Irrespective of the controversy surrounding the shooting of a disarmed Palestinian terrorist by an IDF soldier in Hebron, this headline in The Times of London goes too far:
To describe the terrorist as a “helpless man” sanitizes his own role in the story and creates a false impression concerning the actions and identity of the Palestinian involved.
Putting aside the actions of the Israeli soldier, which are now subject to a legal case, the Palestinian had stabbed an Israeli soldier prior to being neutralized. There are many other possible descriptions that could have been used in the headline, for example, disarmed terrorist or assailant, to add vital context to the incident.
The so-called “helpless man” was certainly not an innocent or random Palestinian civilian as the headline suggests and the soldier’s actions should not change this fact.
A request for a change to the headline has been sent to The Times of London. Watch this space.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
