Starved of the Truth: New York Times Fails its Readers
May 7, 2012 13:06 by Simon Plosker
Referring to hunger striking Palestinian prisoners as the “newest heroes of the Palestinian cause”, recently-arrived Israel correspondent for the New York Times, Jodi Rudoren makes an unpleasant story even worse in the eyes of the reader.
The job of a journalist is to ask questions. Rudoren, however, does not even bother to ask why these “heroes” might be under lock and key.
Instead, in an era where the language of human rights seemingly trumps all other considerations, Rudoren plays to the Palestinian narrative of Israel as a serial abuser of human rights.
Israel is sometimes forced by the abnormal threats it faces, to take measures that clash with the country’s liberal ethos. The use of administrative detention, whereby Palestinians deemed an immediate security threat can be imprisoned without charge, has been acknowledged by Israeli officials as virtually impossible to present in positive terms, particularly to a Western audience that values, like Israelis, the rule of law and the right to a fair trial.
Here’s how Jody Rudoren and the New York Times starved their readers of any balance in the story of the Palestinian hunger strikers by omitting any Israeli explanation for the use of administrative detention or the potential backgrounds of those detainees.
VIDEO: Click here to see HonestReporting’s Yarden Frankl commenting on this story.
Focusing on two prisoners in administrative detention currently on hunger strike, she refers to them as “members of Islamic Jihad, a radical and militant Palestinian faction.”
As far as Rudoren is concerned, membership of Islamic Jihad might as well be criminal in the same way as membership of a scout club or a political party. Islamic Jihad, however, does not support charitable causes or compete for the votes of the Palestinian people. Its entire raison d’etre is to carry out terrorism against Israelis with the backing of its Iranian funders.
Read on for more on how you can take action.
jeb stuart
4:24 pm
May 07, 2012
The Honest Reporting article on the Hunger strikes is one of the better articles I have read on the matter. President Obama early in his administration dissociated Islam from terrorism and mention of terrorism and Islam. Despite the fact the Muslim Brotherhood is a self-described Jihadist organization that is imposing tyrannical sharia law on Egypt and arresting Coptics on religious charges is hardly mentioned in the Obama media in the United States. Most recently, President Obama snuck into Kabul, in the dead of night declaring failure victory as he was handed his hat skedaddinge the region before the Taliban woke up. 2 hours after President Obama’s departure the Taliban waved good bye and 7 were killed in a suicide bombing in the “safe” zone. As an American I have an extremely discomfortable view of the manner in which President Obama is willing to accept the blame of Islamic depravations as solely a cause of the West’s economic and social policies and refuses to acknowledge some of the inmherent Islamic themes that for hundreds of millions of Muslims is merely a faith justifying violence . I am enouraged Honest Reporting does not have that reservation or idssociaitve characteristic.
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shloime
4:34 pm
May 07, 2012
this article was about the new york times and its new reporter, and the report on the hunger striking “paestinians” in israel, not obama and his foreign policy failures.
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steven L
5:12 pm
May 07, 2012
NYT is the main carrier (newspaper) of Obama ME policy.
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Jayson Rex
5:04 pm
May 07, 2012
No one ignores the fact that as long as there is even a solitary Arab (Muslim) left in Cisjordan, there will never be peace in that region. The fact that not a single Arab nation, except Jordan and (for the time being) Egypt, recognizes Israel is significant beyond words.
The Christian world populated by long time appeasers will take no stand. So it is up to Israel to move ahead, seize the initiative and repatriate ALL Arabs to their or their ancestors’ lands – no exceptions. If not, 100 years down the road we will hear the same old BS, duly recycled by Muslims and polished by Christians. Enough is enough.
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steven L
5:16 pm
May 07, 2012
The Muslim world spend billions of $ in anti Israel, antisemitic and anti Western propaganda while keeping 3/4 of a billion people in poverty and ignorance. This mass is an ideal tool for propaganda as well.
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Les
5:41 pm
May 07, 2012
You are living in a dream world. If Israel was suicidal they would do as you suggest. Because
the arabs would murder every Jew they could find. They do it to their own, so you could imagine
what would happen to the Jews. It would be a 21st century holocaust. Sorry to speak the truth,
but the palestinian arabs for the most part are a savage people and live to kill and/or die. God
forbid Israel make any concessions to the arabs. They’ve already made a great error in leaving
Gaza; and it looks like it will be the same in Sinai. You can’t trust arabs.
