Israel mourns the loss of Naftali Fraenkel, Eyal Yifrach and Gil-ad Shaar, murdered by Hamas terrorists. The three teens’ bodies were discovered Monday evening in Halhul, north of Hebron. Based in Israel and with many of our staff having children of their own, the loss is acutely felt here at HonestReporting as it is throughout Israel and the Jewish world.
Unfortunately, some of the media coverage has been flawed. Here we expose some of the worst offenders.
Israel Seeks “Revenge”
The Christian Science Monitor published its report under the following headline:
As for the report itself, it is filled with prejudicial statements:
Since the boys’ disappearance, the West Bank has witnessed the revival of collective punishment by Israel.
So, according to the CSM, Israel’s operation to retrieve its boys is simply concerned with punishing the Palestinians.
The impression of Israeli malevolence and vengeful behavior continues:
Meanwhile, the Israeli public has demanded harsh action. Palestinians, subjected to even greater controls on their movements and more deaths, have seethed.
And, in an example of unprofessional journalism, the CSM reports unsubstantiated rumors of an event that did not happen:
There are rumors of mobs of West Bank settlers gathering to carry out vigilante attacks against Palestinians and Palestinian property.
The CSM then starts quoting casualty statistics, particularly focused on children and teens to prove that there is a “cycle of violence” and revenge. According to the CSM, “the killing on both sides continues.” Not considered relevant by the CSM, however, is that only one side in this conflict is bent on killing for killing’s sake. So the deliberate murder of Israelis by Palestinian terrorists becomes morally equivalent to the deaths of Palestinians in IDF counter-terror operations.
You can send your considered comments to the Christian Science Monitor – letters@csmonitor.com
No Mention of Rockets
According to the IDF, following over 18 rockets which were fired at Israel since Sunday evening, IAF aircraft carried out a precision strike against 34 targets in the Gaza Strip early Tuesday.
But Gazan rockets didn’t even register for Sky News where there was no mention of rocket attacks on Israel at all. It’s only about the three murdered teens:
Since the discovery there have been a number of airstrikes on the Gaza Strip, including on the southern city of Khan Younis.
An “Alleged” Kidnapping
According to The Times of London:
Israel was preparing a massive retaliatory attack on Gaza and the West Bank last night after the bodies of three teenage boys allegedly kidnapped by Palestinian militants were found murdered after a three-week search.
“Allegedly kidnapped?” Aside from the bodies of the three teens, what more proof does The Times need before it states the obvious?
Idiotic Comparisons
While civil war and death on a grand scale are taking place in the Middle East, the LA Times’ Paul Whitefield gets all apocalyptic:
Worried about Iraq, Syria and the threat from ISIS? Well, better add this to your list then: a new Israeli-Palestinian confrontation.
But it looks like such a confrontation could only initiated by one side – Israel:
So, add it all up and what have you got? Yep, a recipe for more fighting: another Israeli attack on the Gaza Strip, probably, and perhaps the West Bank as well. Not to mention another setback for any hopes for a settlement of the long-running Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
Whitefield describes himself on his Twitter profile as “presenting a slightly skewed view of the news.”
Straight from the horse’s mouth.
Misguided Focus
Mx News, the afternoon edition of Australia’s The Age appears to have very skewed priorities. What’s more important – three murdered kids or bricks and mortar?
(H/T: Shmuel Karnowsky
“Bombing” Homes
It’s a real stretch to turn the demolition of a terrorist’s home into a bombing campaign but Ireland’s RTE manages to conjure images of F16s rather than bulldozers:
Palestinian Politician Blames Israel for the Murders
Proving that Palestinians are incapable of taking responsibility for any act of terror, Dr. Mustafa Barghouti blamed Israel for the deaths of the three teens on BBC Newsnight:
First of all I think the main person who’s responsible for the tragic death that happened is Mr Netanyahu himself. He sent these boys as illegal settlers to an illegal settlement and he’s also responsible for the tragic death of more than ten Palestinians so far who were killed by his army, including three children.
Have you seen an example of biased or skewed reporting on the murder of three Israeli teens? If so, let HonestReporting know about it through our Red Alert contact page.
[sc:bottomsignup ]
42 Comments
The Wall Street Journal, Joshua Mitnick article also said Israel was seeking “revenge”
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added to “… ? ?? ?????????? ?? ?????? … and avenge for their deaths”
https://www.facebook.com/igor.peker.7/posts/725230894189662
ny times used the *alleged* word, too
Israel was preparing a massive retaliatory attack on Gaza and the West Bank last night after the bodies of three teenage boys allegedly kidnapped by Palestinian militants were found murdered after a three-week search
Nothing about rockets from GAZA?
There IS NO OCCUPATION, other than ‘palestinians’ who are really Arabs, sitting on Jewish land. Normal people DO NOT kidnap and murder innocent children NO MATTER WHAT!!
The ‘only democracy’ in the region can’t even allow a criminal investigation into the deaths of 3 ILLEGAL settlers to proceed without political interference, let alone due process to i) produce evidence re who was resposnsible and ii) to charge them, and allow them to defend themseleves in an impartial forum. You still don’t who killed them – it could have been a murder-suicide after the 16 yr olds rejected the 19 yr olds unwanted sexual advances eg. There are many alternative scenarios – let uis see the EVIDENCE – until then they remain ALLEGED KIDNAPPINGS – and Israel remains open to charges of crimes against international law, ie collective punishment, not allegations, but CRIMES for which there is MUCH EVIDENCE.
