CBS 60 Minutes: An Unholy Attack on Israel
April 24, 2012 11:04 by Simon PloskerThe status of Christians in Israel, the West Bank and Gaza has been featured in the media on numerous occasions. The April 22 edition of CBS’s 60 Minutes, however, presented an unbalanced picture blaming Israel for virtually every difficulty experienced by Palestinian Christians.
After watching the segment, one is left with the impression that Christians are being deliberately targeted by malevolent Israeli policies when nothing could be further from the truth. Undoubtedly, Palestinian Christians are affected by Israeli security measures such as the West Bank security barrier, referred to by Bob Simon as a “wall” despite the majority of the structure consisting of chain-link fencing.
According to Simon:
Palestinian Christians, once a powerful minority, are becoming the invisible people, squeezed between a growing Muslim majority and burgeoning Israeli settlements.
Could Israeli settlements really be responsible for the plight of Palestinian Christians? Or is it due to issues that Bob Simon fails to fully investigate?
Related Content: Ignoring the Real Causes of Christian Exodus
Simon refers to settlements to explain the plight of Palestinian Christians. But his analysis is naive and demonstrates a weak grasp of the issues he’s presenting.
Reporters with more experience reporting on the region repeatedly point to the suppression of voices critical of the Muslim majority in Palestinian cities.
The Associated Press reports:
The number of Christians in the West Bank is on the decline. While some leave for economic reasons, many speak of persecution by the Muslim majority, but always anonymously, fearing retribution.
Justus Reid Weiner has researched the plight of Christians in the Palestinian territories extensively. According to Weiner, Arab Christians rarely speak about their situation in public:
The human rights crimes against the Christian Arabs in the disputed territories are committed by Muslims. Yet many Palestinian Christian leaders accuse Israel of these crimes rather than the actual perpetrators. This motif has been adopted by a variety of Christian leaders in the Western world. Others who are aware of the human rights crimes choose to remain silent about them.
Ha’aretz looks at Israeli reaction to the broadcast even before it was aired:
“We conducted a thorough examination and we found out that no official Israeli source was asked to comment on the assertions in the report,” an Israeli diplomat said.
Israel’s embassy in Washington met with “60 Minutes” several times and found that the report was almost ready for broadcast. In one of the meetings with the investigative reporters, an Israeli diplomat presented an issue of Newsweek with a cover story about the persecution of Christian communities in Arab states.
“The ’60 Minutes’ reporters said that this was not the subject of their article so it was not relevant,” said an Israeli diplomat.
How could Muslim persecution of Christians not be relevant to the subject matter? And how could a supposedly credible media outlet initially fail to consider asking Israeli officials for their views?
For more information on the status of Christians in the Holy Land, read Michael Oren’s article in the Wall St Journal.
Christians of the Holy Land - US Message Board - Political Discussion Forum
4:37 am
Apr 29, 2012
[...] Christians of the Holy Land – 60 Minutes – CBS News Now let's get the other side of the story. HonestReportingCBS 60 Minutes: An Unholy Attack on Israel | HonestReporting Meanwhile, of course, Tinny has no problem with what is happening to the Christians elsewhere [...]
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CBS 60 minutes: un attacco “poco santo” a Israele « Bugie dalle gambe lunghe
1:13 pm
Apr 29, 2012
[...] suoi cittadini – ebrei, cristiani e musulmani – dal terrorismo islamico stesso”. http://honestreporting.com/cbs-60-minutes-an-unholy-attack-on-israel/2/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this [...]
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steve mann
4:29 pm
Apr 29, 2012
Found this article- Should be forwarded to CBS
“Every three minutes a Christian is being tortured in the Muslim world, and in 2009 more than 165,000 Christians will have been killed because of their faith, most of them in Muslim countries, according to a human rights organization
“Hamas digs up the bodies of Christians from Christian burial sites in the Gaza Strip claiming that they pollute the earth,” said Reverend Majed El Shafie, President of One Free World International (OFWI), who will head a delegation of human rights activists, members of parliament from Canada and religious personalities.
El Shafie said that between 200-300 million Christians are being persecuted in the world, 80 percent of whom lived in Muslim countries and the rest in communist and other countries.
OFWI is a human rights organization whose headquarters are located in Toronto, Canada. The organization numbers some 3,000 members, divided into 28 branches that are active in countries all over the world, including Egypt, Jordan, Syria, Afghanistan, Pakistan and even Iran.
