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Wednesday, July 02, 2014

07/02 Links Pt1: Kidnapping roundup, Op Ed's, Reactions and Media Malpractice

From Ian:

Where do we go from here?
Shortly after the bodies were found, a Hamas spokesman said that any Israeli action over deaths of the three teens would "open the gates of hell." No, the gates of hell were opened when you decided to mercilessly slaughter three of our children. Israel will however be the one to close the gates on you.
Now, I can’t help but ask: Was the murder of these three boys also the death of peace, or whatever shreds of hope we still had?
What does it say about a Palestinian society, where so many celebrated the kidnappings, including by handing out candy and creating a sadistic "three-finger salute," or where the mother of one of the Hamas abductors said how "proud" she was of him, while the father of the other was overjoyed that his son might become a "martyr"?
I am reminded here of a quote by former Israeli Prime Minister Golda Meir, who once said that "there will only be peace in the Middle East when the Arabs learn to love their children more than they hate us."
JPost Editorial: Israel’s mission
Meanwhile, the Jewish state has continued to flourish and grow and develop in leaps and bounds. It has produced amazing people such as Naftali, Gil-Ad, Eyal and their families and it will produce many more.
While Palestinians focus their energies on destruction and victimization, Israel has became one of the most innovative economies in the world, producing technologies in every field from medicine and computers to agriculture.
There is nothing we can do to stop the Palestinians from choosing, time and again, violence over compromise, destruction over construction, and we should not deceive ourselves that we can.
All we can do is mourn the terrible loss of Naftali, Gil- Ad and Eyal, and continue with the amazing project of Zionism. This is our revenge and our way of honoring the memory of the three boys. This is our mission.
Caroline Glick: The time has come for America to stand up
The cold-blooded murder of Fraenkel, Shaer and Yifrah requires Israel to stop playing a sucker’s game. The PA is not our partner. It is our enemy.
The US is not our enemy. It is our friend. The American people are our friends.
The time has come for our friends to also take action and stop funding and supporting our enemy and his efforts to destroy us.
Why the boys were kidnapped
Jerusalem must begin relating to the Palestinians for who they are: our sworn enemies. It must also abandon a tired and futile peace process, the ramifications of which increasingly threaten the safety of all Israelis.
Only then can a clear-eyed public debate be held as how best to proceed.
And there are other options (which I and numerous others have repeatedly advanced in these very pages).
But Israel can only move forward by first coming to terms with why it has lost three sons: the Jewish state is at war with a radicalized Palestinian people that has no interest in peace.



A Soldier's Mother: The Deepest of Pain
Prime Minister David Cameron is deeply saddened. The White House condemns in the strongest terms...already we know that even if Obama had bothered to interrupt his vacation, it likely would not have made a difference. The boys were murdered shortly after the kidnappings. I can only pray that the families find comfort in this. They were found bound together, I can only pray they were never separated and at least had each other.
Deeply saddened - doesn't come close to what I am feeling. I went with a group of women from my community to the prayer tent outside the Frenkel home in Nof Ayalon. By the time we got there - there were already rumors. A neighbor took in a large group of women and gave us space to say Psalms.
Looking evil squarely in the eye
To kidnap and slaughter three innocent teens is an act of pure evil. To put their families through the emotional hell of heart-rending uncertainty and anxiety is a feat of sheer wickedness. And to celebrate the incident, as Palestinians have been doing since it occurred, is indicative of a deep-seated depravity, one that salutes savagery and applauds barbarism.
Consider, for example, the interview with the mother of one of the Palestinian kidnappers, Amer Abu Eisha, that was broadcast Sunday night on Channel 10. After denying that her son was involved, Abu Eisha’s mother proceeded to express delight in the possibility that he might actually have carried out such an atrocity.
“They’re throwing the guilt on him by accusing him of kidnapping,” she said, adding that, “If he truly did it, I’ll be proud of him till my final day.”
Israeli Celebrities Respond to Teens’ Deaths: ‘They Killed Our Boys’
Several posted photos of themselves in prayer at the Western Wall in Jerusalem, others Instagramming selfies, like a teary-eyed Moran Atias, who held a handwritten sign that read, simply, “They killed our boys.”
Atias’ image joined scores of other entertainers who posted photos of the three with the caption, “May their memories be blessed.”
