Season’s Greetings From the Israel Bashers
December 27, 2011 13:05 by Simon Plosker
Every year around Christmas, journalists descend upon Bethlehem looking for a story with a seasonal flavor, usually a bitter one as far as Israel is concerned. That the same old stories are recycled more often than that Christmas or Chanukah present you just didn’t want, doesn’t seem to bother some media outlets.
Some particularly nasty pieces have come to our attention in the past few days.
The Guardian’s headline employs one of the most insidious and oft-repeated analogies at this time of year:
The Guardian’s article was also republished in Australia’s The Age and once again, the headline writer produced something almost equally distasteful:
In a similar vein, The Times‘s headline (subscription only) implies that Israel is specifically targeting the Christian residents of Bethlehem:
Interestingly, both articles quote the same Bethlehem priest, the likelihood being that this story was fed to the media in an organized fashion, perhaps by the Palestinian Authority or a non-governmental organization. The Guardian opens with:
If Joseph and Mary were making their way to Bethlehem today, the Christmas story would be a little different, says Father Ibrahim Shomali, a parish priest in the town. The couple would struggle to get into the city, let alone find a hotel room.
“If Jesus were to come this year, Bethlehem would be closed,” says the priest of Bethlehem’s Beit Jala parish. “He would either have to be born at a checkpoint or at the separation wall. Mary and Joseph would have needed Israeli permission – or to have been tourists.
At least The Times, unlike The Guardian, doesn’t run with Shomali’s disgusting politicization of the Christmas narrative. Indeed, one could equally argue that Mary and Joseph, as Jews today, would find themselves in far more dangerous territory traveling through Palestinian towns and cities.
Considering both newspapers saw fit to interview a priest from Beit Jala, it may have been pertinent to mention why the Israeli security barrier is present in that precise area. Israelis living in the Jerusalem suburb of Gilo will never forget the incessant Palestinian gunfire from Beit Jala aimed directly into their homes during the first years of the so-called Second Intifada.
Nor will Jerusalemites forget the infiltration of suicide bombers from the Bethlehem area who took advantage of the open border before the construction of the Israeli security barrier. The Times merely states: ”Israeli officials say that the barrier has helped to reduce terrorist attacks. Palestinians call it a land grab.” The Guardian fails to mention Israeli security concerns at all.
As for the implication in both news articles that Israel is deliberately causing an exodus of Christians from Bethlehem, this is a gross misrepresentation of a long-term trend as the Christian community in the Palestinian areas has taken advantage of its relatively high level of education and economic well being to emigrate to the US and other Western countries. Not mentioned, of course, are the issues of living as Christians among a Muslim majority, particularly with the presence of Hamas extremists.
As the Associated Press states in its own very different story on Bethlehem at Christmas:
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.
Christians have even lost their majority in Bethlehem, where more than two-thirds of the some 50,000 Palestinian residents are now Muslim.
This also tallies with research as far back as 2006 by Justus Reid Weiner of the JCPA.
In stark contrast to a “besieged”, “choked” or closed off city of Bethlehem described by The Guardian, The Age and The Times, the AP’s report paints a very different picture:
Israel’s Tourism Ministry said it expects 90,000 tourists to visit the holy land for the holiday. Ministry spokeswoman Lydia Weitzman said that number is the same as last year’s record-breaking tally, but was surprisingly high considering the turmoil in the Arab world and the US and European economic downturns.
As the Wall St. Journal wrote exactly two years ago:
On the rare occasion that Western media cover the plight of Christians in the Palestinian territories, it is often to denounce Israel and its security barrier. Yet until Palestinian terrorist groups turned Bethlehem into a safe haven for suicide bombers, Bethlehemites were free to enter Israel, just as many Israelis routinely visited Bethlehem.
The other truth usually ignored by the Western press is that the barrier helped restore calm and security not just in Israel, but also in the West Bank including Bethlehem. The Church of the Nativity, which Palestinian gunmen stormed and defiled in 2002 to escape from Israeli security forces, is now filled again with tourists and pilgrims from around the world.
How many more years will we have to deal with the politicization and abuse of Christmas by the media? Judging by The Guardian, The Age and The Times, we’ll no doubt be back in a year’s time for more of the same.
Send your considered comments to:
- The Guardian – letters@guardian.co.uk
- The Times – letters@thetimes.co.uk
- The Age - http://www.theage.com.au/national/letters/submit
Image: CC BY-SA HonestReporting.com, flickr/Marissa Mullen.
Josephine Bacon
5:42 pm
Dec 27, 2011
The whole of Archbishop Vincent Nicholl’s sermon on Christmas Day was devoted to the subject of 50 Christian families living near Bethlehem who are being deprived of their land due to Israel’s security fence. He clearly has a short memory about the way Palestinian terrorists occupied the Church of the Nativity, but a little Jew-bashing on Christmas Day doesn’t ever go amiss. The BBC also did their bit, by interviewing Palestinians in Bethlehem who were in the “traditional” occupations of carpenter, shepherd, etc. and hearing them moan about how they are no longer free, etc. etc. No interviews with Israelis, no balancing explanation.
