A New York Times story focuses on on how Al-Qaeda terrorists in Africa have recently cited the Palestinian cause as a justification for their terror attacks. It also examines Israeli diplomacy on the African continent, as relations are restored with countries such as Chad, while levels of cooperation increase with others such as Ethiopia and Kenya.
Even a story that on the surface displays no overt anti-Israel bias can, however, betray the real feelings of the journalists responsible. At the New York Times, a level of disdain towards Israel has become so normalized that editors probably don’t even notice a faint whiff when it ends up in print.
Note some of the language employed in the New York Times story:
The attacks in Kenya and Mali also coincided with Israel’s stepping up its influence on the African continent.
. . .
Since 2016, Israel has made a concerted strategic push into Africa… flexing its muscles in a part of the world where African solidarity with Muslim nations had for decades mandated rejection of relations with Israel.
. . .
The push into Africa has not been welcomed by everyone in Israel.
. . .
Israeli officials can barely contain their glee at seeing the once-solid ideological support for the Palestinians give way to flexible geopolitics.
Israel is as entitled as any other state to cultivate diplomatic relations with countries around the world based on mutual interests. Some nations, such as China and Russia, have become so involved on the African continent that the US has become concerned enough to counter their efforts.
It’s subtle and may be driven by the subconscious of the journalists but trust the New York Times can make Israeli diplomacy sound dirty or backhanded as if legitimate relations are somehow driven by selfish or malevolent motives that could easily appear in a traditional trope.
© Divuach Ne’eman R”A, 2025
