Atrocities of the British Press

The method of the IDF operation in Jenin helped reduce civilian casualties. The UK media parrots Palestinian claims it was a massacre.

One of the hallmarks of journalism is to independently verify info before printing a "fact." Otherwise, readers are only being treated to rumors, accusations and even propaganda.

The aftermath of the fighting in the Jenin refugee camp has dominated media reports. Though not independently verified, many media outlets devoted huge amounts of ink to unverified Palestinian tales of conspiracies, mass murders, common graves, and war crimes.

The worst journalistic atrocities occurred in the British Press. The Independent, The Telegraph, and The Times of London all quote the same lone individual, 28-year-old Kamal Anis, who said that "he saw the Israeli soldiers pile 30 bodies beneath a half-wrecked house. When the pile was complete, they bulldozed the building, bringing its ruins down on the corpses. Then they flattened the area with a tank." (The Independent)

Besides the fact that the credibility of Palestian "witnesses" was barely questioned (despite the horrific Palestinian history of fabricating false claims), and besides the fact that equal space not given to Israeli spokesmen to present their case regarding Jenin, several important points must be directed to the British media:

Why did these articles fail to explain that sending Israeli soldiers in for ground combat puts soldiers in grave danger, but greatly minimizes civilian casualties? The British articles focus mostly on the physical damage to buildings due to Israeli vehicles moving through the camp. The 23 Israeli deaths in Jenin attest to the danger -- all for the sake of sparing collateral damage to Palestinian civilians. Why not contrast this to the huge damage (in comparison) wrought by the powerful bombs dropped by planes -- an option Israel did not use in Jenin, but which American and Europeans used in every war including Afghanistan, to avoid risking their soldiers in such operations. No other army in the world would have acted as the IDF.

Why does the British media gloss over the facts of the fierce fighting that occurred in Jenin? Why do they not clarify that hundreds of Palestinian gunmen were consistently firing on Israeli soldiers? With such large numbers of gunmen insisting on "fighting to the death," there are bound to be numerous casualties.
Why does the media fail to mention that much of the devastation in Jenin was caused not by Israeli soldiers, but by Palestinians themselves blowing up buildings in attempts to kill IDF soldiers. In fact, 13 soldiers died in one such booby-trapped building.
Why did these article fail to describe how in many cases Palestinian militants refused to let Palestinian civilians leave Jenin -- a strategy which undoubtedly contributed to more civilian casualties?
In terms of the deaths of civilians, the catalyst for the whole Jenin operation was the daily slaughter of Israeli civilians at the hands of Palestinian terrorists. This was a defensive war that Israel did not choose. Contrast how Palestinians are specifically targeting civilians, whereas Israel is targeting those terrorists who kill civilians.
Why did these articles fail to note the lack of any Israeli accounts of "massacres?" Israel is a wildly democratic nation. Its citizen army consists of thousands of reservists from all walks of life and all political shades. If there were massacres or war crimes, soldiers would have certainly picked up their ubiquitous cell phones to report it to newspapers and members of the Knesset.
Why do these refugee camps exist in the first place? The camps are in Area A -- territory totally controlled by Arafat and the Palestinian Authority. Arafat received hundreds of millions of dollars in international aid, yet these refugees have never been given adequate housing and facilities by Arafat. Why not?

HonestReporting encourages members to monitor their local media for how the Jenin situation is reported. Below we present the worst British media atrocities:

A.N. Wilson, a leading columnist at London's main newspaper, the Evening Standard, compared Israel to the Taliban, accused Israel of "the poisoning of water supplies" and wrote "we are talking here of massacre, and a cover-up, of genocide."

Wilson also tries to pit the European Christian community against Israel by accusing Israel of "the willful burning of several church buildings,' and by declaring: "Many young Muslims in Palestine are the children of Anglican Christians, educated at St George's Jerusalem, who felt that their parents' mild faith was not enough to fight the oppressor."

Then, before casually switching to write about how much money Catherine Zeta-Jones is paying her nanny, Wilson says: "Last week, we saw the Israeli troops destroy monuments in Nablus of ancient importance: the scene where Jesus spoke to a Samaritan woman at the well. It is the equivalent of the Taliban destroying Buddhist sculpture."

The Independent (UK) calls Jenin "a monstrous war crime," and takes at face value Palestinian propaganda about "mass executions" of unarmed Palestinians by "death and torture squads." The Independent compares these Palestinians to those disappeared in Argentina -- although informs readers elsewhere in the paper that the missing men have been found in detention.

The flavor of The Independent's reporting is reflected in its headlines from on April 15:

"Survivors of Jenin creep home to see destruction" "Palestinian captives 'tortured and humiliated' at Israeli army base"

A day earlier (April 14), the Independent on Sunday's five news reports were headlined:
"The camp that became a slaughterhouse"
"Franciscans refuse to quit besieged birthplace of Christ"
"Israel's bloody intransigence silences Bush"
"The bloody evidence of the tragedy that is Jenin"
"Israel's war of words gets dirty"

Columnist Yasmin Alibhai-Brown writes (April 15):
"I would suggest that Ariel Sharon should be tried for crimes against humanity in Sabra and Shatila and Jenin and be damned for so debasing the profoundly important legacy of the Holocaust, which was meant to stop forever nations turning themselves into ethnic killing machines."

