Ya’alon Headline Fail in The Times

Critical remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon against U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have made headlines in the…

By January 15, 2014

thetimeslogo2Critical remarks by Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon against U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry have made headlines in the international media. The Times of London notes Justice Minister Tzipi Livni’s response:

His comments angered Tzipi Livni, the Justice Minister and chief negotiator in talks with the Palestinians. “You can oppose negotiations professionally and responsibly without tongue-lashing and destroying relations with Israel’s top ally,” she wrote.

The Times of Israel reports:

Ya’alon was assailed for his reported comments by President Shimon Peres and several senior cabinet colleagues, including from the right.

It also quotes a spokesman for Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman as well as opposition leader of the Labor party Isaac Herzog criticizing Ya’alon’s remarks.

So, if the Justice Minister, Foreign Minister, President, opposition leader and several senior cabinet members have all come out against Ya’alon’s comments, how then did The Times of London, despite quoting Livni, come up with this headline?

times150114

How is it that the comments of one man, albeit the Defense Minister, are taken and repackaged into the claim that the state of Israel as a whole is opposed to peace efforts?

[sc:bottomsignup ]

© 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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