“Arresting” Lieberman: Journalism or Activism?
February 24, 2011 17:08 by Simon PloskerOn Feb. 22, Irish “journalist” David Cronin attempted a citizen’s arrest of Israel’s Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman at the start of a press conference at the EU in Brussels. Cronin shouted: “Mister Lieberman this is a citizen’s arrest. You are charged with the crime of apartheid” while accusing Israel of being an apartheid state. Video footage of the incident can be viewed below:
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ZGBeVRL52A&feature=relmfu[/youtube]
According to The Guardian’s report of the incident:
Cronin, a freelance journalist who has written for the Economist, the Inter Press Service news agency and the Guardian’s Comment is Free, was restrained by security guards and escorted from the building, shouting “Free Palestine”.
Can Cronin really be described as a “freelance journalist”? These are not the actions of a credible, honest media professional. Cronin’s actions are an abuse of the access granted to him and others with press credentials.
Perhaps it is unsurprising to see that Cronin contributes to The Guardian, a newspaper that has itself blurred the lines between journalism and activism with its coverage of the Palileaks.
We were also surprised when we saw the story on our Google RSS Reader, which we use to keep track of articles from so many media outlets. Take a closer look at the authors of the article.
Could it be that The Guardian allowed David Cronin to co-author a news item about an incident in which he was the key player? There is no evidence of this on The Guardian’s website. Yet, an RSS feed does not make errors independently from the original source material that it reproduces.
Which leaves us with one question: Innocent slip up that required a swift correction or an intentional cover-up of an unethical piece of reporting?
Update – 25 Feb: David Cronin himself has added the following in the comments section below: “I can confirm that I did NOT co-author the article in The Guardian to which you referred.”
At what point does journalism become activism? In this case, Cronin clearly crossed the line. Indeed, the Arab-Israeli conflict is one prime example of two competing narratives where not only have many journalists accepted one of those narratives but are actively promoting one side over the other.
We hope that The Guardian and other mainstream media outlets will not publish any of David Cronin’s writing on any subject related to Israel. With The Guardian, however, we suspect that Cronin’s outburst will only endear him to the paper’s editorial team.
Kenneth Weitzman DDS
10:27 pm
Feb 24, 2011
While pondering how the mainstream media has lost most of its journalistic integrity, a new word popped into my head to describe how all too many journalists and reporters distort the facts and advocate for their personal believes in reporting stories. The word is “newstorial” which combines news and editoral. Hope you like it.
Cordially,
Kenneth Weitzman DDS
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LEAH STEUER
10:27 pm
Feb 24, 2011
This man is not just a misinformed fool, but a train wreck of a person. Shame on him that he should even been given the right to his outlandish comments. He should be sent to a psych ward immediately.
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Peter Bolotski
10:41 pm
Feb 24, 2011
I don’t know much about Gardian, but they not only printed this hate monger report, they printed it under a heading that made look like a major event. Only when you read the article you realize that this only one man shouting insults from the crowd. Shame on Gardian.
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G. Berger
10:43 pm
Feb 24, 2011
This person has crossed the line between unbiased reporting as a journalist, to becoming an integator. He reminds me of an arsonist who pours gasoline, throws a match, and then shouts “look at fire that is taking place”.
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Asher Garber
10:58 pm
Feb 24, 2011
It’s been my experience that Palestinian “activists” are merely narcissists who like to use racism and bigotry in order to lash out against Jewish people and other supporters of Israel. Their constant blurring of definitions– from Apartheid to Zionism– is what shows them not only as uneducated but as opportunistic hypocrites.
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Marv Hershenson
10:58 pm
Feb 24, 2011
It is interesting how these “journalists”, who are so filled with hate, are blinded by their own paradigm. They use press freedom to communicate lies, myths and the various ad hominem characterizations. Yes, it is very easy for them to hate Jews and those who support the only democracy in the Middle East (with the possible exception of Iraq.) Where were those voices when the West Bank was under control of Jordan and Gaza under the control of Egypt. Apparently, they do not read….