Along with Atias, model Bar-Rafaeli wrote to her followers, “these boys – innocent on every level – have united us.
Israelly Cool: If You Want Two States, You Support Terrorists
I have a lot to say, but not yet. For now I’ll link to Bret Stephens in the WSJ. It’s pay walled but I’ll quote as much here as I can. To read it all you have to google “Where are the Palestinian Mothers?” and select the link.
Here’s my question: What kind of society produces such mothers? Whence the women who cheer on their boys to blow themselves up or murder the children of their neighbors?
Well-intentioned Western liberals may prefer not to ask, because at least some of the conceivable answers may upset the comforting cliché that all human beings can relate on some level, whatever the cultural differences. Or they may accuse me of picking a few stray anecdotes and treating them as dispositive, as if I’m the only Western journalist to encounter the unsettling reality of a society sunk into a culture of hate. Or they can claim that I am ignoring the suffering of Palestinian women whose innocent children have died at Israeli hands.
But I’m not ignoring that suffering. To kill innocent people deliberately is odious, to kill them accidentally or “collaterally” is, at a minimum, tragic. I just have yet to meet the Israeli mother who wants to raise her boys to become kidnappers and murderers—and who isn’t afraid of saying as much to visiting journalists.
The Cult of Death That Took Away Our Boys
This cult of death which gloats and laughs with glee at grief and suffering, this cult with its maniacal glorification of revenge, this cult which feeds off the offal of its own vicious immorality, is simply not human; it is a travesty of thousands of years of human moral development to which Judaism and the Jewish people sit as the cornerstone and the abiding custodian.
It is, however, here to stay as it spreads across the Arab-Muslim world; a death cult devoid of pity, the absolute zero, the deep ocean trench, the nadir of nadirs of human moral worth and value. A cult that, like a tsunami of ideological delusion, scarifies the landscape of our culture, leaving a wasteland of flinty desiccation, the death of the heart, of the soul, and every last scintilla of humanness.
It is a cult that throws rocks at ambulances bearing the dead teenagers, distributes sweets rejoicing at the abduction of children (and considers them fair game), indoctrinates children to hate with a passion that is pathological, immiserates its people and wallows in the swill of its self-inflicted victimhood.
Bat-Galim Sha'ar: Failures Go Right to the Top
An angry Bat-Galim Sha'ar, mother of Gilad (16), who along with Eyal Yifrah (19) and Naftali Frenkel (16) was kidnapped and murdered by Hamas terrorists, on Wednesday leveled harsh criticism at top security officials.
Sha'ar said she had condemned Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and Israel Security Agency (ISA or Shin Bet) head Yoram Cohen over the “terrible failure of the system the night the teens were killed.”
Speaking to Arutz Sheva, Sha'ar promised the two officials that after her son came home, she would “go after them” and the security apparatus in general for waiting for over eight hours before opening an investigation into the teens' disappearance.
Recording of teen’s emergency call released: ‘They’ve kidnapped me’
“They’ve kidnapped me,” whispers the teen to the operator, as the kidnappers can be heard in the background shouting in Arabic-accented Hebrew at the three youths to keep their heads and hands down.
The operator tries to interact with the caller, said to have been Gil-ad Shaar, but receives no answer.
Seconds later, several loud noises, which might be gunshots, are heard. Someone in the car is heard groaning.
A voice in the car says in Arabic, “Take the phone from him.” (h/t Yoel)
'We've Brought Three': Missing Part of Abductee's Call Published
The Walla news site has published a more complete version of the emergency police hotline recording of the distress call abducted youth Gilad Sha'ar made shortly before he was murdered.
In a part of the recording that was not made public until now, one of the abductors can be heard calling a third person and announcing in Arabic – “We've brought three!”
Israeli Deputy Minister: Slaying of Teens a ‘Direct Outcome’ of Palestinian Unity ‘Terror Government’ (INTERVIEW)
The recent slaying of three Israeli teens by Arab terrorists is a “direct” result of the recently formed Palestinian unity “terror” government, Ofir Akunis, Deputy Minister in the Office of Israeli Prime-minister Netanyahu told The Algemeiner on Monday hours after news of the killings broke.
“I think it’s a direct outcome of the terror government that the Palestinians established last month,” Akunis said, adding that the recent uptick in rocket attacks from Gaza can also be traced to the agreement.
