Charles Enderlin — who gave birth to the concept of Pallywood with his narration of the Mohammed al-Dura video — was decorated with the Légion d'honneur, France's highest award.
But the way the veteran journalist received the award was less than honorable because of the old wounds now reopened among French Jews. Tom Gross writes:
The news has caused outrage among Jews in France who say Enderlin has helped stir up the new wave of anti-Semitism which has led to a number of brutal assaults and murders of French Jews in recent years. Enderlin is the longtime correspondent in Israel for the state-controlled France 2 TV. It was in recognition of this that he was given the award.
Curiously, the award was presented under the auspices of the Foreign Affairs Ministry and not, as would be more appropriate for a journalist, the Ministry of Culture.
French subscribers to this email list also tell me that it is unheard for the award to be made in the middle of August, when many people are on vacation, and to be presented at a foreign consulate rather than in Paris. They suspect this was done deliberately in an effort to avoid protest. No prior announcement was made that Enderlin was to receive the award, which was also unusual.
A French court discredited the al-Dura video.
Imagine the outrage if Dan Rather was given the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The Storm Clouds Over Paris are gathering again.