El Shafie, 32, was born in Cairo to a distinguished Muslim family of lawyers and judges. Through a Christian friend he was exposed at an early age to hatred toward the Christian minority in Egypt.
He decided to convert to Christianity, wrote a book about it and as a result became an outcast and a victim of oppression.
In 1998 he was arrested, imprisoned, tortured and condemned to death.
El Shafie managed to escape, fled to the Sinai, where a Beduin family hid him for two months, and crossed the Israeli border on a jet-ski. He was arrested in Israel and was imprisoned for over a year in Beersheba, until he was released through the assistance of the UN, Amnesty International and the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem, which managed to obtain political asylum for El Shafie in Canada, where he emigrated. He founded OFWI in 2004″
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Salim Varese
5:25 pm
Apr 29, 2012
Honest reporting is Honest and that anti Semite up there probably finished reading the Turner diaries and Mein Kampf and has nothing else to read or do…
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BUTSeriously
5:38 pm
Apr 29, 2012
The real victims are those who have been fed lies. This becomes metabolized or embedded in peoples’ souls and psyches, aka a belief. It cannot be removed, even by convincing proof. It turns into extreme hatred when the belief seems dubious, because the victim of this falsehood has nowhere else to go. Its like telling a mother her child is not hers.
Add to this mix the notorious doctrine of Taqiya [its OK to lie to the infidels] and the penalty of death if the belief is criticized – and you have a fully captive mass of victims for life. The issue has nothing to do with Jews, Zionists, Palestinians or lands. The peddlers of falsehoods and its subsequent hate peoples are the only issue, as well as the other forces which foster them. Israel’s only problem is she is right and also having truth on her side. Terrible crime!
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abeleseliasov
6:13 pm
Apr 29, 2012
Mr Pace.
Many of the people who post comments seem to know you and your ideas, I dont. HOWEVER,
I find that the content and style that you use is absolutely unacceptable and shames only you.
You spew hatred and unblitherated garbage. You show no respect for yourself or the others(I find it astonishing that there are some who actually tolerate you.) The people in your political camp must really be flattered that you are one of them.
To the editors of this page: Hate speech is a crime, not a democratic right. Some serious editing by the moderator would be in order.
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LUIS FROM MEXICO
4:06 pm
Apr 30, 2012
To be honest, I never heard on the 60 minute piece that Jews pesecuted or killed Muslims and I did not feel the piece was antisemitic. I know this will bring anger at me, but let’s be fair and give this it’s real value wich is ZERO. By the way……I am not a Chistian or a Muslim; I am Jew.
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LUIS FROM MEXICO
4:07 pm
Apr 30, 2012
SORRY…I MENT JEWS KILLED OR PERSECUTED CHRISTIANS!!!!
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slea
5:05 pm
Apr 30, 2012
Luis you are correct that the piece did not say that Jews persecuted Christians, but the piece made it clear that Israeli policies like the wall and checkpoint security were the primary reasons that life has become so hard for Christians that they are being forced to leave. Bob Simon even went so far as to suggest that Israel should be aware that the greater Christian community would take very seriously this hardship to the Israeli Christian community. All this without talking about the persicution of Christians by Muslims that is the most often stated reason by Christians for leaving. They just don’t feel safe.
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BUTSeriously
12:26 am
May 01, 2012
Let’s talk policies which are never in the radar and where they come from:
1. Corruption of the Balfour when the Jews were totally helpless following W.W.II. A genocide policy.
2. Corruption of math, accounting the robbery of 80% of a tiny land for the creation of Jordan as a “TWO-STATE COMPROMISE”. It begs the question, what % is NOT a compromise in this policy? Remember that Britain was given a care-taker role after it accept the Balfour, which called for ONE ONLY JEWISH STATE IN PALESTINE policy.
3. Corruption of history, accounting Muslims as Palestinians when the Jews were anointed this name by Europe [The Pope's ancestors!] and held for 2000 years exclusively as a reference to Jews, till the Pope shook hands with an Egyptian terrorist name Arafat and VALLAH! – Muslims become Palestinians. A non-confusing policy of genocide for Jews.
4. Affirming the corruption of genocidal math by accounting a 3-state as a 2-state today. Is it confusing that serial 2-state demands in the same tiny land is 100% a genocide policy?