Rabbis Warn Imams to Repent for Inciting Abduction
Speaking to Arab clerics in their own language, rabbis of the Derech Emunah (“Way of Faith”) organization on Wednesday dispatched a letter in Arabic to about 50 Muslim clerics, heads of mosques and universities in major Arab towns and villages.
In the letter, the rabbis described the pain felt by Jews because of the abduction and murder of Eyal Yifrah (19), Naftali Frenkel (16), and Gilad Sha'ar (16), but warn the clerics that not even such acts of terror will cause the Jewish people to give up their rights to the Land of Israel.
The rabbis placed direct responsibility for the murders on the rhetoric used by clerics.
Hamas Has Track Record of Killing Foreigners, Including Americans
The latest Hamas kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers included another American citizen, Naftali Fraenkel, 16, one of many foreign citizens murdered by the terrorist organization that rules Gaza with an iron Islamic fist and is increasingly imposing its influence on the West Bank.
Since its founding in 1987, Hamas has claimed responsibility for thousands of attacks including suicide bombings, car bombings, rocket and mortar attacks, kidnappings, shootings and stabbings. In its quest to kill and maim as many Israeli civilians as it can, Hamas has also indiscriminately killed foreign nationals with no regret and no remorse.
The innocent victims of terror attacks include scores of citizens of the United States, Canada, Ecuador, Thailand, Romania, Bulgaria, Ukraine, France, Germany, Italy, Holland, the UK, Philippines, Ghana, South Africa, Ethiopia, Eritrea, China and Thailand.
60,000 Israelis download app to notify of abduction
Some 60,000 Israelis have downloaded a free app designed to assist in the event of an abduction.
Using the free United Hatzalah SOS smartphone app, subscribers can inform the emergency organization that they need assistance and provide their exact location via GPS technology. The app, developed by the Israeli start-up NowForce, requires one swipe of the finger.
Murders in Israel: What President Obama Can Learn From Britain’s David Cameron
And at that point they parted ways.
Obama issued a directive: “I also urge all parties to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation.”
Cameron on the other hand declared, “Britain will stand with Israel as it seeks to bring to justice those responsible.”
So who exactly was Obama addressing when he called for restraint? Was he calling on Hamas, the terror group that has already done its worst? Of course not, make no mistake, his words were directed at Israel.
U.S. Reps: Palestinian Unity Government Should be Dissolved After Murder of Teens
Meanwhile, Congressional leaders said that the murders were evidence that the Palestinian unity government between Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas’s Fatah party and the terror group Hamas, which is suspected of being behind the murders, should be dissolved.
“If it is determined that Hamas is behind this horrific tragedy, Abu Mazen (Abbas) must immediately break up the unity agreement between Fatah and Hamas, a U.S. designated foreign terrorist organization,” said U.S. Reps. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), chairwoman of the House Middle East and North Africa Subcommittee, and Ted Deutch (D-FL), ranking member of the same committee.
US says Hamas involved, if not responsible, for fate of Israel's lost boys
The United States confirmed on Tuesday it has strong evidence that Hamas is culpable, if not directly responsible, for the kidnapping and killing of three Israeli youths.
Encouraging restraint from both the Israeli government— livid over the finding of the bodies of the missing on Monday, vowing to exact justice on the perpetrators— and from the Palestinian leadership, some of whom are calling the trial an Israeli conspiracy, and all of whom are bracing for reprisal, State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf told reporters that the US is intimate with intelligence on the case, in part since one of the dead teenagers was American.
Israel's Ambassador to US Blasts Hamas
Israel's ambassador to the United States Ron Dermer again appeared on Fox News and didn't hold back in his criticism for Hamas and the Palestinian culture that encourages terrorism and murder. Dermer outlined Israel's actions to confront Hamas, which is a terror organization committed to Israel's destruction and recently carried out the murder of three innocent Israeli boys.
Dermer also pointed out that Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas is united with Hamas in the new government and must end his cooperation with terrorists immediately.
Understanding Israeli-Palestinian Stability
Lost in the well-deserved criticism of President Obama’s call on Israel to exercise restraint in the face of terrorist violence emanating from two of its borders is a clear-eyed assessment of the status quo. “I also urge all parties to refrain from steps that could further destabilize the situation,” the president said. It echoes claims from the New York Times’s lead Israel reporter that Israeli self-defense had “destabilized” the region’s politics. Of course it’s risible to make that claim against Israel, but more importantly, it assumes the existence of a delicate balance that on all counts merits preserving. It shouldn’t.
