Israel 'apology' as Palestine grieves. (18 civilians/8 children dead)

[Dover]

Israel 'apology' as Palestine grieves

Wednesday 08 November 2006 11:01 AM GMT


The Israeli attack was one of the deadliest in recent years.
Israel has apologised for an artillery barrage which killed 18 civilians including eight children in Gaza, as the Palestinian government declared three days of mourning to commemorate those who died.

At least 13 members of one extended family died as they were sleeping when tank fire hit their home in Wednesday's incident.

The killings happened a day after Israel started to withdraw its tanks from Beit Hanoun in northern Gaza after a week-long offensive in which dozens of people died.

Tzipi Livni, the Israeli foreign minister, called the deaths in Beit Hanoun "a regrettable incident".

"The Israeli military does not intend to harm civilians - that is never our aim. But in the framework of such things, incidents like these happen," Livni said.

Local residents spoke of horrific scenes after the Israeli tank fire hit several houses in Beit Hanoun.

"Five of my brothers have no heads ... my father-in-law has lost his legs, he's left with just shattered flesh," one man told Al Jazeera after the attack...cont'd

http://english.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D619A773-F9FC-4E09-A4E7-B2C4BE0D3EF1.htm

[Binka]

1. Fucking Evil Bastards n/t

[Robbien]

2. I am surprised there are any people still alive in Palestine

Israel has as much regard for Palestinian life as the US does for Iraqi life.

[IntiRaymi]

3. IDF washes its hands in the latest atrocity.

"The Israeli military does not intend to harm civilians - that is never our aim. But in the framework of such things, incidents like these happen," Livni said.

So why does it keep happening, then?

[Tom Joad]

13. Because occupation, dispossession of others land, brutal sanctions is bound

to result in war time atrocities.

[Boston Critic]

4. Palestinians don't apologize for THEIR atrocities

After all, when they kill civilians -- particularly children -- it's what they INTENDED to do.

All of you weeping your crocodile tears for the Palestinians, why don't you tell them to abandon terrorism? Stop firing missiles at Israel? Stop teaching your children to become suicide bombers?

Nah, it's more fun just to hate Israel, isn't it?

[LostinVA]

5. There is a difference between a sovereign nation and terrorists

A sovereign nation shouldn't practice apartheid nor kill innocents. Nor should they illegally occupy land held by another.

Let me know when there's a sovereign Palestinian government to complain to and I will... oh wait, there's not.

I see you've bought the RW anti-Palestinian line hook, line, and sinker. Interesting that the rest of the world rep[orts the truth, unlike the US media. The only thing you forgot to do was call us anti-semitics.

[Phx_Dem]

6. The Pals elected Hamas

as the official Palestinian government. Why is it that they and the PA should not be held accountable?

[Boston Critic]

7. Israel doesn't

"A sovereign nation shouldn't practice apartheid nor kill innocents. Nor should they illegally occupy land held by another."

Israel doesn't do any of these things. The apartheid charge is a smear and a lie. The killing of innocents isn't Israeli policy -- but IS policy for Hamas, Hezbollah, and even the PLO. And they are not "occupying" sovereign territory that belongs to any other nation. So your claim fails on all three counts.

If you are copping a plea to being antisemitic, that's your business. I understand that pointing out the obvious bias of many of the Israel bashers is against the rules here.

Certainly one doesn't have to be rightwing or leftwing to support Israel. After all, I'm a liberal Democrat, and my party *supports* a strong and secure Israel.

If you'd like to know more about the terrorist thugs you're supporting, and how they *target* innocent civilians, go here:

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+since+2000/Victims+of+Palestinian+Violence+and+Terrorism+sinc.htm

[IntiRaymi]

8. So everything Israel does is collateral damage?

I bet palestinians are more terrorized by israeli actions, than israelis are terrorized by palestinian actions.
It cuts both ways, and chicken/egg scenarios are a waste of time.

[not systems]

9. 400 dead Palestinian civilians vs 3 dead Israeli soldiers...

in the last three months in and around Gaza.

