Ben White has a long standing reputation as an obsessive anti-Israel extremist. The author of “Israeli Apartheid: A Beginner’s Guide,” White has claimed “I do not consider myself an anti-Semite, yet I can also understand why some are.” He has made racist statements and supports racist statements of others. White advocates for a one-state solution and the end of Israel as a Jewish state.
Which begs the question as to why a supposedly credible and mainstream publication like Newsweek would give White an endorsement and platform to dispense his poison.
Newsweek Middle East’s Twitter feed promotes White’s story with a short embedded video that refers to “Israeli occupation forces” – indicating a prejudgment of an ongoing and complex territorial dispute that is inappropriate for a professional and supposedly impartial news organization.
One wonders why Newsweek ME tweeted the question “Does Israel’s practice of administrative detention violate international law?” Given that White is the author, there is no chance that the question could be presented by him as anything but a statement of fact.
Indeed, White spends several paragraphs stating exactly that. In truth, there is significant evidence to the contrary, none of which White cares to mention, once again misleading Newsweek readers, and denying them the opportunity to draw informed conclusions. A professional journalist has an obligation to Newsweek readers to discuss the scholarship in support of the legality of administrative detention with equal emphasis and length to statements against its legality.
But White isn’t a professional journalist.
His article discusses the arrest and imprisonment of a certain Muhammad al-Qeq but fails to mention the reasons for his arrest. The Associated Press reported: “Israel’s Shin Bet security service says al-Qeq is involved in terrorism activities linked to the militant Hamas movement” while AFP reported: “Shin Bet, the Israeli domestic security service, said Qiq was arrested for ‘terror activity’ as part of the Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip.” Even if the author does not believe the Shin Bet, an impartial journalist is nonetheless obligated to include this information and to allow the reader to draw a fully informed conclusion.
White claims that al-Qeq’s arrest is an example of “undermining of press freedom,” implying that al-Qeq was arrested due to his status as a Palestinian journalist. Yet al-Qeq was also linked to terror activities, which is critical context that White does not include, thus making it impossible for Newsweek readers to accurately judge whether White’s accusations are actually true.
White makes several mentions of prisoners being held “without trial” but makes no mention that administrative detention procedures do include an opportunity to legally contest the detention in court. By neglecting to discuss this procedure, White misinforms Newsweek’s readers, leading them to the incorrect conclusion that administrative detainees have no recourse. This is simply untrue.
That Ben White would author a misleading and biased piece is par the course. That Newsweek accepted it is unacceptable.
Please send your considered comments to Newsweek Middle East – [email protected]. You can also inform Newsweek’s main office about the sort of “journalism” being practiced by its Middle East subsidiary – http://www.newsweek.com/contact