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norman a bliumberg
11:12 pm
Feb 24, 2011
I think that some of the correspondents here overlook the reality of what truly motivates people like Cronin (If that’s his real name). I’d bet that if one could look into his background, he was an anti- Jewish bully as a schoolboy. No matter how well meant, no other explanation of this crude boor’s behavior ( apart from the possibility that he receives, under the lap, funds to propagate his nauseating ideas) will do. Apartheid indeed. Had he lived in S Africa during that time, I have no doubt whatsoever that he would have been a prominent perpetrator of that policy.
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Roger G. Bensman,CLU,ChFC
11:17 pm
Feb 24, 2011
As I published some time ago, after researching from 1950 through 2009 all the results of dozens of research teams consisting of respected anthropologists, psychiatrists, psychologists, sociologists, medical physicians, statistitions, and other rather capable persons, both Christian and Jewish, it turns out unequivocably that JewHate is a contageous behavioral disturbance of the individual and of the group. Of this, there is no room for argument, interpretation, dispute.
People like this Cronen crank are badly infected with the disorder. So are groups, such as the folks who run the Guardian. So are billions of people across the globe and across the centuries. The fact that he and others are suffering an incurable illness makes them dangerous so Jews can’t feel sorry for their condition. We as Jews must defend ourselves by any and all means available. It is better to be PREPARED than be sorry, injured, or dead.
My family has taken lots of precautions and are what one might be considered hard targets. Rabbi Meir Kahane once remarked: “Every Jew A 22.” With the passage of time, amend that to 12-gauge pump action shotguns, glock handguns, repeating rifles replete with banana clips, waspsprays that fire 27′, and so on and so forth. Of the Jews in Israel, they at least have a powerful military and THE BOMB. Remember, we Jews are not dealing with thoughtful, reasonable, logical folk who have analysed all the facts, documents, evidence, and come to the conclusion that all Jews are criminals and scourges on the face of humanity. No. We are dealing with mental patients who will reach out in irrational hatred and kill us.
As to Lieberman, whom I admire very much, he was dealing with a very ill person—that and nothing more, nothing less. I have written to him on this very topic. I believe it of utmost importance that every Jew know that this is not about us, what we say, don’t say, do, don’t do in this world. It is about THEM and the affliction they carry inside their fevered brains.
Their hatred of Jews is the in-bred hatred of the propagandistic-implanted IMAGE and/or PERCEPTION of the JEW. No personification here. They pretend some great love for arabs and this is explained in a straightforward manner as love the people who hate the people called Jews. They cannot have any real concern for the arab; it is merely the psychological manifestation of loving the enemy of the Jew. That is it, period and report. While we are living targets and must have a care about all this, the hatred is against a fevered vision of JEW.
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sam
11:44 pm
Feb 24, 2011
THIS MAN SHOULD USE HIS SO CALLED WASTEDFREEDOM FIGHTS ENERGIES IN HELPING HIS ANTI SEMITIC COUNTRY GET ITS ACT TOGETHER,BY CLEANING UPTHE ECONOMIC MESS THEY HAVE AND TO WHICH THEY HAVE DRAGGED TAXPAYERS ALL OVER THE GLOBE.
HE SHOULD ALSO LOOK OUT FOR THOSE VICTIMS OF THE PAEDOPHILES RAMPANT IN EIRE WHOSE DISTORTED CHRISTIAN OUTLOOK HAS EXPORTED THIS PLAGUE THROUGHOUT THE WORLD THROUGFH THEIR LORETTO NUNS AND THEIR CHRISTIAN BROTHERS
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Carole
11:56 pm
Feb 24, 2011
Just another victim of misinformation about Israel!
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Jiri Adler
12:49 am
Feb 25, 2011
I am sorry but I must disagree. He is NOT a victim – he is a perpetrator!!!!
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H Bendor
12:25 am
Feb 25, 2011
Look at the picture of this clown, this piece of human dandruff…
[img]http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2008/06/17/david__cronin.jpg[/img]
pretending to be a REPORTER… he surely had his 15 minutes of fame before being thrown out like a vagabond.