By contrast, the American press was generally more balanced in reporting from Jenin.

T. Christian Miller of the LA Times writes that Palestinian "accounts, which could not be independently confirmed, painted a picture of a vicious house-to-house battle in which Israeli soldiers faced Palestinian gunmen intermixed with the camp's civilian population."
Article here

One bright spot in British reporting was The Sun newspaper (London), which published a lengthy editorial headed "The Jewish faith is not an evil religion" (April 15). The Sun, owned by Rupert Murdoch, is one of Europe's two highest circulation newspapers (with the German paper Bild).

The Sun editorial makes veiled reference to the anti-Semitism now rife elsewhere in the British and European media, some of it under the guise of anti-Israel reporting, and some of it blatantly anti-Semitic, such as the comments posted on the Internet chat rooms run by newspapers like The Independent and The Guardian.

The Sun states: "Israelis are scared to death. They have never truly trusted Britain -- and with some of the people we employ in the Foreign Office why the hell should they?" The Sun surmises that countries throughout Europe are still "in denial about murdering their entire Jewish population."

Well after two weeks of the armchair terrorists howling in unison about the "atrocities" in Jenin I thought this article was a great exposure of the NWO agenda to blacklist the Jews, evidence or not. Someone is pulling all these guys strings. It is not a random accident that garbage like this is being plastered in all the Main line newspapers in Europe.

The UN, the Eee Uuu and now even Nato is falling over themselves to invade Israel "for the children". Israel is far more productive and innovative than any other European Nation many times over if you take in account its size vs all the front line patents it is cranking out. A ripe plum indeed. The intifadda could not continue to operate without EU, UN and Saudi Funding. These boys are investing a lot to gain the prize of Israel. So what if the blood of thousands of Jews are on their hands. What else is new?

I too was appalled at the outright lies being published in the UK and Europe about rumours of massacres, war crimes, etc. It makes me embarrassed to be of British ancestry. As the truth comes out that most of the destruction in Jenin was due to Pallie explosives and the need to destroy them, these stories will be quietly swept under the rug but no retractions or apologies will be made. Just continued pleas for the UN to stop Israeli genocide, etc. No tears for the bombing victims.

Re your post concerning the lack of crime by Israel at Jenin

. Many believe that the most recent Israeli assault using tow missles, tanks, and rockets on the civilian population at Jenin escalated into a killing frenzy and that all foreign observers were quickly removed from the scene to allow the evidence to be hidden.

Live radio reports in the U.S. this afternoon by British journalists report on the horrid stench from the Palestinian dead....men, women, and children.... and the unbelievable devestation of otherwise humble, if not squalid living areas for these people. All of this is so obviously the result of a well armed, arrogant, and undisiplined military attack on a civilian population with little or no technology to defend itself........

All...repeat..All Journalists and western observers were immediately removed from the area by the Israeli military command when the first reports of this horror surfaced. Many here in the U.S. believe that the Jews went crazy when they lost some troopers to ambush. The Israeli official explanation has been amorphous.

Only the bewildered, the devious, and the uninformed would not achnowledge a mirror image to the Jewish Warsaw Ghetto plight against the Germans.....Its just that the role of victim and victimizer has changed.

Well, some people when faced with the truth cling to the lies because the lies align with other agendas. Frankly rmvh, do you think if Israel had done this American style there would have been less death and destruction? Did you know that a daisy cutter knocks down every building flat within a 600 YARD radius? It instantly makes a 28 football field flat spot. The total destroyed area in Jennin is less than a couple of football fields added up.

The funny thing is that about half of the buildings were blown up, not bulldozed. It was the Pali's that rigged buildings with explosives to make booby traps, so half of the damage is from the Palestinian side. Considering that the Palestinians were firing back by the hundreds according to their own news releases it seems that most likely at least half of the civilians killed were killed by the PLO. I would guess more than half as the PLO has very little fire control. I have seen them on TV news shoot at the Jews by running up to a low wall and sticking a gun on full auto over their heads to spray and pray hoping to hit someone by accident. The IDF however are soldiers. They act a whole lot more responsibly. Obviously if the PLO are willing to kill their own to fight, and plant mines and booby traps in the middle of their own towns, they are not going to hold their fire much despite civilians being in the area.

You go ahead and cling to your hopes that the Jews act like you would. Then you will not have to face the fact that those who follow after God have a higher moral standard that shows that God really does exist. That way you will loose little sleep on your journey to hell. Some peoples beauty rest is more important to them than their souls. Go figure.