When was the last time a Palestinian killed an Israeli civilian?

Do the math.

[Name removed]

10. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Boston Critic]

11. Yeah, do the math

When Palestinians FAIL to kill Israeli civilians -- by using checkpoints and the security fence -- then Israel is condemned. When Palestinians SUCCEED in killing Israeli civilians, they dance in the streets and people like you are silent.

I can add it up quite well, thank you.

[Boston Critic]

12. Israeli civilians murdered by Palestinian terrrorists

Just this year:

Feb 5, 2006 - Kinneret Ben Shalom Hajbi, 58, of Petah Tikva was stabbed to death by a Palestinian terrorist while traveling on a number 51 service taxi to Tel Aviv. Five other passengers were wounded.

Mar 1, 2006 - Eldar Abir, 48, of Migdalim was killed when two Palestinian shot him at point blank range at the gas station near Migdalim in the West Bank. The Fatah Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

Mar 30, 2006 - Rafi Halevy, 63, and his wife Helena, 58, of Kedumim, Re’ut Feldman, 20, of Herzliya, and Shaked Lasker, 16, of Kedumim were killed when a suicide bomber hitchhiker disguised as an ultra-Orthodox yeshiva student detonated his explosive device in a private vehicle near the entrance to Kedumim.

Apr 17, 2006 - Eleven people were killed and over 60 wounded in a suicide bombing during the Passover holiday at the Rosh Ha'ir shawarma restaurant, near the old central bus station in Tel Aviv. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.
The victims: Philip Balhasan, 45, of Ashdod; Rozalia Beseneyi, 48, and Piroşca Boda 50, of Romania; Marcel Cohen, 73, of Nice, France; Ariel Darhi, 31, of Bat Yam; Victor Erez, 60, of Givatayim; Binyamin Haputa, 47, of Lod; David Shaulov, 29, of Holon; Lily Yunes, 42, of Oranit.
Lior Anidzar, 26, of Tel Aviv died of his wounds on May 13.
Daniel Wultz, 16, of Weston, Florida (USA) died on May 14.

June 11, 2006 - Marwan Abed Shweika, 35, of the Abu Tor neighborhood in Jerusalem was killed and two other Arab Israelis were wounded in a shooting attack while driving late at night West Bank highway north of Jerusalem.

June 25, 2006 - Eliyahu Pinhas Asheri, 18, of Itamar was kidnapped by terrorists from the Popular Resistance Committees while hitchhiking from Betar Illit, southwest of Bethlehem, to Neveh Tzuf, where he was studying. His body was found on June 29 in Ramallah. It is believed that he was murdered shortly after his kidnapping.

July 27, 2006 - The burnt body of Dr. Daniel Yaakobi, 59, a doctor from Yakir in the West Bank, was found in the trunk of his car near Qalqilya. The Fatah al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades claimed responsibility for the attack.

http://www.mfa.gov.il/MFA/Terrorism-+Obstacle+to+Peace/Palestinian+terror+since+2000/Victims+of+Palestinian+Violence+and+Terrorism+sinc.htm


Now here's a question for you: when was the last time you publicly and vociferously expressed outrage at policy of these Palestinian terror groups to *target* civilians?

I'm not holding my breath waiting for examples.

[not systems]

18. More than...

10 times the number you list died in the city I live in
yet no one knows or cares.

Why would I.

[Boston Critic]

19. Are you this callous in real life?

Are there gangs of people in and near your city that make it a point of killing innocent people in hopes of destroying your community?

If not, your comparison is offensive and absurd.

[breakaleg]

22. Why aren't the names of the Palestinians listed? Because there are too many

and no one cares to find out more about them. If only the numbers were small enough to list them by name.

[Boston Critic]

23. The names of the Palestinians...

murdered by Palestinian terrorists? Feel free to list them.

[breakaleg]

25. No. The ones killed by the "democracy" that is Israel.

[Name removed]

36. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Boston Critic]

43. Why doh't Israeli lives matter?

Israel -- a real democracy, by the way, as compared to the Arab dictatorships you are defending -- would stop in a moment if they weren't under constant attack. Where are your posts calling for the Palestinian terrorists to stop firing missiles at Israeli civilians? Why don't you implore them to make a go at running Gaza in peace instead of using as a staging ground for terror?

