As Israel prepares to build a wall to protect worshippers at Rachel’s Tomb in Bethlehem, Reuters published this headline:
“ISRAEL TO SPLIT CHRIST’S BIRTHPLACE WITH BARRIER”
Reuters would have readers believe that Israel is driving a bulldozer straight through the Church of the Nativity. In fact, the proposed wall is miles from the church, and involves only 3.5 acres of land on the Jerusalem-Bethlehem border.
Apparently Reuters’ agenda is to drive a wedge between the Jewish and Christian communities. To emphasize its point, Reuters repeats the word “Christ” or “Christian” in each of the article’s first four sentences.
Read the article at:
http://asia.reuters.com/newsArticle.jhtml?type=worldNews&storyID=2246695
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===== BACKGROUND INFO =====
The Oslo Accords provide for freedom of worship at holy sites, yet two of these sites — Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus and the ancient Peace For Israel synagogue in Jericho — have been vandalized and burned by Palestinians acting under the watchful eye of PA police.
In the past 29 months, Rachel’s Tomb has endured constant sniper fire, and Jewish worshipers must currently travel there by armored bus. The proposed wall will guarantee free access for all worshippers.
In an unintentional endorsement of the need for this wall, a website under the direct supervision of the Palestinian Authority designates Rachel’s Tomb as a mosque — “Bilal Ibn Rabah Mosque.” Should the PA control the area, non-Moslems would be precluded from praying at Rachel’s Tomb, since the position of the Mufti and other PA religious leaders is that it is blasphemy for infidels (Jews, Christians, etc.) to pray in a mosque. (IMRA) http://www.palestine-pmc.com/details.asp?cat=1&id=59418/02/2003
It is interesting to note that Palestinian officials announced they will appeal to Israel’s Supreme Court to halt construction of the wall. Let’s appreciate the irony: Forget the fact that the PA provides no legitimate due legal process for Arabs, but can you possibly imagine Jews getting a fair hearing in a PA court?!
And finally, we wonder how many media outlets will properly describe Rachel’s Tomb as “Judaism’s third-holiest site”? After all, we are so accustomed to seeing the Temple Mount described as “Islam’s third-holiest site,” in the interest of fairness, the media will certainly reciprocate, right?
===== MORE REUTERS’ BIAS =====
Reuters’s anti-Israel bias pervades its editorial policies. For example, in answering a reader’s question: “Why do you refer to ‘Arab East Jerusalem,’ when that’s not its real name?” the Reuters website states:
“We call it Arab East Jerusalem to make clear this is the part of the city which is in the West Bank, was occupied in 1967 and is predominantly inhabited by Arabs/Palestinians, whereas West Jerusalem was occupied in 1948 and has a large Jewish population.”
http://about.reuters.com/aboutus/editorial/#15
Read carefully. In the world of Reuters, East Jerusalem was “occupied” only in 1967, but no “occupation” status is accorded to Jordan’s annexation of Jerusalem in 1948, which violated international consensus.
Further, Reuters presents West Jerusalem as “occupied in 1948.” Apparently, Reuters does not even recognize Israel’s legitimate rights to pre-1967 borders (something that even Arafat and the Saudis have agreed to).
Another of Reuters’ techniques is to continually downplay the Arab threat to Israel. The Rachel’s Tomb article claims that “Palestinian militants began fighting for statehood in September 2000” — even though Palestinians have repeatedly rejected offers of statehood from 1947 through 2000.
And though Hamas openly declares its commitment to the full destruction of Israel, Reuters falsely describes Hamas in tame terms:
“Hamas has been at the forefront of a 28-month-old Palestinian uprising against Israeli occupation in Gaza and the West Bank.”
http://washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13003-2003Feb15.html
===== REUTERS’ BOTTOM LINE =====
Meanwhile, Reuters is taking a beating in the business world. This week, Reuters reported a loss of $631 million, the largest in its 150-year history. In addition, Reuters announced 3,000 job cuts, along with the 3,200 jobs cut over the past two years. Reuters’ market capitalization has plunged by almost 90 percent from its peak, and Reuters’ stock has fallen to a 14-year low.
http://www.msnbc.com/news/874141.asp?0cv=CB20 Apparently Reuters’ dwindling credibility as a media provider is now affecting the bottom line.
As one HonestReporting member wrote hopefully: Perhaps BBC will be next!
====== YMCA TORMENTS THE TRUTH ======
In a related attempt to drive a wedge between the Jewish and Christian communities, the eastern Jerusalem YWCA has published a brochure that compares Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians to the crucifixion of Jesus by the Romans. The brochure states:
“Jesus was crucified with the people who were branded as ‘terrorists’ by the authorities of this time. The Palestinians are currently crucified, humiliated, and denied their human rights and dignity.” http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/ShowFull&cid=1045298487370
Comments to the World Alliance of YMCAs:
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