"Shut up," Miftah explains (updated)

As I have been reporting, the Miftah NGO published an article in Arabic - on Passover - saying that Jews drink Christian blood on that holiday.

First, Miftah silently removed it.

Then they claimed (in English and Arabic) that my revelation of the article was a "smear campaign" and defended the article as part of robust debate, but explaining that they took it down because it might be  "misunderstood."

Then as they saw their donors and other prominent organizations questioning their decision to defend the article and they issued an apology, but only in English.  Their Arabic-speaking readers never saw the apology, although they still see their attack on me.

Now, look how they respond to people asking about this:

From the Miftah Facebook page, in response to some strident questions about the episode:

MIFTAH · 1,094 like this

7 hours ago · 

• Dear Friends,
  Comments, including constructive criticism, are welcome on this page. However, we will not tolerate hate language or slander. These comments will be removed. Thank you.

  
  

  • 

    Gad Grunwald You claim in your mission to want "an active and in-depth dialogue, the free flow of information and ideas" if so, may i ask why your apology from 1 April wasn't posted in your Arabic website (onlly posted in English). The antisemitic article of Al Zaru’s was on your Arabic website. It seems your apology is just for your English public whom never read the article, and the Arabs whom have read it have no idea that Miftah doesn''t support the Jewish blood libel during Passover.

    
    
  • 

    MIFTAH Once again, MIFTAH does not need to explain itself any further on this subject. Any further comments on this subject will be removed.

    
    

This is Miftah's idea of an "active and in-depth dialogue!"

UPDATE: Gad's comment was indeed removed. That was followed with:

• Sol Robinson I kinda feel like in fact you DO need to explain yourself further. Why was there no arabic language apology? Why when it was pointed out that you had in fact published antisemitic literature was your response to call the pointing out of said publishing a "smear campaign?" Why was it possible for this to get published in the first place? I would appreciate an answer.

  37 minutes ago
• 

  MIFTAH MIFTAH offered an answer to its readers. It was not an article published by the organization's writers and it was taken down when the mistake was realized.

  33 minutes ago
• 

  Omri Schwarz Why was the apology only written in English?

  15 minutes ago
  
  
  

  • Gad Grunwald why was my comment removed ? Or are you making a point that MIFTAH stands for "active and in-depth dialogue, the free flow of information and ideas"

    1 · 21 minutes ago · Edited
  • 

    Jonathan Simon I believe what people would like to see is an Arabic-language apology for the blood libel along with an explanation for the Arabic audience about the history of the Passover blood libel and how it is a hateful lie. It would have to amount to a complete denunciation of the message posted. Anything short of this will be inadequate. Who wrote the article does not matter. That MIFTAH was the mouthpiece for it does matter.

    3 · 23 minutes ago

Someone needs to keep track of the comments Miftah is deleting.