Why do you only care when Israel defends itself?

[Tom Joad]

14. When was the last time a Palestinian tank ran through a Jewish Israeli town?

When was the last time an Israeli farmer was walled off from his farmland? When was the last time a Palestinian bulldozed the home of a Jewish Israeli?

The deaths of anyone is quite tragic, and i think most of us would want the numbers to be zero. But it wont happen while Israel insists, and promises, to continue occupation and dispossession.

[Behind the Aegis]

16. So?

Because the exact same events are occurring the violence from the other side should be ignored, minimized, praised?

I agree that deaths of anyone is tragic, but that won't change as long as members of the ruling party, as well, as the terrorists, continue for their "push to the sea."

[IntiRaymi]

31. Look at the map of seaside jewish towns in Gaza.....

Looks like the 'settlers' already made it to the sea - straight through palestinian land!

http://www.npr.org/programs/atc/features/2005/feb/mideast_special/gaza_map.pdf

Just by looking at it, it appears that settlers have usurped almost 50% of littoral real estate. So, like an amoeba, Israel has enforced the process of herding palestinians into de facto bantustans.

[Behind the Aegis]

32. Which no longer is applicable.

The past is just that, the past. Though the analogy still falls short.

[Boston Critic]

20. When will Palestinians renounce terror?

That's where the discussion *starts*. So long as it is official policy of Hamas and the PLO to call for the destruction of Israel, Israel will do what it has to in order to defend itself.

[Tom Joad]

15. Olmert, a war criminal, in the tradition of Sharon. The legend lives on.

[Behind the Aegis]

17. And so it goes....

[Name removed]

21. Deleted message

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[Name removed]

24. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Joad]

26. Bush is a war criminal too.

I oppose war crimes. I care about ending the war against Palestine, and making life better for Palestinians and Israelis.

[msmcghee]

27. "The war against Palestine"?

You must mean the war to stop the Kassams - from whatever direction they come. Your words are just more of the same anti-Israel propoganda.

[Tom Joad]

28. The Palestinians are under siege. The occupation, the economic

embargo, the destruction of homes and farms and shelling in neighborhoods filled with children and families and the closing off of Gaza for trade the destruction of the power plant necessary for clean water is a crime against humanity.

All attacks against civilians deserve condemnation, but we must remember the bigger picture. Israel must decide to end occupation. It must end the siege against the Palestinian people.

I join President Carter in calling for an End Israeli apartheid and colonialism.

[msmcghee]

29. Israel did decide to end the occupation. They left gaza.

Thirty Kassams were fired into Israel the next day and they have never let up since then.

What makes you think that if Israel halted the current operation today - that the Kassams would not be fired again tomorrow? You don't really belive that do you?

What would happen is that Hamas would claim glorious victory over Israel and would then fire the next barrage of Kassams. They said they intend to do that until all Israelis are either dead or gone from Palestine - which they insist "exists from the Jordan River to the Sea" - according to them.

Why don't you believe them? Do you think they are liars? Why do you keep misrepresenting their intentions?

[Tom Joad]

30. Blockading Gaza is still an occupation.

[Name removed]

35. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Boston Critic]

38. Since there are no such things

Israel can't end them. There is no "Israeli apartheid and colonialism" but there is the failed president whose incompetence paved the way for Reagan and who has been desperately trying to rehabilitate his reputation ever since.

The bigger picture is that you cannot bring yourself to condemn Palestinian terrorism, and that until such terrorism ends, there will be no peace. THAT is the stumbling block to peace, not your imaginary claims against Israel.

[Name removed]

37. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Tom Joad]

47. I do condemn all attacks against civilians, Israeli & Palestinians.

[Boston Critic]

48. I look forward to....

... your posts targeting Palestinian terrorism and the wanton targeting of Israeli civilians.

Alas, you'll have all too many opportunities to comment on these things.