60 Minutes and such like minded media have a policy of selecting which atrocities are in the default setting. An understandable policy. And Muslims understand this very well. What is not understood is that Eurabia is happening and it has nothing whatever to do with Israel’s policies. Its to do only with the Heil Hitler salute policies against Israel conducted at the UN the past 60 years.
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Richard Salus
5:21 pm
Apr 30, 2012
Bob Simon’s reporting on the plight of Christians in the West Bank was disgraceful. To pin the blame on the policies of Israel for the mass exodus of Christians from the West Bank flies in the face of the fact that Christians are leaving on masse from Muslim countries (e.g., Egypt and Iraq) because of the intolerable conditions created by the Muslim majority. Until a few years ago, Arab Christians once constituted half the population of Lebanon. Muslims, not Jews, drove out the Christians.
At the same time that Arab Christiian populations are fleeing Arab countries, the population of Arab Christians in Israel has dramatically increased. In Israel, as in the US, there is religious persecution. All religious sites, Christian, Muslim, B’hai as well as Jewish are protected.
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Jeanie Laurence
3:04 am
May 01, 2012
Oh boo hoo Bob Simon said bad things about Israel, just like Mike Wallace another self hating Jew. Why don’t you read Bob Simon’s bio maybe you will know what a real hero is. Another Bronxite who went to one of the most prestigious schools, Brandeis and graduated with the highest of honors. I am a Bronxite, too, and I expect Israel to be the best in the world. I know what it means to be called a dirty Jew. Read this-I Shall Not Hate by Izzeldin Abuelaish M.D.
A Gaza Doctor’s journey on the road to peace and human dignity. This story is a necessary lesson against hatred and revenge.
Elis Wiesel Nobel Peace Prize Winner
Hot debate. What do you think?
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Forr real Honest Reporting
10:37 pm
May 01, 2012
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CBS Exposed: Bob Simon’s “Theatrical Outrage” | The Conservative Papers
1:33 am
May 02, 2012
[...] Thousands of concerned individuals have already written to CBS to express their disgust at Bob Simon’s report on Christians in the Holy Land on CBS’s 60 Minutes. [...]
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BUTSeriously
3:35 am
May 02, 2012
Israel has the duty of repelling any who call themselves Palestinians – Christians included. This name is nothing other than a covert Nazi-like attack on Jews. It is akin to calling Europeans as the Sharia people in Europe – brutally persecuting the Sharians in Europe.
Those Christians who deny this are hardly facing any truths – they are in fact the most guilty here, even more so than the Muslims – it was Europe who dumped this name on the Jews of Judea – and it was done with a premise of aspired genocide on the nation of Israel. The same applies today. The Muslims would never have gotten away with this atrocious, murderous lie unless Christians supported and fostered them.
The crimes of Christians will tie the hands of their Lord from saving them, even as they imagine they will not be confronted for such great and blatant crimes, all committed by Christians: from the corruption of the Balfour and serial 2-state demands in the same land, to re-transferring the name Palestinian on to those panting for another holocaust. Surely the Christian Lord knows about rocket science what Christians and Muslims mean by their crimes and twisting of truth.
If anyone wants to help Christians – tell them the truth in their faces. It is the duty of Israel to do so. Its not Muslim and Christian Pretend Pals which has any truth – its Eurabia happening and the Islamic states crumbling from within. Its cause is how Christians have flaunted all truth.
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steve mann
11:19 am
May 02, 2012
You really are not aware of the details- are you there?
First there are no such people defined as “Palestinians” of a sovereign state. Prior to 1947- There was a piece of territory called Palestine- ruled by the British. And there were thousands of Hebrews called Palestinians.
So your whole premise starts without foundation.
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BUTSeriously
3:49 am
May 02, 2012
BREAKING NEWS!
Its historically impossible that Jesus was a Palestinian. This name was dumped on Judea 100 years after Jesus existed, namely in 135 CE. The name Palestinian was not applied to Judea or Jews or anyone else before this time. Thus all Christians are fostering a total lie, with a totally vile aspiration of genocide upon Israel, with 20/20 vision, not by confusion or error.
The results of this terrible lie will not impact on Israel but on its perpetrators, using their own weapons against them: the Muslims they anoint as Palestinians will turn on them, as we see happening: Christians are being persecuted and eliminated from the M/E and their Gospels is being overturned by Muslims: the temple which Jesus is said to have visited is called a myth! Let the truth cleanse Christians if Jews wish to assist them.
