Feedback on Israel/Palestinian Reporting
Send your views to Selwyn Manning.
Re: Journalists View Slaughter as Sharon Declares Withdrawal Plans. Spectator edition: and Scoop edition.
On 16 Apr 2002 at 8:50, Marc Blumenfrucht wrote: Regarding your article 'Journalists View Slaughter As Sharon Declares Withdrawal Plans - March 16 2002' I would like to
ask how you can print unsubstantiated evidence, what happened to innocent until proven guilty. You obviously have no
handle on the facts, and no interest in understanding those facts behind the Middle East conflict.
"The journalists are getting inside Jenin now - but only after Israeli soldiers buried the dead in mass graves - others,
scores of dead people, were trucked off to no man's land for burial. War crimes occurred there. We are certain of that.
The Geneva Convention was torn to shreds."
How are you certain of war crimes being committed when no one has brought any proof of that other than Palestinian
Authority spokesmen. Not one mass grave has been found, and who exactly was carted off to no man’s land? I am on the
ground here in Israel, and the supreme court was asking whether these bodies should be taken to be buried singly, in a
special cemetery in Israel for fallen enemy soldiers, or returned to the Palestinians after being taken for counting to
disprove their exaggerated death tolls. Never was there any intention of mass graves.
But how could the Palestinians lie about this, you may ask? Well, they have a long history of lies & brutality for example the lies in the first intifada:
In Gaza, rumours circulated that Palestinian youths wounded by Israeli soldiers were being taken to an army hospital
near Tel Aviv and "finished off." Another rumour, claimed Israeli troops poisoned a water reservoir in Khan Yunis. A UN
official said these stories were untrue. Only the most seriously injured Palestinians were taken out of the Gaza Strip
for treatment, and, in some cases, this probably saved their lives. The water was also tested and found to be
uncontaminated.
Also these Palestinians are some of the most brutal people in the world, against their own civilians too as exemplified
in the first intifada:
Initially, more Palestinians died in clashes with Israeli troops — battles usually triggered by Arab attacks against
soldiers — than were killed by their fellow Palestinians in the intrafada. This changed dramatically in early 1990. In
that year, the number of Palestinians dying in engagements with Israelis fell by more than half. More Palestinians were
murdered by Palestinians in the intrafada during that period. The internecine killings increased in 1991, with 238
Palestinians (up from 156) dying in the intrafada, more than triple the number who died at the hands of Israelis.
Nearly 200 Palestinians were killed by their fellow Palestinians in 1992, more than double the number killed in clashes
with Israeli security forces. The methods of murder, Steven Emerson reported, included beheading, mutilation, cutting
off ears and limbs and pouring acid on a victim's face.
The reign of terror became so serious that some Palestinians expressed public concern about the disorder. The PLO began
to call for an end to the violence, but murders by its members and rivals continued.
When many Palestinians heard a knock at the door late at night, the New York Times reported, they were relieved to find
an Israeli soldier rather than a masked Palestinian standing outside. Even after the intifada fizzled out following the
signing of the Declaration of Principles in 1993, internecine warfare among the Palestinians continued, and persists to
this day.
I suggest before reporting on issues, you get your facts right, and try to uphold at least a semblance of journalistic
standards and integrity. The fact is that Israel could have carpet bombed Jenin and saved itself many soldiers lives,
however out of humanitarian considerations, they decided not to use the American method, and instead go door to door
putting their soldiers lives at unnecessary risk.
And you also say "The consequence: Children are clawing through the destruction, looking for pieces of yesterday, searching for things
that were once familiar but were blown away from them - trinkets, toys, bowls that served food, a favourite piece of
clothing, loved ones, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers… anyone. They have seen horrors. Enough said. One can almost
hear voices from this "holy land"… voices that Israel ought to heed. Here are today's children, left clinging to blood
and dirt. Tomorrow… will be their's to seek justice. "
These children are those to whom Arafat and his authority have been teaching hate for many years, i suggest that you
take a look at the following windows media video's, which will show you what these children have been being taught by
their own 'peace loving' Palestinian authority:
http://www.terroristwatchonline.org/media/selfscrfce100k.wmv.asf
http://www.terroristwatchonline.org/media/jihadforkids100k.wmv.asf
This clearly shows the Palestinians making no effort in teaching their children the language of peace, and much of this
video was shot in 1998, long before the intifada, and when the peace process was seen by both sides as being on track.
Please let me know your justifications for printing such outright, unsubstantiated lies, and what you think of these
children after seeing these videos. Of course, you will probably blame it on 'The Occupation' but i suggest you get your
facts right on that first, and if you would like me to enlighten you to the real truth of the occupation then just let
me know, and I would be glad.
Yours Sincerely
M Blumenfrucht – Israel.