So far, though, your agenda seems rather one-sided.

[Boston Critic]

44. The bias here is disgusting

Ohlmert is not a war criminal, no matter how many replies are removed.

But Hamas and the PLO ARE terrorist organizations.

[Englander]

51. Olmert/Peretz/Halutz = war criminals.

Personally, I think the actual war crimes are more disgusting than any supposed bias. Persuing a
policy that results in the death of hundreds of civilians would be more deserving of disgust than
saying mean things about rw politicians, shurely?

[msmcghee]

33. Mr. Pelsar . . please answer this question.

It is often asserted here that the IDF is out of control and/or that IDF leadership is racist and out to "wantonly kill" innocent Palestinian civilians and children.

As a member of the IDF (past / current?) what is your take on that? Is it true or false or something in between.

I have my own assumptions on this but you are the best source I know of. I believe you have been honest in all your statements here and I trust that you will be truthful about this as well.

[pelsar]

34. the IDF...

my experience is 20 yrs ago i served my regular service in the infantry (with a short tank course) and spent the next 20 years in the reserves in a recon unit. I've been on all the borders except for the syrian and have spent time in the westbank and gaza....thats the background.

The IDF being "out of control"....it would depend on which units. All units have a personalities as do people in groups. The more professional units or ones and those that are more "army/war oriented" spend less time in the territories have less contact with the Palestinians. These groups are less problematic. Other units whos job is precisely the territories, can be problematic. These are the people who have day to day workings with the Palestinians and are usually the ones who over step the lines...but they usually dont involve killing.

The "wanton killing of innocent Palestinians however is nothing more than propaganda." The Rules of Engagement can be confusing, but the bottom line is no killing civilians. That said, fire fights in civilian areas will inevitable get some of them killed, either by the Palestinians themselves or by the IDF. The minors that get killed...many are used as runners/lookouts during battles, one doesnt really pay too much attention during a battle if its an Ak-47 being carried or just a stick, or maybe just a shadow. It is after all a war situation......people get killed when the bullets fly and 18yr olds with automatic weapons are dangerous......furthermore, night time operations can be very confusing as shadows play havoc with one sight.

tanks and artillery are not precise killing machines, never were. I'm always surprised at the shock when shells dont kill the exact people they're intended to. If anybody here was really interested they could go to a military site and ask, the answers would be a million stories of things going wrong......

The IDF is not out of control, whats happening in gaza is simply a change in tactics. If up until know, nothing worked to stop the kassams, after a year of them, now they went in with more force. Whether or not it will work is anybodys guess, at the sametime letting the jihadnikim shoot their missiles with impunity sound absurd to me (but not to many here....)

There is however, as there always is, a "pecking order" if you will of whos lives are "more valuable. Its hardly special to the IDF. First is your own men, second is the israeli civilians, third the Palestinians civilians and finally the jihadnikim. Obviously for the Palestinians its reversed.

If you ask me do i "care" about the palestenians...i would give you two answers: On a personal level, the answer is yes, those i've met and those i dont know i see as people, as do most of us israelis...on a national level however, the answer is no, i dont care. They destroyed that when we left gaza and all we got in return was missles...... I suspect i'm pretty typical in that regard.

[Vorta]

39. The bottom line is that Israel wouldn't be killing anyone if they weren't under attack. No?

[pelsar]

41. the examples are obvious...for those who want to see

all of the israeli borders have different characteristics with each state. However they are clear examples of how to live in peace with israel or how to continue with a violent war:

its so simple and so clear, anybody who takes an objective view of the situation would not understand all of the recriminations against israel:

Egypt said no more war: got back all the land taken in the war, they guard their border with sincerity and israel respects the border. No recon flights, no cross border raids, etc

Jordan said, we dont want the land, but we will respect the border. They too guard their border (better than egypt) and here to israel respects the border.

Syria, lots of threatening noises, protects terrorists, but it too keeps the terrorist from attacking via its border. So Israel does not have cross border raids, but does return the threatening noises with the occasional flyby.