NGO Statements on Kidnappings and Murders
Updated July 2, 2014
On June 12, 2014, Gilad Shaar, Eyal Yifrach and Naftali Frankel, Israeli teenagers, two of them minors, were abducted and murdered in the West Bank. Their bodies were found on June 30, after an extensive IDF operation. This is a blatant and unequivocal violation of human rights.
Security Council Condemns Murders of Israeli Youths
The United Nations Security Council unanimously condemned on Tuesday the murders of three Israeli youths by Hamas terrorists.
“The members of the Security Council expressed their profound outrage at and condemned in the strongest terms the killing of three teenagers,” said a statement released by the Security Council.
The members of the Security Council “extended their condolences to the families of the victims of this heinous act and to the people and Governments of Israel and the United States,” the statement added.
The members of the Security Council also “underlined the need to bring perpetrators of these acts to justice, and encouraged Israel and the Palestinian Authority to continue working together to do so.”
Obscene response from UN rights commissioner Pillay to murder of 3 Israelis
The viciously anti-Israel UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay, has issued an obscene response to the murder of the kidnapped Israeli teens. A month from retirement, Pillay could not resist one more venomous retort to Israel's attempt to protect its citizens from Palestinian terror.
Even in death she refused to say the three boys had been kidnapped, or that they had been taken by Palestinian terrorists. In the words of her office, they "had gone missing."
After the perfunctory "condolences," she launched into demands that Israel exercise restraint and "prevent the situation of worsening." She analogized the death of the three boys to Palestinians killed as Israel strove to save lives - not to take them.
Responding to Murders, Arab League Condemns 'Israeli Escalation'
The Arab League released its own statements against Israel on Tuesday as well, blaming the Jewish state for the "escalation" in Judea and Samaria, in which IDF forces searching for the three teens have come under attack by local Arab rioters.
Deputy Secretary General of the Arab League Mohammed Sabih said that "Israel is the cause of all this tension via its ongoing arrest operation in the territories and the dangerous attacks today on the Al Aqsa mosque.
"The government of Israel is directly responsible for everything that has happened and anything that will happen in the future."
PMW: The PA condemns Israel for “collective punishment” against Palestinians
Today, the official PA news agency WAFA reported two official PA statements, which included condemnations of Israel's "collective punishment" against Palestinians. They made no reference to the three Israeli teens who were murdered by Palestinian terrorists and whose bodies were found yesterday, but merely referred to "the disappearance of the three settlers" as the reason for Israel's "attack against defenseless Palestinian civilians":
Hamas: We will continue to kidnap Israelis
Hamas is continuing to threaten Israel even as concern grows in Palestinian circles over Israeli retaliation for the kidnapping and murder of three teens. Hamas official Mushir al-Masri in Gaza warned Israel against an escalation in the Gaza Strip, adding that Hamas possesses rockets and missiles capable of reaching Tel Aviv and the densely populated Gush Dan area.
"Hamas will continue kidnapping soldiers and Israelis until the last Palestinian in Israeli prison is freed," Masri said.
Veiled Admission? Hamas Says Kidnapping Was 'Failed Activity'
Mushir al-Masri, the spokesperson, labeled the abduction as "an activity that failed," reports Channel 10.
While the statement sounds like an admission, al-Masri did not take responsibility for the murder.
All the same, he did emphasize that in the future, Hamas will take further steps against Israel to "balance" the crackdown the IDF has been conducting on Hamas's terror infrastructure in Judea and Samaria.
'Moderate' Palestinian Leader Justifies Murder of Three Teens
"Moderate" Palestinian Authority (PA) leader Dr. Mustafa Barghouti accused Israeli Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu himself of being responsible for the murder of teens Naftali Frenkel (16), Gilad Sha'ar (16), and Eyal Yifrah (19) on Tuesday. Barghouti went on to justify the murders, claiming Palestinian Arabs cannot be held responsible for their actions.
"First of all, let me tell you, I am sorry for the deaths of anybody - including these three people and also for the ten Palestinians, who were killed by the Israeli Army this week," Barghouti began, in an interview with CNN.
PA Government: Bennett is 'Racist', Israel Incites Against Us
In a statement cited by the station, the PA government condemned Israel over its military operations in Judea and Samaria following the kidnapping and murder of three Israeli teenagers.