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Nathan Zafran
12:34 am
Feb 25, 2011
For too long the Guardian has become a cesspool of untreated sewage when it comes to reporting on (or rather against) Israel. Cronin is just the latest of the putrid breed that calls itself journalists of the Guardian. The UK (united???) has become the lackey of fundumentalist Islam, extreme left anarchists who now even pelt his Royal Highness with eggs, and are returning to their historic and traditional brand of antisemitism. Thing look dire and bleak for Great Britain (Great ????).
Nathan Zafran
Kyriat Motzkin
Israel
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Marilyn Smith
12:54 am
Feb 25, 2011
For a long time I have noticed that the world blames either Britain or the Jews for everything – looks like Sam and Nathan have decided its our turn again! Israel has a lot of friends in Britain, we’re just not important enough to make the headlines. So let us not start ‘having a go’ at each other while the real criminals pass by almost unnoticed. Peace friends.
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Jack
12:55 am
Feb 25, 2011
It is pleasing to know that when the time comes, the Islamic Jihadists will murder Cronin ,and all the other Christians as well as the Jews. It is almost a satisfying ending to the jerks like cronin
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David Cybul
1:15 am
Feb 25, 2011
So sad to see yet another person succumb to the lies and desperate behavior of anti-israel and anti-great human beings, So sad that Europe has not realized that they have been invaded by the hijackers of the Muslim Faith, those radicals that enriche themselves utilizing faith and the low education of their respective countries citizens. Wake up Europe in some years there wont be an Europena Union there will be A Muslim Europe covered with Sharia law (Mad Law), While Europeans reproduce at no more than 1.8 children per Couple, the Muslims Produce 6 to 8 per couple , and iI say produce because thats what they are doing , Producing future generations of Terrorists, politician and public servants that will be a majority, Grqve Mistake to open europes doors to all this people, what should have been done was to help them to turn their countries of origin into democracies long ago, but our thirst for oil blinded us and the Europeans.
Hope i dont offend anyone. Regards,
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Leah C.
2:42 am
Feb 25, 2011
Europeans are waking up to the Muslim invasion. They just don’t know what to do about it…
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glikson
1:35 am
Feb 25, 2011
This journalist looks like a real ” POTZ “, have a look at his patetic smile…ridiculous…..
he had his 5 minutes of fame, is now doomed to oblivion, just as medriocres people…
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Carol Goldenstein
1:58 am
Feb 25, 2011
Cronin is a grandstanding leftist using his “journalist” title to get into the press conference at the EU in Brussels.
Anything he has written in the past on Israel has been invalidated as he obviously has his own agenda which has corrupted his supposedly “unbiased” reporting.
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Bernie Kessler
4:06 am
Feb 25, 2011
I wonder what would happen if some person or group in the UK would sue this guy
slander — get him into court and make him prove his “apartheid” claim. It won’t stand
up according to all definitions I can find and we continue fighting this in court — keep
hitting these guys with court actions.
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Melissa McCurdie
4:15 am
Feb 25, 2011
When will these activists start understanding that not only is it factually incorrect to describe Israel as an apartheid state, but that it also demeans the suffering of those South African blacks who genuinely did live with the real restrictions and horrors of apartheid.
Perhaps these journalists turned activists should start analysing the restrictions placed on Jews and on all women in most Arab countries if they want to worry about restrictive regimes but oops I forgot, they can’t because then, different from the freedom they continue to enjoy to move in and out of Israel, they would be banned from any Arab country which they dared criticise.
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Brent Pudsey
4:46 am
Feb 25, 2011
As people are not perfect so no government is without fault. However that being said it is revolting how the media has chosen to look at only one side of the story and not to be objective. While it can be said that the situation in Palestine is not a good one , one must ask why only one nation is blamed for the Palestinian crisis. The name Palestine is a Roman one which referred to the peoples living in a vast geographic area encompassing most of the Middle East. Why is it that Israel which is a small nation must give more and more of its territority? Why do not the large territories and more affulent terrritories who produce great amounts of oil such as Saudi Arabia and Iran not give of their territory for a Palestinian homeland?
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