Lebanon: cross border raids, missiles in to Israel, lots of and constant threats: Israel "returns the favor"

Gaza: see above
________________________________________

two incidents to note: an Egyptian and Jordanian border guard at different times open up and killed israeli tourists....because it was clear it both were singular incidents, it was considered by all the countries involved as a crime of the individual and no more than that (King Hussien came to visit the families of the bereaved), there was no intl incident.

_______________________________________

the examples above are clear as day. To live in peace with israel, all one has to do is stop attacking. The various border are proof of that. Egypt and Jordan are strife with anti semetism, anti israeli literature, media etc, but as long as they guard their own borders, israel respects that. When the Palestenains decide that attacking israel is a losing proposition, they too will have peace, but its their decision not israels.

[Boston Critic]

45. And one more thing

Oslo was a failure because of the insincerity of Arafat, who had no interest in a peaceful two state solution.

However during that time, when the attacks stopped, we saw that Israel *was* prepared to live in peace with the Palestinians. It was only when Arafat launched the second Intifada and the terror attacks began again that the security fence started being built and the border restrictions were ramped up.

Israel left Gaza and was repaid with missile attacks. But Israel is blamed for defending itself.

There's a root cause to much of this criticism of Israel.

[pelsar]

42. an addition...

ironic as it sounds the Palestenains and the journalists for the most part have a trust in the IDF that can border on the absurd. One can witness palestenian children around jihadnikim while shooting is going on. During protests that everyone knows the chances are good there will be gunfire, the journalist will stay on one side: the palestenian side....the chances of getting shot are far less then if they took pictures from the israeli side.(the palestenians would see them as the enemy and as such a target)

Palestenian kids will play "chicken" with tanks, attempt (and succeed) in climbing on them and try stealing some equipment.

The IDF response is to shoot at the tank using light calibre bullets (M-16) and when the palestenian kids get shot, its all over the news.
(the IDF doesnt take kindly to palestenian kids on their tanks)

When hamas took over gaza and the in fighting started, we would hear reactions from the Gazans that said things like "even the israelis would "do that' or do this", when referring to the latest killings inside gaza

[Englander]

40. B'Tselem : The Killing of Civilians in Beit Hanun is a War Crime

8 Nov. 06: The Killing of Civilians in Beit Hanun is a War Crime

Israeli artillery shells struck a residential neighborhood in Beit Hanun, Gaza Strip, early Wednesday morning, killing 18 civilians, including 7 minors, and wounding some 40 others. The Israeli military contended that the artillery fire was aimed at the place from which Qassam rockets were fired at Ashkelon yesterday, an area about half a kilometer from where the shells actually landed. The IDF said that human or technical error caused the shells to strike the houses. The Minister of Defense has ordered an investigation into the incident.

Even according to the military, the shelling was not defensive; it was not aimed at Palestinian fire or Qassam rocket-fire that was in progress. The artillery was aimed at what the IDF refers to as a "launching space," i.e., an area from which the army believes that Qassams had previously been fired.

Shells fired from cannons several kilometers away are known and expected to occasionally miss their target by a few hundred meters. For this reason, it is especially likely that such weapons will harm civilians when they are fired towards or near densely-populated residential areas. Several such cases have occurred over the past year, and it was to be expected that they could recur.

Moreover, in April 2006, it was reported that the IDF reduced – from 300 meters to 100 meters – the "safety range" between populated areas in the Gaza Strip and the areas targeted for artillery fire. Six human rights organization, B'Tselem among them, warned about the great risk inherent in the decision, contending it would lead to the injury of innocent civilians. The organizations petitioned the High Court of Justice to order the IDF to cancel the decision. The High Court has not yet ruled in the matter.

It is still unclear if the deaths this morning resulted from the inherent inaccuracy of artillery or from technical or human error. However, massive shelling towards a densely-populated area carries a high risk of civilian casualties. Therefore, as discussed below, such shelling should be avoided, unless there is no alternative in defending against attack.

