Hot on the heels of CNN and the Associated Press, The Washington Post has produced its own “investigation” into the death of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh that leaves open the possibility that she was deliberately targeted by the Israeli military.
Like CNN, WaPo relies heavily on the testimony of several eyewitnesses, including Shatha Hanaysha, a citizen journalist whose social media is awash with praise for Palestinian “martyrs” who have committed terror attacks, and Ali al-Samoudi, who allegedly has a history of fabricating news stories.
In addition to the testimonies, WaPo claims to have examined dozens of videos, social media posts and photos of the events, conducted two physical inspections of the area, and commissioned two independent acoustic analyses of the gunshots, reaching a conclusion that “suggests an Israeli soldier in the convoy likely shot and killed Abu Akleh.”
Yet despite the length of the latest probe into the tragic death of Abu Akleh, one key element is absent from WaPo’s piece: an acknowledgment of some of this case’s crucial, undisputed facts.
The Location: Epicenter of Palestinian Terror
Shireen Abu Akleh was reporting on an IDF raid to arrest terrorists in the West Bank city of Jenin, a known stronghold for Iranian-backed terror group Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and other terrorist organizations.
Indeed, the perpetrators of several terror attacks in Israel this year were residents of Jenin or surrounding villages, including the Palestinian terrorist who murdered three people in a Tel Aviv bar on April 7 and the gunman who slaughtered five in a shooting spree in Bnei Brak on March 29.
The Gunfight: No Israeli Soldiers Hit
Video evidence posted online shows Palestinian militants indiscriminately firing through Jenin’s narrow streets after which bystanders can be heard saying in Arabic, “they’ve hit one, they’ve hit a soldier, he’s laying on the ground.” However, the IDF has confirmed that no Israeli soldiers were hit by gunfire or suffered any injuries.
A longer version of a video that was used in a probe by research outfit Bellingcat shows there was a heavy exchange of indiscriminate gunfire in the area where Abu Akleh was shot. Other videos confirm this (see here). This supports the IDF’s claim that soldiers were returning fire from Palestinian militants at the time Abu Akleh was hit.
Unreliable Witnesses
As mentioned, there is a serious credibility gap with regards to the majority of eyewitnesses that The Washington Post and other publications have relied upon (see here) in concluding that the Israeli military targeted Abu Akleh for death.
As the Elder of Ziyon blog has pointed out, one eyewitness by the name of Ali al-Samoudi has given conflicting accounts of what he witnessed. In an interview given on the day of the incident, he claimed IDF snipers were stationed on the rooftops around them. He later changed his story and told The Washington Post that the gunfire came from an IDF convoy.
The Investigation That Wasn’t: The Palestinian Authority’s Role
The Palestinian Authority has refused to conduct any kind of joint investigation with Israel whatsoever and refused to release any evidence, including a mere photograph of the bullet that killed Abu Akleh, which could help prove its origin. The Palestinian Authority has concluded Abu Akleh was deliberately targeted without offering a shred of evidence to substantiate this claim.
Immediately after Abu Akleh’s death was confirmed, Israeli foreign minister Yair Lapid tweeted to say he had offered Palestinians a “joint pathological investigation,” adding: “Journalists must be protected in conflict zones and we all have a responsibility to get to the truth.”
As The Washington Post has acknowledged, the IDF has said it will continue to investigate the incident. A spokesman told the publication that an examination of the bullet is vital to “reaching an evidence-based conclusion” and confirmed it has offered to conduct a joint forensic examination of the bullet with the Palestinians that includes American representation.
Washington Post Pushing Palestinian Narrative Without Credible Evidence
The Washington Post, CNN and other media outlets are seemingly abandoning their commitment to basic journalistic integrity by suggesting Abu Akleh may have been deliberately killed — thereby parroting the unfounded Palestinian assertion that she was “assassinated.”
By depicting the Palestinian narrative as conclusive, it has become increasingly difficult to challenge the Palestinian Authority’s obstinate refusal to conduct a transparent investigation.
As a result, getting to the truth behind Abu Akleh’s death has become even more elusive.
Neither millions of news readers nor the cause of justice is being served by such journalistic recklessness.
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Photo credit: Ilia Yefimovich/picture alliance via Getty Images
