A few headlines about the latest red-on-red infighting.
6 Die as Palestinian Authority Forces Clash With Hamas
Note the passive voice in the headline. Six were killed, and yet, in the headline, they “die” in a clash. You can’t blame the author for this one, only the Times headline writer:
Palestinian Authority forces clashed with Hamas militants in the West Bank early on Sunday, leaving six dead in the bloodiest such encounter in two years.
Oh, wait. “Leaving six dead”, also from a “clash,” instead of using the active verb “killed.” Funny how that verb only seems to get much use when discussing Palestinians killed by the IDF. Dave caught an example of differing photo captions in similar circumstances. (By the way, Dave, your format sucks for linking to a specific item. Go back to individual posts instead of daily updates.)
The AP spin is even worse. Using, I presume, his own opinion, the author writes:
Abbas has backed Washington’s peace efforts, and the raid underscored his determination to rein in militants as part of his obligations under the U.S.-backed “road map” peace plan. Last week, Abbas met at the White House with President Barack Obama and renewed a pledge to crack down on militants and honor other commitments under the road map.
Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh said going after militants is key to one day setting up a Palestinian state.
That’s not reporting fact. That’s reporting the writer’s point of view about why the fight occurred. Perhaps if he had paid attention to the quote he reported, he might have gotten the real reason:
Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh said going after militants is key to one day setting up a Palestinian state.
“To build our country and our state, we need to have one authority, one gun, one law,” he said.
There it is, in plain English: It’s all about defeating Hamas, and nothing about the Road Map. But the AP narrative must be passed on, regardless of whether or not it’s true.