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steven L
5:09 pm
May 07, 2012
The NYT is definitely not on the side of Israel. This is an old story. They may have something to do with the oilmen lobby. Not everyone needs to be on the right side of history.
Pundits like to behave like Nobel prize winners!
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leonard
5:29 pm
May 07, 2012
isn,t time that jodi rudoran went back to journalism school and repeat journalism 101?
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Sylvie7
7:40 am
May 08, 2012
No on ever points out that no matter what they have done, these imprisoned “freedom fighters” are not subject to the death penalty.
The British employed hanging during the mandate. Freelance terrorists and Muslim governments have no qualms about capital punishment. Maybe this new young reporter needs to acquaint herself with the region and its history.
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Victor
5:30 pm
May 07, 2012
And she is a Jew. For the past few years, the American Jewish community has made a convincing argument, indirectly and unknowingly, at least to me, as to why Jews are hated throughout the world and particularly those who have a built-in hatred and find verification and justification for the hatred. And why not if Jews have amongst themselves SELF-HATING Jews, who are constantly proving the theory that Jews cannot be trusted, if they turn on their own, they will surely turn on others, and American Jews are proving it every day.
I think it is absolutely despicable.
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drtrueblue
5:45 pm
May 07, 2012
She epitomizes self-righteous myopia. The only good news is that it forces us to ask hard questions, answer them with courage, and refute her non-sense in good conscious. When the enemies she defends turns on her, I doubt she’ll even get it then. She is a lost cause wallowing in misdirected hubris.
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Ed Frias
3:08 pm
May 10, 2012
The NY Times for years has been putting anti Zionist Jews as the reporters in Israel.
Jodi Rudoren is just the latest of many of these anti zionist Jews.
Barry Rubin destroyed Rudoren’s argurments about the Pal prisoners, by talking in detail how they were mass murderers of Israeli civilians.
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Gábor Fränkl
5:43 pm
May 07, 2012
It is clear for everyone that she is an agit-propagandist, paid and lavishly funded, LIAR of the first order doing the Arabs’ and “Palestinians’” bidding here. The only responsible party in all this is not she, and not even the NYT, but none other than Israel itself for letting this abominably ugly anti-feminine eunuch antisemite fashist bitch enter its territory in the first place. So mucha bout this.
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Reuven Rashkovsky
5:46 pm
May 07, 2012
It is a great pain to see how few Jewish “Intellectual Morons” are working against Israeli cause. Instead of focusing on positive accomplishments of Israeli society, businesses and academia, and on ongoing existential threats by Israeli neighbours, they are looking for every opportunity to throw dirt on Israel and to assist enemies. Jodi Rudoren is joining a company of Finkelstein, Chomski, and a group of professors of “soft sciences” from Tel-Aviv University, Beer-Sheva, etc… I am wondering what drives these people: lack of clarity of mind? hatred toward their own people? shteitel mentality? opportunity to promote themselves?? In my mind they are miserable people with big psychological problems!
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Mr. Light-Bright
5:46 pm
May 07, 2012
To this day, we Christians as a whole, find it VERY DIFFICULT/UNSOCIABLE to associate the word: “Crusader”with ourselves.
What I am trying to conveying is that, the evils done under the title: Hamas, Islamic-Jihad, al-qaeda etc… Or as Rudoren may have it “members of Islamic Jihad, a radical and militant Palestinian faction.” Are all examples of a “Crusader-like” description.
“Crusader” is a INNOCENT WORD… just like “Jihad” UNTILL it is made unclean. Crusader comes “From the French croisade, meaning “Marked by the Cross.” It is derived from the Latin word crux (cross).”
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Bob Poplar
5:47 pm
May 07, 2012
Hunger Strike, terrorist attack it’s all for the same purpose; so the supporters of the Palestinians continue sending them money. It will get worse with even greater distortions of the truth as it has, because the shrinking oil revenues are reducing the money available to send to support the Palestinians. Terrorists should be dealt with harshly. They are not citizens so why do we bother giving them the benefits of our legal system? I don’t admire the British but they had a good plan from their standpoint. Hang them quickly. Except that they did this to us. Bob Popolar
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Michel, Paris
6:56 pm
May 07, 2012
I guess Reuven is quite right : it’s a “shteitel” mentality, for those coming from northern Europe, and/or the “dhimmi” attitude for those (already) coming from Arab-islamic-muslim countries. It’s something comparable to the “Stockhom syndroma” : the victime makes his own the ennemy’s position and theories to comply with and “please” him, to obtain his mercy and protection. In the 3 of these attitudes, (which are the same one !) people forget that they don’t get anything that way but, as told Churchill, “humiliation/shame and war”, I mean “your ennemy’s contempt and real law”. You are one of his “useful idiots” until you don’t help him, he can’t use you any longer.