Someone ought to write to Archbishop Nicholl and tell him what we think of him, it is impossible to address him through the Archdiocese of Westminster website.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
29 
1
The things the media does:
6:26 pm
Dec 27, 2011
[...] happening to be on the spot or photographer arranging a ‘scene’that will sell?To read: Season’s Greetings From the Israel BashersShare this:PrintEmailFacebookStumbleUponRedditDiggDecember 27th,2011 | Tags:Christmas,Elia [...]
Agree or Disagree:
1 
1
Steven Kalka
6:32 pm
Dec 27, 2011
Somebody should ask the Archbishop how this treatment compares with that from Moslems in Egypt, Iraq, and other Islamic nations. Does he consider checkpoints worse than outright murder? This story is the Guardian’s usual unbalanced tripe.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
25 
1
Niels Jørgensen
7:20 pm
Dec 27, 2011
The journalists missed the posters of the suicide bombers hanging next to the chairman of PLO. When the palaestinians makes heros og terrorists, who can believe en peace with them?
In Denmark, the so called palaestinian refugees, are amongst the most criminals. Despite of a very generous social welfare, free education, healthcare, housing support, etc.
Name one country where the immigration og palaestinians has NOT created unrest and problems!
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
20 
1
GregG
7:22 pm
Dec 27, 2011
Ask Father Ibrahim Shomali why there is only about 15% Christians left in Bethlehem today…when twenty years ago it was a majority Christian city…hint, it has nothing to do with the Jews.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
23 
1
Mickey Oberman
8:03 pm
Dec 27, 2011
The Christian religious leaders in predominantly Muslim territory are responsible themselves for the great decline in the numbers of their congregants.
They persist, in a most cowardly way, of blaming Israel for their woes hoping to placate the Muslims who are, in actual fact, forcing the Christians to leave. Their hypocrisy and lying and antisemitism deserves whatever punishment is meted out to them.
As for those anti Israel journalists who earn their living denigrating Israel.
I am sure Israeli authorities know who most of them are and the media they represent. They should be barred from entering the country. Why they aren’t is a mystery to me. This has nothing at all to do with freedom of the press. This has to do with propaganda and lies being used to destroy a country. Israel must stop it.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
15 
1
RLR
1:18 am
Dec 28, 2011
Since we’re distinguishing Christian Palestinians and Muslim Palestinians – I always like to ask the question: How many suicide bombers that have struck Jews and Israelis have been Christian, and how many have been Muslim? Easy answer, huh?
So whatever is real or imagined about “Israeli oppression” really comes down to who in the region is unwilling to have Jews cohabit with ‘them’ on this earth.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
11 
3
Gail
1:11 pm
Dec 28, 2011
We were in Israel this past May on a tour with our synagogue’s rabbi & his wife. After visiting the Christian holy sites in Nazareth, we were shocked and saddened to see a huge billboard right outside the religious quarter. It stated something to the effect that the Koran & it’s believers were the only true religious people in the world, and that all other believers of other religions were not considered worthy. What a disgusting, sacriligious message. Israel is beyond tolerant of all religions, but I truly believe that that billboard is an insult to people of all religious beliefs, and should be removed.
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
8 
1
Dan Bahat
3:44 am
Dec 29, 2011
It is because of the stupidity of PrimE Minister Rabin who did not understand the importance of Bethlehem to the Christians, Jerusalem and Bethlehem are one. The heads of the Christians in Bethlehem begged Rabin to keep Bethlehem in Israel, but he did not understand.
This was the end of Christian presence in the town. The British will be to the end misleading world public opinion, so no wonder what their papers write.
As a proof: after the acceptance of the Palestinians to UNESCO, the Authoruty asked to declare the chuch of the Nativity as a world cultural haritage. Not surprising, the heads of the Christian communities ask not to do so, as every declared site is the reponsibility of the government. What Christian would like the church to be ubder Palestinian administration?
Agree or Disagree:
4 
1
The Ozi Zion Blog » Blog Archive » Seasons greetings - Beit Lechem in the news
4:38 am
Dec 31, 2011
[...] Christmas trees and lights always add a festive feel to Sydney. It is also an opportunity for the Israel bashers to make some Bethlehem related anti-Israel statement – as noted in Honest Reporting here. [...]
Agree or Disagree:
4 
1
tediam
12:09 am
Jan 09, 2012
The thought of israelis taking Palestinian land and claiming their god created it for them, and in fact – created the whole universe just for them, is ludicrous. These arrogant, delusional people are bound to set themselves up for another holocaust. The world will learn of their true identity in time – and it will come to pass.
Hot debate. What do you think?
2 
6
steve mann
12:37 pm
Jan 09, 2012
tedium- Forget the God given bit-
History shows that the land of Judea / Israel existed.
That it was conquered and occupied by the Romans. From that day on it was uniquely occupied for millennia. Time scale is irrelevant.
However what is Palestinian land- are you saying that there was a Palestinian state. Because I have never heard of one- History dose not show one- So how can any one “Take Palestinian Land”?