The statement said that “the statements made by Minister Naftali Bennett are racist” and accused the Israeli government of incitement to murder of Palestinian Arabs.
Two Palestinians mistaken for undercover police by mob and beaten
The attack occurred during clashes between dozens of Palestinian protesters and police forces after the discovery of the body of the Arab youth, who was believed to be kidnapped earlier.
One of the men attacked by the mob is Yousef Badriyyeh, 40, who works in a lawyer's office. He told the Jerusalem Post that he was standing in the area alone when some youth attacked him, thinking he was a member of the Israeli police forces.
Israeli Arab student disciplined for writing '3 goals for Palestine'
A third-year medical student at the Technion -- Israel Institute of Technology, Morad Abu Alhija, posted a message on his Facebook account in English and Arabic, saying: "Record ... 3 goals for the national team despite its absence from the Palestinian World Cup!" Attached was a photo of the three kidnapped and murdered Israeli teens.
The incident is being reviewed by a disciplinary committee, with a request to have Alhija's studies terminated.
Technion President Professor Peretz Lavie said the university summarily rejects the "contemptible remark."
Body of Arab Boy Found in Jerusalem Forest
There are unconfirmed reports that police have arrested a number of Arab suspects who were found driving in a car matching the description of the kidnapping vehicle, with suspicious items in the car.
Hadas Shteif of Galei Tzahal reports there was a failed attempt last week to kidnap the boy’s 7 year old brother, and this appears to be a fight between clans, and related to family “honor”.
Netanyahu calls on police to quickly find culprits, motive for murder of Arab youth
Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu called for law enforcement to work as quickly as possible to find the perpetrators and motives of the "reprehensible" murder of an Arab youth whose body was found in Jerusalem on Wednesday.
The premier attempted to calm tensions amid rioting in east Jerusalem, calling on all sides not to take the law into their own hands. He emphasized that Israel is "a nation of laws and everyone must act according to the law."
Israeli Leaders Rush to Condemn Arab Boy’s Murder
Israeli politicians and leaders from across the political spectrum rushed to unequivocally condemn the murder of 17 year old Mohammed Abu Khdeir. Abu Khdeir was kidnapped Tuesday night in Jerusalem, and his body was found in the Jerusalem forest.
The Media and Arabs were quick to blame rightwing Jews for a “revenge attack”, but there are indications at this point that it may have been an honor killing or related to a clan war.
Israeli-Arab party blames ‘occupation’ for violence’ after kidnapped teens found dead
The Balad party released a statement on Tuesday responding to the discovery of the three murdered yeshiva students, blaming “the occupation” as the “source of violence.”
“The Israeli government, which refuses to end the occupation, is responsible for all acts of violence and bloodshed,” the party said.
Suddenly the British media is interested in a "kidnapped" teenager
The British media - which completely ignored the story of the kidnapped/murdered Israeli teenagers until Israel 'over-reacted' by arresting Hamas terrorists involved - is suddenly all over the story today of an Arab teenager found murdered in Jerusalem. Although there is no evidence at all yet about who was responsible the media (which refused to accept proof that Hamas was responsible for the kidnapping and murder of the Israeli boys) is screaming that this was a revenge killing by "Israeli settlers".
One thing is sure about this: whereas the kidnapping/murder of the Jewish boys was celebrated by Palestinian Muslims of every age and denomination, there will be nothing but horror and condemnation expressed by Israelis about the murder of the Arab boy, whether or not it it really does turn out to be a 'revenge killing'.
PMW: PA accuses Israeli “settlers” of murdering Palestinian boy
The Palestinian Authority has been quick to blame Israel for the murder of the Palestinian youth Muhammad Abu Khdeir. A dead body was found this morning in a Jerusalem forest, and it is suspected to be that of a Palestinian boy who was reported missing last night. At the time of writing, the identity of the body has not yet been confirmed.
This morning, official PA TV broadcast news tickers about the murder, accusing Israeli "settlers" of carrying it out, holding "the Israeli government fully responsible," and stating that PA Chairman Abbas has demanded a condemnation of the murder by Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu:
Arab Boy Murdered; Israel Haters Out For Blood
An Arab boy was found dead this morning, and police are investigating both the possibility that it was revenge attack for the murder of the three Israeli boys, or an honor killing.