Unfortunately this is common both to (some above mentioned and other) Jews but to Christians too. Historically, Islam spread out and imposed itself by “force and sword” (be-sif) among and over Jews and Christians, obviously first settlers everywhere ! You can see now how many Jews are left in those Mashrek (Middle East) and Maghreb (North Africa) countries !.(Except present time Morocco). The Christians (Coptics, Syriacs, Maronites and Orthodoxes) are falling under persecution and/or fleeing out of said territories even though they tried to obtain the Islam protection (like in “disputed territories” in Israël -Judea-Samaria-)
I am not saying that only force has to be opposed,and quite often it has to be. But, never, you obtain your safety by complying with the requirements of people WHO DON’T PLAY THE SAME GAME AND WITH THE SAME RULES AS YOU !!! (Whatever the fields are !)
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Karin Berryman
5:38 am
May 08, 2012
With violent regimes anywhere in the world, it has ended up a case of the survival of the fittest (most cunning and ruthless mind) when they’ve achieved power. Look at Stalin, Mao Tse Tung, Pol Pot, the cannibal who trashed Uganda, all the tyrants of the Middle East, nobody receives mercy, let alone acknowledgment. This journalist is terribly ignorant of what History has taught to be the uncontended rule for appeasers. What grave, treacherous and hypocritical behaviour for a journalist/educator to side with the most manifestly violent collection of racist thugs. All of them are clueless about the power and of Him who created the whole kit and kaboodle, and Who loves Israel mightily! By the way, I have great sympathy for the millions of Muslims just desperate for peace and safety for their families.
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Starved of the Truth: New York Times Fails its Readers | The Conservative Papers
8:29 pm
May 07, 2012
[...] Continued on Page 2 VN:F [1.9.17_1161]calculating…Rating: 0.0/10 (0 votes cast)Source material can be found at this site.topsyWidgetPreload({ "url": "http%3A%2F%2Fconservativepapers.com%2Fnews%2F2012%2F05%2F07%2Fstarved-of-the-truth-new-york-times-fails-its-readers%2F", "shorturl": "http://bit.ly/J9cPCX", "style": "big", "title": "Starved of the Truth: New York Times Fails its Readers #Freedom #HonestReporting #Islam #Israel #Jihad #Palestinians #Terrorism" }); Take Action Related posts: [...]
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Justin W.
10:00 pm
May 07, 2012
Below is what I wrote to the author…
I just finished reading your article. I wanted to make a few comments on it:
(1) I wish there had been further discussion and comparison of what precisely were the Palestinian prisoners’ grievances. There seemed to be some confusion between whether it was prison conditions or the lack of charges that constituted the primary motivational catalyst.
(2) Point #1 above, should be discussed in a comparative context to the treatment of Israeli prisoners in Arab custody. The conditions and treatment of Palestinian prisoners is like Disneyland compared to what Israeli’s have to endure at the hands of their Arab capteurs. Gilad Shalit for example, was not allowed to take university courses, meet with his family, communicate in any way with the outside world, malnurished, abused, given little to no access to sunlight, and a host of other violations of international law. Ron Arad was handled similarly, and by all estimates, murdered by his capteurs. Where are all the Palestinians demanding their fair treatment??
(3) If Palestinians are so interested in legal due process, then why don’t they demand that of their own government? Last time I checked, being openly gay in Gaza, or even the suggestion that a Palestinian has collaborated with the Israeli government, is virtually guaranteed to be a death sentence. Due process in the Palestinian territories often is as simple as a rumor, dragging someone out of their home, and publicly executing them. No judge, no jury, no representation.
Everything needs to be considered in context. I am not here to defend holding prisoners without charges, or abusive treatment in any way. I consider myself an advocate of human rights. But I urge that when printing stories like the above, emphasis on context is vital to the informed reader.
By way of background, I served in the Israeli army, in a combat unit during the height of the Second Intifada. I am currently an attorney living in the US and represent, among other things, numerous victims of human rights violations (including Iraqi refugees, African asylum seekers, victims of human trafficking, etc.). While in the army, I was involved in a number of raids, arrests and the likes in both the West Bank and Gaza. I can tell you that, while there may be cases, even numerous, where people were wrongly arrested, based on my experience, such raids and arrests were only conducted after every precaution was taken to make sure we had the right person for the right reasons, as these arrests were often done at great risk to our lives, and incarceration comes at great expense to the state. It would behoove you to dig a little deeper into the reasons why these prisoners were incarcerated to begin with. Generally membership in a group like Islamic Jihad requires adherence to some fairly radical and uncompromising political posturing (putting it mildly).
