HR Prompts The Times to Add Balance to Settlement Sentences

The issue of Jewish settlements and international law doesn't have only one side of the issue. HR prompts The Times of London's Irish edition to add some proper balance.

By Simon Plosker December 04, 2018

The Irish edition of The Times of London (paywall) reports on the Israeli Embassy in Dublin’s response to a proposed ban on importation of Israeli goods and services from the disputed territories, particularly Jewish settlements.

The story states:

The Control of Economic Activity (Occupied Territories) Bill 2018 is supported by Fianna Fáil and Sinn Féin and would make it an offence for a person to import or sell goods or services originating in illegal settlements.

It concluded:

HonestReporting believes that a contentious issue such as Jewish settlements should be reported fairly and accurately. Media consumers should be made aware that there are competing opinions on the issue and that “international law,” itself a fluid concept, when applied to settlements is interpretive and not an undisputed fact.

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That’s why we requested The Times of London’s Irish edition to follow its own prior example and that of other media outlets in using more appropriate language and terminology.

As a result, The Times has added the following sentence to the former paragraph above:

The Times has also added the following to its final paragraph:

We commend The Times for promptly making these additions to its story.

© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025

Simon Plosker

Simon Plosker

With over two decades of experience in various non-governmental organizations in the UK and Israel, Simon Plosker returned to HonestReporting in October 2022 as Editorial Director having previously been part of the organization’s management team from 2005 to 2020.

Prior to his first spell at HonestReporting, Simon worked in Israel for NGO Monitor, BICOM, and served for a short period in the IDF Spokesperson’s Unit. He was Managing Editor of the Geneva-based NGO United Nations Watch for two years before moving back to the frontline defending Israel from media bias.

Simon has a BSoc.Sc in International Studies and Political Science from the University of Birmingham and an MSc in History of International Relations from the London School of Economics. He immigrated to Israel in 2001 from London.

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