Well-loved. Agree or Disagree:
5 
0
tediam
1:09 am
Jan 10, 2012
Israel and the US are not one-and-the-same on foreign policy or anything else. The jews seem to have commandeered elections here by directing political campaigns using funding for the pro-israel candidates, and they’re having huge influences on this country, but it won’t last. Once everyone sees what is happening in the USA they’ll come around and we’ll free ourselves from that yoke. It is unbelievable our government can be bought in that way (I just needed to get that off my chest).
I am not familiar with the issues of Palestine being a state. I do know that whenever anyone talks about that issue they recognize that the two entities involved are Israel, the occupiers, and Palestine, the occupied. I also know that the 12 tribes of abe had done as he directed by ‘ Going out into this world to become kings of all nations. It’s too bad they didn’t just stay home and tend to their gardens – like the majority people in this world, including Europe’s and my ancestors, had done. Instead, they came to Europe and worked to get themselves into the power structure of the Roman Empire, as they had done in Egypt and many other places where they couldn’t just outright take what they wanted after ‘killing all breathing things’ as they did in Jericho, for example. Anyone who has researched the history of the jews knows this to be a tradition for them that has gained, through trial and error, great strides in their quest to rule our world. Funny as it is though, some jews don’t know this is even going on. But all anyone need do is look at the US or British governments (Prime Minister Disraeli, for example) and count the jews, including the catholics (crypto-jews), who’ve reached high places through diligent efforts by their communities. And for those that say the catholics and jews have been at odds since the beginning – I say BS. If that were true the church would never have given the exclusive rights to run the banking systems to them while forbidding the Gentile, or to give loans, at zero interest, to fellow jews while foreclosing on Europe’s ancestral heritage using usury and fraud. Martin Luther was well aware of this fact and wrote a thesis wherein he proclaimed the Gentiles would be amiss if they didn’t exterminate the jews. But, as usual, the jews have infiltrated that church as well and the very religion Luther created now disavows him.
Jews have always marched to the tune of a different drummer – their own. It is 180 degrees out of phase with Christianity and anyone researching this would see Judaism as a wolf and Christianity as a the lamb to slaughter (remeber these tenets: turn the other cheek, give the shirt off your back, etc.). They justify their criminal activity by believing they do no wrong since the Gentiles they take from are as much a gift from their god as the whole universe he supposedly created for them is. It’s importanr to understand though, that the law they choose to abide is called Moses’ law and if he were alive today, Moses would be looked upon as any other mass murderer. He was responsible for thousands of killings.
It concerns me the way our government cowtows to thier will with the greatest amount of foreign aid, more than all of other aid combined, and the way they seem to be everywhere in some of the higest places in our military services and sensitive advisory positions. Think about it, what happened in Europe once they got their one-god religion into the empire. The soldiers, circumsized ones and Romans, went throughout Rome’s territories (starting in Europe) converting everyone to christianity by force. Resistance was met with burning alive at the stake . . . not simple execution mind you, but the most horrifyingly terroristic methods imaginable. That conversion lasted for over a millenium. Today, Gentiles, with no clue of their own true European ancestry, walk around with their bible education – never questioning how they got that way. And if you look at what happened to the Roman Empire you’ll realize there is no empire, only the curch, now known as the vatican. The struggle for supremacy was mwon by the jew church of Christianity. Be sure that the vatican was a jewish institution in the beginning and still is and always will be. If you’re American and you don’t see the writing on the wall – it’s likely your fault when it happens because while you were staring at the ceilings of your church on Sundays, singing praises with looks of ectasy on your faces, the wolves were working tirelessly.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
6
George
4:21 am
Jan 10, 2012
“I am not familiar with the issues of Palestine being a state”. Looks like this isn’t the only thing you aren’t familiar with. History would be another.
Agree or Disagree:
4 
1
tediam
8:38 pm
Jan 23, 2012
My class and I would like to thank the censors on this website for proving our point in this latest experiment. By not allowing truth, allbeit negative truth about Israel, from being posted for the general public to view you have helped tremendously in proving your site has no ambition for unbiased facts . . . the very thing you claim to protect as your moto. And, by all means – please be sure to not allow this post for public viewing.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
RLR
12:21 am
Jan 24, 2012
Hey, tediam (or is it tedium?) – Your lengthy and often incorrect (factually) diatribe is posted. It was broadly viewed, and clearly you are incorrect about “censors” because all your (mis)facts are there for all to read and ponder. Your interpretation of the history of Jews, and the history of the broader world, are ‘interesting’. Your facts are greatly biased – the very thing you accuse this site of. Mazel tov!
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
steve mann
1:06 pm
Jan 24, 2012
Tedium- Please return and tell us which post was censured ?
Your lengthy post of the 10th inst is here for all to read.
One could argue every point of it-
However I feel your education on this subject is so ingrained that to try to convince you with historical facts would – would only fall on deaf ears-
If you would care to listen- then filter your points or questions one by one and I and I am sure others would willingly respond.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0
Brad
9:49 am
Apr 13, 2013
If you’re ready to ditch the stiff posed pictures and try and find new, creative takes on child photography, this is good for you. There have been many studies done which show screen time does more harm than good, it doesn’t matter what all of
those products like to claim.
Agree or Disagree:
0 
0