AP: Netanyahu Loves Personal Interest, Not Human Rights

Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu hates Barak Obama and adores Donald Trump. Why? Because Netanyahu prefers leaders who do not strongly support human rights.

This idea is quickly becoming gospel in journalistic circles, one of those concepts that is so “obviously” true that journalists are allowed to simply assume it as fact, like the existence of gravity.

But is it true?

Unless you’re a mind reader, there is no way to know for certain what any political leader thinks. But a journalist can examine a politician’s public statements to draw conclusions. If one does so in a professional manner, then one thing becomes crystal clear: neither Netanyahu’s supposed “love” for Trump nor “hatred” for Obama are supported by actual facts. Intuition may argue that even absent facts these assertions must be true, indeed many believe them to be “common knowledge,” but intuition alone does not count as professional journalism.

Take this article from the Associated Press, which is re-printed in numerous mainstream publications around the world:

Author Aron Heller does intellectual gymnastics to make his point: hiding context, cherry-picking facts, and spinning historical events out of all recognition, all in order to disguise his personal opinion as if it were news:

Widely unpopular around the world, President Donald Trump can take solace in the adulation of Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu…[who] finds himself among a group of world leaders who seem to prefer a president driven by interest calculations more than human rights.

Adulation? Preferring leaders who shy away from supporting human rights? What is the factual basis for this claim?

In fact, most of Netanyahu’s actual statements about Trump are highly similar to his statements about former president Obama, former secretary Clinton, and numerous other world leaders. Perhaps Netanyahu did indeed feel differently in his heart of hearts, but short of claiming the power of clairvoyance, all we can know for certain is his actual statements and policies.  AP examines Netanyahu’s positive statements toward Trump, but hides the critical context, by failing to compare them to statements about other world leaders.

Let’s explore:

Myths v. Facts

Here are just a few examples of how Heller spins myths, instead of reporting facts:

The myth:

Netanyahu … had an unusually icy relationship with the president [Obama], highlighted by an extraordinary 2015 speech in Congress in which he argued ferociously against the emerging Iran deal.

The facts:

Certainly the two leaders disagreed on various policies, but did they actually have an icy relationship toward one another? In fairness, this is widely believed to be true. Yet all we know for certain is that Netanyahu’s speech criticized the issue of the JCPOA (Iran nuclear deal) and contained no criticism at all for Obama as an individual. To the contrary, Netanyahu praised Obama in that very speech saying,

…some of what the president has done for Israel might never be known…But I know it, and I will always be grateful to President Obama for that support.

Not long after, the US and Israel signed their largest ever foreign aid deal, and Netanyahu specifically thanked Obama saying:

I want to thank President Obama and his administration for this historic agreement.

In 2012, after Israel fought a difficult military action of self-defense, Netanyahu thanked President Obama for his “unwavering support for Israel’s right to defend itself.”

Over the years, Netanyahu referred to former President Obama as, a “great friend of Israel,” “a true friend of Israel,” thanked him for, “your friendship for Israel and your friendship to me,” and called him a, “great leader: a great leader of the United States, a great leader of the world.”

This list goes on and on…but Heller included exactly none of this context.

The myth:

Netanyahu is quick to flatter the American president, offering a lavish welcome to Israel on the president’s first overseas trip in May when he repeatedly called his guest a “great friend.”

The facts:

Netahnayu has said exactly those words (a “great friend”) about many world leaders, including former German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, Hillary Clinton and yes, even (then) President Obama, just to name a few.

During the presidential election between candidates Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump, Netanyahu emphasized:

It is important for Israeli citizens to know no matter the election results we will have a friend in the White House.

Does using the word “friendship” count as uncharacteristic “flattery” of the US President? Only if it is it different than the way the Israeli Prime Minister speaks of other foreign leaders. It is not.

Israel’s deep and non-partisan friendship with the United States and its presidents is, and always has been, the official position of Prime Minister Netanyahu and of the State of Israel.

If Heller or the Associated Press believe otherwise, then they must provide a source. They do not.

AP’s Ethical Code

In fact, the content of Heller’s article violates the Associated Press code of ethics which specifically states:

• The same care that is used to ensure that quotes are accurate should also be used to ensure that quotes are not taken out of context.
• Nothing in our news report – words, photos, graphics, sound or video – may be fabricated.
• Anyone who works for the AP must be mindful that opinions they express may damage the AP’s reputation.

It is not our goal to single out Heller nor even the Associated Press: sadly, this misrepresentation of Israel has become all too common in news reporting. Journalists are so certain that it must be true, that they are willing to skimp on hard evidence when making their point.

Is Heller right about Netanyahu’s private thoughts? Perhaps. But if Heller’s conclusion is based on intuition, personal opinion and the hiding of critical context, then it is not, in fact, journalism. To the contrary, it is opinion disguised as news. Such an approach is not worthy of a professional journalist, of Mr. Heller, nor of the Associated Press.

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Featured image:  Kobi Gideon/Flash90;