I do not acknowledge your "mirror image" argument which is quite bewildering, devious and the ranting of the uninformed. In fact, I view the Israel incursion and their military responses under proportionate to the sick twisted acts necessitating it in the first place.

You're disgusting. The Jews in Warsaw Ghetto were slated for extermination in the concentration camps and fought the Nazi beasts who came to "liquidate" the ghetto. The terrorists in Jenin murdered innocent civilians. The IDF told the civilians there to leave beforehand so the terrorists could be removed (surrender or be killed, choice was theirs). You can't see a difference because you suffer from moral illiteracy.

Re your post concerning the lack of crime by Israel at Jenin Excuse me, but did you notice there is a war on? When there is a war, the job is to kill people and break things so the other guy will stop killing people and breaking things. I think the IDF is doing a good job at that. Did you not know that the IDF broadcast for all civilians to leave the area 24 hours in advance? That is way more than nice, it allowed the PLO to set up mines and booby trap buildings. After 24 hours anybody in that camp was a leg mate target. I don’t give a rip what weaponry they used to clean it out.

If you want to talk crime, talk about using bombs in civilian areas like coffee shops and discos, without warning, deliberately targeting civilians. In short the side you are backing are criminals. Makes me wonder why you love them so.

Only the bewildered, the devious, and the uninformed would not acknowledge a mirror image to the Jewish Warsaw Ghetto plight against the Germans.....Its just that the role of victim and victimizer has changed.

Only the bewildered would think the Islam Nazi’s (they did fight for the Nazi's remember), have changed sides. It seems to me the people in the World Trade Center and in Israeli Coffee shops are the victims, and the Islam Nazis are still doing the same as before. Trying to take over the world by murdering their neighbors.

So, tell me, which category are you? Bewildered, devious or uninformed? My guess is devious, and exist only as a lying disrupter on this board.

Mood is much improved. It is nice to know someone is finaly doing something. Politicians play games, but people in the streets are getting shredded, not the politicians. People are out and about, the coffee shops are full again, people are taking the break to walk in the park etc. One Israeli said to a friend of mine during the Independance Day fireworks "Perhaps the Palestinians in Ramallah will have fireworks tonight" with a grin. I must admit it feels pretty good for the Pali's to be getting a bit of their own medicine for a change. For a year and a half they have been allowed to attack time and again and get off scott free. One gets pretty sick of seeing blood in the streets and then hear of another empty building being hit.

The Arabs are like a bratty child. All the threats of daddy is gonna get his belt out do nothing, but once the spanking happens most of the brats decide it is not as fun to be a brat as they thought. This has been a light slap in the face, if it does not work they will have to swat a bit harder. If Israel uses one onehundredth of its might, There will be no such thing as Palestinians within a day or two, and the Jew on the street knows it.

They are a very moral people, and do NOT want the IDF to wipe out the Palestinians, at least right off. But their has been a very radical shift of mindset since Barak. Fully 75% of the people on the street say we need to get to war and get this over with. That is an incredible shift to the obvious IMHO. Israel is far more conservative than America is now. A revote on the government right now would shift the "congress" to about 80% conservative, something the Liberals who are still in control of the majority of seats are really freaking about.

Too bad...

"Live radio reports in the U.S. this afternoon by British journalists report on the horrid stench from the Palestinian dead....men, women, and children.... and the unbelievable devestation of otherwise humble, if not squalid living areas for these people. All of this is so obviously the result of a well armed, arrogant, and undisiplined military attack on a civilian population with little or no technology to defend itself........"

We need photos. Show us the dead women and children if you don't wish to be called a liar.

Post them so we can see for ourselves, because no one believes a word you say.

re your # 5..... Frankly rmvh, do you think if Israel had done this American style there would have been less death and destruction?

As far as I am aware, American attrocites (and there have been some)...have never had the blessings of the high command..... as is so evident here. And the indivduals rersponsible have been punished serverely. The situation of an undiciplined military action has not been swept under the rug as here.

But it is the Non-Jewish, Non-Palestinian, Non-Arab press (and not me) who are now on the scene and who reported live this afternoon on the "stench" of civilian death....men-women-and children... and the "horrible", "random", and "enormous destruction" of "homes" and obviously civilian properties. This isn't my fantasy.

And for your information, it being broadcast in The U.S. by those finally able to see the scene of carnage.

The Jewish strategy of projecting perfect victimhood while aplying high technolgy, in this case in an apparently criminal manner, against a far less advanced people will not work long run.....and the entire civilized world sees it.

"Live radio reports in the U.S. this afternoon by British journalists report on the horrid stench from the Palestinian dead

These British "journalists" really pick and choose their pet atrocities, don't they?

I don't recall a single one of them wringing their hands about the stench from Ground Zero. I live five miles away and I could smell it until they finally got the fires put out, nearly five months later.

But all I remember hearing from the British press were pious exhortations for us to consider the "root causes" of the attacks. Maybe they should be directing the same advice to the Palestinians right now, eh?

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