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Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Textbook bias

For anyone who still thinks Ma'an is an objective news source, here is how they reported the fact that Arab residents of Umm al-Fahm and their left-wing friends attacked a peaceful protest by a hundred Israeli nationalists in that town:
Right wing Israelis, settlers, provoke clashes in Umm Al-Fahm

Violence erupted in Israel’s largest Arab city, Umm Al-Fahm, on Tuesday as hoards of right-wing Israelis held protest marches demanding “Arab loyalty” to the state of Israel.
"Hoards"?

Notice that the Arabs, once again, are assumed to have no ability to act with free will. They were "provoked" to riot, so the riot was obviously not their fault.

Here's what really happened:
Deputy Chief of Israel Police, Shachar Ayalon, was wounded Tuesday morning by a rock hurled at his head during a brief march by Jewish activists on the outskirts of the Arab city of Umm el-Fahm, located several miles east of the northern Mediterranean Coast

The deputy chief was pelted with rocks by a crowd of Arab protestors who rioted when they failed to block the planned 500-meter march led by Jewish National Front activists Baruch Marzel and Itamar Ben-Gvir. Fifteen other policemen also were injured by Arabs during the march.

One person was arrested earlier in the morning as the crowd of 250 rioters hurled rocks at police officers deployed to protect the Jewish nationalist activists. Two other rock throwers also were arrested, and a Meretz member who joined the Arab protestors was lightly injured by police tear gas.

Unfotrunately, even the Jerusalem Post used terminology like "violence broke out" rather than "Arabs attacked and police responded."