With so much anti-Israel rhetoric going around it’s very confusing. Palestinians have been brainwashed into believing that Israel wants to invade their land … this is untrue. If Israel really wanted to do this all they would have to do is turn off the electricity and water that they supply Palestine with, but that would be inhumane, so they don’t.
My advice : do not respond to these micro brains ! it’s not worth discussing their point of view !!!
Even if there is no incontrovertible proof that Hamas has responsibility for the abductions and murders, the fact that Hamas celebrates and praises them – and encourages more of the same is something that the media should report on. It might also be appropriate to report that gangs ambushed and stoned the ambulance taking the bodies away. I am doing what I can to spread this information in my local newspaper in Denmark.
“Anyone who kidnaps someone is to be put to death, whether the victim has been sold or is still in the kidnapper’s possession.” (Exodus 21:16)
“But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.” (Exodus 21:23-25)
What Netanyahu should have done is tell Palestinian leaders that they have 36 hours to come to a “peace” table and begin an inventive, courageous discussion about how to stop killing each others
children. Bring in outsiders (mostly women) who have been involved for years with the the issues of protecting and serving the cause of children for years. You cynics will disagree, but the history
failures by men who love to shout, threaten and kill is appalling . . . . .
http://gaza.scoop.ps/2014/07/armour-plated-bullshitter-lies-to-justify-gaza-attacks/
There is almost a complete media blackout on these murders in the British press. I am sick of it. I will publish the truth on my blogs, media be damned.
I feel so helpless. The only thing that we are doing is watching how our kids being murdered. And everybody around as encouraging killers.
The comment I sent to the Christian Science Monitor’s “reporter” Dan Murphy on his private Google page for wont of any other venue. Read it here:
“Can it be that you a retarded insensitive moron of a [pseudo-] “journalist” who is conditioned to be an antisemitic asshole by the oh so deviosuly and sickeningly disgusting faux Massachusetts snobbish Christian “humanism” and their innate inherent antisemitism (see C.S.M.’s foundational history for more on this)? Of course. Indeed why on Earth do you dare to live on foreign colonized land (that is America for you) you Irish interloper biased pile of human garbage? You are not a credible reporter clearly just like that other Irish antisemitic garbage Arab-propagandist C. C. Bryant is not, either. You are merely functioning as a mouthpiece of Arabs and so-called Palestinians, just as your pathetic “newspaper” does for an awful long time, nothing less or more. This is what you are. No cred whatsoever… Gábor Fränkl Budapest, Hungary https://honestreporting.com/israel-grieves-for-three-murdered-teens-media-makes-a-mess/ Further: why no feedback option on your website anywhere at all where readers could send their comments? Afraid of something – dissent perhaps? Is this á la North Korea’s Kim-Jung-Un? Most certainly. Democratic free exchange of ideas or as it is crystal clear from lacking such an option rather a failed agit-propagandist venue in the service of one principal actor – in favour of the 1 billion plus Islamic community, of which the “Palestinians” are a convenient “weaker party” up against big bad 6 million Israeli Jews? The answer is of course obvious. The brown stench oozing from Boston – one of America’s most antisemitic Judeophobic cities by a million miles and its “newspaper” is obvious for anyone having even a cursory glance at both this pathetic pro-Arab pro-Islam pro-Mulsim pro-Islamofascist anti-Israel and antisemitic media organ and the wider Boston society.”
hamas claims that they didn’t do it. but, the one who sends out the killers is just as guilty. ask any court of law. they celebrate it, therefore they definitely are responsible.
Huda, why doesn’t your page show any pics of Palestinian children being used as bombs by their parents, or pics of hospitals and schools used to hide and deploy missiles aimed at Israel, or Palestinian scum throwing rocks at cars with the intent to cause serious injury or death? I see the propaganda pics you post of “dead” palestinian kids and think that they’re probably faked like many others (videos on YouTube). My second reaction? Why should I care about those future devils when their own parents can’t wait to blow them up? My third thought was how no DECENT person was handing out candy and celebrating the death of those expendable kids, no matter how tempting.
It doesn’t make any sense, Israel is up to something and they have began their mission. People are talking about 3 dead teenagers,no offense rip. But what about about Palestinians children (I’m not even talking about teenagers) who were killed, murdered and kidnapped at night. Where is the breaking news about that ?
Israel has my full support to do whatever is necessary to ensure nothing like this ever happens again. Cut off Gaza’s water and electricity. Allow no entry in and out of that muslim cesspool for a month. They started the fight, let Israel finish it once and for all.
All civilized nations and peoples should unite with the humanitarion pledge to not support any regimes or groups that use terror and unprovoked violence as a means for any political demand whatsoever.
The world’s and the media’s anti-semites will never see any redeeming qualities in Jews and Israelis and will never acknowledge the death-worshipping and inhumanity of the Muslims. So what the heck, its time for Israel to stop trying to please the world and shut down Gaza and destroy Hamas once and for all. Then, move on to Hezbullah.
The world’s and the media’s anti-semites will never see any redeeming qualities in Jews and Israelis and will never acknowledge the death-worshipping and inhumanity of the Muslims. So what the heck, its time for Israel to stop trying to please the world and shut down Gaza and destroy Hamas once and for all. Then, move on to Hezbullah.
What makes the conflict running so long is islam and world-wide antijewish bias. Billions of dollars filling the pockets of terrorist leaders are only result of the islam and antisemitism.
I am a Catholic, living in the US. I have visited Israel, and was made to feel very welcome there.
I will always love your country. My heart aches for the families of those three boys so cruelly murdered, and for Israel. That sort of hatred, in todays world, just boggles my mind. There will be a judgment for those vile murderers. God is watching.
Israel,
I am saddened by your loss, my heart grieves.