Poor Headline of the Day

Take a look at these two headlines from two UK newspapers:

The same story but two very different meanings. The first is from the Daily Telegraph and correctly refers to the suspension of Arab-Israeli MK Haneen Zoabi for her participation in last year’s Gaza flotilla when she was a passenger on board the Mavi Marmara.

The second headline from The Independent, however, implies that Zoabi was suspended merely for expressing opposition to Israel’s blockade of Gaza. Of course, as an MK and an Israeli citizen, Zoabi has the right to oppose any Israeli government policy, which she does in the Knesset on a regular basis.

Zoabi was suspended for breaking Israeli law and actively participating in an attempt to illegally run a naval blockade, in turn endangering Israeli soldiers.

So why then does The Independent inaccurately present this as an Israeli move to shut down democratic freedom of speech?

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.

Simon Plosker

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