I only wish the best for the Palestinians – that they have a place to call home and a viable economic future, with rights and freedoms that so many others enjoy in the West. However, such a home cannot be built on the mentality of demands which, if not met, will be followed by violence (reference is made to comments calling for rifles over olive branches, and calls for a third Intifada). If Palestinians are genuinely interested in solutions through non-violent means (negotiation, education, joint economic endeavors, sports etc.) they will find people like me more than willing to meet them half-way. However, if the posture is, meet our demands or we’ll purposefully target your children, then I will be only too happy to put on my uniform and return to my reserve unit upon being called, to protect innocent civilians, and stop those that think murder is a legitimate means to self-determination.
I look forward to any further thoughts, and appreciate you taking the time to read mine.
Kindly,
JW
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Tante Laeh
10:09 pm
May 07, 2012
She’s Jewish. What’s that babe’s shtick? Doesn’t she have any common sense! The Times even when Jewish owned betrayed it’s fellow Jews withholding news about the Nurenburg laws and then about the concentration camps.
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charlie Jinx
12:09 am
May 08, 2012
Having seen her photo I would expect her articles to be the rants and raves of a Jewish anti-semite. The worst kind.
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Affamati si’, ma di verità… « Bugie dalle gambe lunghe
12:18 am
May 08, 2012
[...] http://honestreporting.com/starved-of-the-truth-new-york-times-fails-its-readers/2/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this post. [...]
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Michael
4:11 am
May 08, 2012
Who funds the NYT? Thier circulation has been in a free-fall for years and there is no way thay could be turining a profit, Follow-the money.
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ralph
9:44 am
May 08, 2012
UNFORTUNATELY MANY MEDIA AND OF COURSE JOURNALISTS LACK ANY ETHICAL
BEHAVIOR , DO IGNORE A LOT ABOUT THE SUBJECT THEY ARE TREATING, GIVE
THEIR PERSONAL OPINION INSTEAD TRYING TO BE BALANCED AND SOMETIMES
DO WRITE , SPEAK OR SHOW WHAT IS BEST-SELLING OR WHAT THE MEDIA OWNER
WANTS EVEN IF THE FACTS ARE BIAISED OR EVEN FALSE.
IT DOESN’T MATTER IF THE JOURNALIST IS “JEWISH” OR NOT . SOME JEWS ARE
AMONG THE WORST ANTI-ISRAEL FIGHTERS.
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Gerald W. Kamp
12:42 pm
May 08, 2012
COPY of my letter to the Times
Dear Editor, NY Times
Little seems to surprise me these days when it comes to international news especially; however, I will own up to being surprised by the stunning oversights if not outright prejudice displayed by your reporter Jodi Rudoren’s article regarding the “Palestinian Hunger Strikers”. What a keen disappointment!!
I’m not an even middling well off person. I buy the NY Times from the local newsstand when I can afford to do so, and I receive the NY Times electronic notices at this address.
You wonder why print based newspaper operations are loosing readers left and right? Well articles like this one would be a very good place to look for answers. GONE from the article is anything approaching a suggestion of even-handed non-judgmental news reporting! This piece could have been written by a propaganda agency given the utter lack of any balancing content.
This is really trash “reporting” totally unworthy of being printed on your pages! I don’t know where Jodi Rudoren came from or where she theoretically learned how to be a “reporter”, but wherever it was, you could do your subscribers a major favor and send her back! She’s no where near sufficiently seasoned enough to represent the local village weekly, let alone the NY Times!
Sincerely,
Gerald W. Kamp
315-655-XXXX (by NY Relay only)
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Brent Pudsey
1:52 pm
May 08, 2012
Excellent analysis of a difficult issue to address. Israel is not the aggressive state but is rather holding criminals who commited crimes and tried to kill people. If these people choose to try to do hunger strikes it is not Israel’s problem.
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Andre
4:04 pm
May 08, 2012
I know the woman. She is definitely not a self-hating Jew. She actually has as a relatively extensive Jewish education and is not ashamed of being Jewish. I think that she is simply ignorant of the facts and also very influenced by her NY liberal surroundings.
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