covering a rally in Gaza City, drawing a stiff condemnation from the reporters’ association.” Perhaps this is one of the reasons that the AP shills for a ruthless Hamas, they are simply afraid of what will happen to them if they actually report the truth. After all, what has been the consequence of biased reporting against Israel, a minor reprimand, and then an appeal to fairness by a civilized Israeli government afraid to even deport clearly biased reporters? How many BBC, Guardian, and Time rag reporters have been escorted out of Israel for their libelous “reporting”?
My position would be to send the biased reporters to actually live in Gaza, then they can see first hand what Hamas Islamic rule is truly all about without the benefit of Israeli western music, and wine and beer, and where contact with the other sex is forbidden under penalty of death. Maybe after a few months in Gaza they will begin to appreciate Israel and it’s open western society a little more.