‘A FALSEHOOD AND THE HOLY ONE CANNOT ABIDE TOGETHER’
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BUTSeriously
11:35 am
May 02, 2012
Q: What would happen if Israel and all Jews and their friends agree to implement a solemn pledge of rejecting any reference to Muslims as Palestinians, and the accounting of a 3-state as a 2-state – as a criminal act akin to the Nazi Heil Hitler salute? I mean never responding to any who use these terms, including the UN, the EU and any other parties?
It is important to look past the immediate, inevitable backlash and ridicule made of it by its perpetrators – in the end it will have to be debated, enforcing the truth and shaming those who should be shamed. Equally, it is important to look what results if we do not reject these terrible manipulations of history in what can only be described as a genocidal aspiration of Israel.
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steve mann
11:52 am
May 02, 2012
You miss the point- It has reached a stage where here in the UK – when one refers to a “Palestinian” they immediatly -think- Muslim.
Professor (Of History) Moishe Dann said that every time one one uses the term “Palestinian” he perpetuates a myth-
And it should be combated whenever and however.
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BUTSeriously
12:15 pm
May 02, 2012
“when one refers to a “Palestinian” they immediatly -think- Muslim.”
That’s the whole point of it. Its a way of confronting a terrible lie.
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steve mann
12:43 pm
May 02, 2012
Then do you perpetuate that lie or combat it?
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Ian Worby
4:15 am
May 15, 2012
I cant believe the media bias displayed in this 60 Minutes report.
Ive been doing a number of tours with Australian Christian Pilgrims to Israel for
a number of years now.
Every time we wanted to take our tour with our Christian Israeli tour guide to bethlehem or Jericho
our guide was forced off the bus, because he is a JEW !!!…now all of our Australian pilgrims were
most upset and indignant to actually see that it is NOT Israel that is opperating an apartite state but rather is is territory inder palistinan Authorty control !!!
Also when we asked for local “Palistinian” Christian guides to tell us what was happening in Bethlehem they said most Christians had left because its no longer safe to be a Christian because of pressure by Muslims…NOT Israel. They have more rights and access to benifits as Israeli citizens than as Palestinians. No one tells the story about all the free medical and other services Israel does for its Arab neighbours in Gazza …because GOOD NEWS doesnt sell papers or provide the political spin these people want. We now have “palestinian Christians’ in bethlehem saying Jesus was the first palestinian freedom fighter etc…we even have many US and UK church leaders buying into this distortion and have sided with the plight of the poor palestinians (and invented people by the way) because of an insidious false doctrine called “replacement theology” which crept into the church in 2nd and 3rd century until it resulted in tye halocaust where the teachings of Origion , Augustine and Luther taught that god had rejected the jews and given all the blessings to the Church and all the curses to the jews.
If 60 minutes wanted to be fair and unbiased why didnt they interview the thousands of pilgrims who travel to Israel including Bethlehem and Jericho who see a different side of the story as reported by CBS in this instance.
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60 Minutes attackiert Strand von Tel Aviv « Medien BackSpin
6:31 pm
May 20, 2012
[...] dem bösartigen Angriff von 60 Minutes (CBS) auf Israel wegen seiner angeblichen Übergriffe gegen Christen in Israel und [...]
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http://tinyurl.com/primreiby11014
9:35 pm
Jan 31, 2013
I actually think this amazing blog , “CBS 60 Minutes:
An Unholy Attack on Israel | HonestReporting”, particularly engaging plus the
blog post was indeed a superb read. I appreciate it,Harlan
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BUTSeriously
1:13 am
Feb 01, 2013
The report against Israel is not merely false: it is antithetical. Israel’s majestic IDF lay their lives on the line to protect both Christian and Islamic shrines. Jordan destroyed 100s of churches and synagogues, making toilet tiles of revered tombstones. The tomb of Joseph was again recently burnt ad desecrated – making a mockery of Islamic murders of nuns for any who disrespect Islam.
The report begs the question which planet is it referring to.
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Gloria
3:57 pm
Mar 02, 2013
I consider this particular posting , “CBS 60 Minutes:
An Unholy Attack on Israel | HonestReporting” z-ita , quite engaging and also the post was indeed a wonderful read.
Thanks a lot-Katja
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