While there is no evidence as to who killed the boy or why, the anti-Israel crowd – such as the DouchebloggerTM Richard Silverstein – is predictably latching on to the revenge attack scenario.
Huffington Post UK Corrects: No West Bank Airstrikes
CAMERA's Israel office has prompted a Huffington Post UK correction of a headline which had incorrectly referred to airstrikes in the West Bank. In fact, while the Gaza Strip has been subjected to airstrikes following a barrage of rocket attacks from that territory into southern Israel, there have been no West Bank airstrikes.
Editors also promptly corrected the accompanying July 1 article by Paul Vale, which had falsely asserted that the airstrikes were in response to the murders of the three Israeli teens, Gil-Ad Shaar, Nephtaly Frankel and Eyal Yifrach. In fact, the airstrikes on 24 targets in the Gaza Strip were in response to the aforementioned 18 rocket attacks on Israel.
Cartoonist’s Cynical Take on Murdered Teens’ Funerals
Guardian Cartoonist Steve Bell, winner of one of HR’s Dishonest Reporting Awards in 2012, is no stranger to anti-Israel bias. Even so, his latest “commentary” about the funeral of the three Israeli teens murdered by Hamas terrorists pushes the envelope on cynicism and a lack of compassion.
The cartoon shows a giant scale with the flag-covered bodies of three Israeli teens outweighing a larger number of flag-covered Palestinian bodies. The implication is that people care too much about “just” three Israelis when so many Palestinians have died in the conflict.
Christian Science Monitor: Israel in a “Cycle of Revenge Killings”
By referring to a “cycle of revenge killings,” the CSM falls into the trap of creating a moral equivalence between Israeli and Palestinian actions but more specifically to their motivations.
The anger felt after such an event as the murder of Eyal Yifrach, Naftali Fraenkel and Gil-ad Shaar is understandable as is the human desire for revenge. However, while individuals may act on this impulse, Israel as a nation does not.
Contrast the behavior of Hamas, a terrorist organization that has no compunction in calling for the indiscriminate killing or kidnapping of as many Israeli Jews as possible. Israel, on the other hand, will target Hamas for retaliatory measures and will seek to capture those Palestinians responsible for the teens’ murder.
Three Murdered Teens: Irish Times’ “Cycle of Violence”
There is no “cycle of violence.” As Cherryl Smith points out in an exclusive article on this very subject, scholars examining this misused term have concluded that “Israel responds predictably and systematically to Palestinian violence.”
There is no moral equivalence or “tit-for-tat” when Palestinians initiate violence and terror and Israel responds with counter-terror measures to defend its civilians. In this case, the Irish Times has its chronology confused. Even if this “cycle of violence” were real, how could it be initiated by Israel following a Palestinian terrorist attack?
Once again, it all started when Israel fired back.
BBC TV News presenter plays Hamas’ Rumpole
One of the dominant and recurring themes apparent throughout all BBC coverage of the kidnappings of the three Israeli teenagers over the last two and a half weeks has been the downplaying of Hamas involvement in the incident.
Audiences were repeatedly told that Hamas denied any involvement in the abductions and cherry-picked statements from officials belonging to an internationally designated terror organization were presented to audiences as equivalent to Israeli statements based on intelligence and evidence from the field. Other comments by Hamas members which did not fit into the ‘boy-scout’ image were omitted from BBC coverage.
BBC World Service’s ‘Newsday’ gives ‘open mike’ to Azzam Tamimi’s Hamas propaganda
Beyond the presenter’s failure to correct Tamimi’s many inaccurate statements and to clarify important points of impartiality to listeners, the real issue here is why the BBC World service considers it appropriate or helpful to give an unhindered ‘open-mike’ to a known associate of an internationally designated terrorist organization with a long track record of expression of support for just such terrorist acts as the one this item purports to discuss.
Aussie Site Engages With Unfounded Headline on 'Revenge Killing'
The bolded first sentence repeats the falsehood that the Palestinian casualty yesterday was the result of a "revenge killing."
Further down in the otherwise fair and balanced article (for which no byline can be found), there is an additional vague reference to the alleged victim of the so-called "revenge killing":
NYT on Murder of Three Israeli Boys Positions Israel as Aggressor
With the exception of the comment by Netanyahu, the word "murder" does not appear in the report. The three boys are never described as students trying to make it home when they are kidnapped and murdered, but in the case of Abu Aisha's brother, he is described as killed when trying to hurl explosives at soldiers.
The NY Times report on the kidnapping and murder of Naftali Fraenkel, Gilad Shaar, and Eyal Yifrah, is written to soften the image of the terrorists and the murder of the three boys, while at the same time painting Israel as an aggressor in a "tit for tat" series of actions.
This is not news. It is fiction.
Telling Lies about Israel: Robert Fisk cites misleading Begin quote about ‘two-legged beasts’
However, what Begin said – per a superb expose by CAMERA in 2004 (addressing Fisk’s first use of the false quote) was that those who come to kill Jewish children are “two-legged animals”.
In fact, if you Google the quote you’ll see that the source generally given is an article by a radical French-Israeli journalist, Amnon Kapeliouk, titled “Begin and the Beasts,” which appeared in the New Statesman, June 25, 1982.
Waleed Aly does it again: giving the murder of three young Jews some “broader” context
Aly this week did it again, trying on the ABC to play down (or “contextualise”, as academics would say) the kidnapping and murder of three teenaged Israeli hitchhikers, apparently by Hamas gunmen. He’d asked on a Left-wing Israeli academic who, he discovered, would not play ball:
Waleed Aly: So, it sounds really like what you’re trying to do is create a narrative here that Israel, a nation, the Jewish nation, is surrounded by a collection of Arab nations that are effectively populated by barbarians. Is that your argument?
Yossi Shain: This is not a narrative. I’m not talking about narratives, and I’m not talking about barbarians or not. It’s a reality. The Arabs can self-describe, and the moderates in the Arabs can self-describe. It’s a reality. It’s not a question of narrative. Narrative is a post-modern notion. We’re talking about reality!
Waleed Aly [talking over Shain] Well, what exactly is the reality that you’re describing?
Yossi Shain: We have 10 million - we have 10 million people displaced in Syria. Ten million. Hundreds of thousands of people being murdered. We have murders every day taking place in Iraq and the east of Iraq and in Syria and on the border. We have cases like that every day. There is shelling, constant shelling on the Israeli south. [Gets talked over again] It’s not a question of narrative.
Waleed Aly: Okay, I understand that. Let me ask you this question, then. Is there any understanding in any part of Israeli society that this, these killings, which you correctly described as heinous, are connected to a broader political picture? … For example…
Yossi Shain: Nothing. No. [Starts to answer although Aly keeps on talking over him]
CNN Accuses Israel of 'Lashing Out' After Boys Found Murdered
In keeping with the organizational attempt to downplay the brutal murder of the three Israeli teenagers, CNN again ran a headline attempting to frame Israel as the aggressor. The organization described Israel's counter-terrorism behavior as "Israel lashes out" and with an accompanying photo of smoke rising from the ground:
PA Police To Increase Cooperation By Making Sad Faces At Israeli Losses (satire)
Palestinian security forces intend to increase their coordination with Israel on preventive security in the aftermath of the abduction and murder of three Israeli teenagers, by feigning sympathy for Israelis when such incidents occur.
On Tuesday evening Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas directed the heads of the various security agencies he commands to immediately implement a training regimen for personnel in the body language of acknowledging grief, skills the paramilitary forces can employ in dealings with their Israeli counterparts.
EU Denounces Israeli Corpses For Being Found On Palestinian Land (satire)
The chief of European Union foreign policy spoke out against the remains of three Israeli teenagers today, criticizing them for being found on land the Palestinians claim.
Eyal Yifrach, 19, Gilad Shaer, 16, and Naftali Fraenkel, 16, students at a yeshiva in the Etzion Bloc of communities south of Jerusalem, were abducted by armed Palestinians nearly three weeks ago and shot to death after Mr. Shaer called the police from his mobile phone to report they had been kidnapped. The kidnappers hurriedly disposed of the bodies in a field owned by a relative of one of them, which led Catherine Ashton to denounce the teenagers for trespassing on that field.
“It is unconscionable that after all this time, these corpses chose to be buried – however temporarily – in occupied Palestinian land, a clear violation of international law,” she told reporters. “The European Union and myriad other international bodies have made it clear that we will not stand for such cavalier trampling of Palestinian rights. We call on Israel to demonstrate restraint in its handling of this matter,” she continued, defining “restraint” as “any course of action that weakens or undermines deterrence.”