The principle of discrimination, one of the pillars of international humanitarian law, requires that all parties to a conflict attack only legitimate military objects. According to the principle of proportionality, it is forbidden to launch an attack, even if aimed at a legitimate military object, if the attack is expected to cause injury to civilians that would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated. These two principles lead to the prohibition on using a means of warfare which, under the circumstances, is likely to cause disproportionate injury to civilians. Launching of such attacks is deemed a grave breach of international humanitarian law and a war crime.

The circumstances involved in the killing of the Palestinians in Beit Hanun, including the fact that the attack was not a defensive action, raise a grave concern that the shelling constitutes a war crime. The Israeli military's contention that they did not mean to harm civilians is meaningless, and cannot justify an action that amounts to a war crime. An investigation conducted by military officials subject to the same chain of command responsible for the action cannot serve as a substitute for a criminal investigation. B'Tselem today wrote to the Israeli Judge Advocate General, demanding that he immediately order a Military Police investigation into the incident, with the objective of prosecuting those responsible for the killings in Beit Hanun.

http://www.btselem.org/english/firearms/20061108_War_Crime_in_Beit_Hanun.asp

[Boston Critic]

46. Not onlly not a war crime, but the Israeli response...

... speaks volumes. They tried to find out what went wrong. If this had been a Palestinian suicide that succeeded in the mass slaughter of civilians, the Palestinians would be dancing in the streets.


Beit Hanoun In Context

The tragic deaths of some 18 Palestinian civilians in Beit Hanoun has once again moved the Israeli-Palestinian conflict back on to the front pages following the US mid-term elections.

Criticism of Israel in the press is perfectly legitimate, and, in this case, expected in light of the terrible accident that has occurred in the Gaza Strip. Nonetheless, the accident in Beit Hanoun is exactly that - an accident - and the media needs to report this incident within the proper context.

As Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni has stated:

Israel left Gaza in order to give the Palestinians an opportunity to control terrorism and develop their own lives. Unfortunately, this has not happened. Israel is faced with constant attack by the Palestinian terror organizations, in the form of relentless firing of Qassam rockets at Israeli population centers. Israel has no desire to harm innocent people, but only to defend its citizens. Unfortunately, in the course of battle, regrettable incidents such as that which occurred this morning do happen.

Such regret was echoed by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and Defense Minister Amir Peretz, who ordered an investigation into the matter and a halt to artillery fire into the Gaza Strip until the completion of the inquiry.

It appears at this stage that an equipment malfunction may have been responsible for an IDF shell inadvertantly missing its target. The Jerusalem Post notes the fine line between success and failure when targeting Qassam launch sites: "In this case, the distance between the two was a mere 600 meters, not a near-miss perhaps, but the kind of miss that is going to happen, due to human error, on an average of at least one in every few hundred artillery shells."

There is a major difference in values between Israeli forces and the Palestinian terrorists who are operating from within Beit Hanoun. While Israel does not intentionally set out to harm innocent civilians, those who continue to launch Qassams fully intend to cause the maximum amount of death and destruction irrespective of the effectiveness or otherwise of these missiles.

The media is unlikely to acknowledge this difference in values, as demonstrated by the evacuation of Palestinians injured in Beit Hanoun to an Israeli hospital for treatment.

Qassams continued to fall even after the withdrawal of IDF forces from Gaza on Tuesday, including a strike on a school in Ashkelon, which was thankfully empty at the time but could easily have led to massive loss of life.

While the media downplays the effects of Qassam missiles, it is these actions by terror organizations in Gaza that have prompted an IDF response. Following Israel's disengagement from Gaza in 2005, if the Palestinians would cease attacks from that area, there would be no reason for the IDF to play any role in the lives of ordinary Gazans.

According to the Boston Globe: "Zakaria al-Kafarna, whose sister lost a 10-year-old son, said he blamed the bombing in part on militants who fired rockets nearby. Anyone can come to the area and fire a rocket, he said. "What about us? We are sleeping.""

Indeed, much of the media, in its desire to concentrate solely on mass-casualty incidents, has failed to report on or deliberately downplayed Qassam attacks on Israel as well as Beit Hanoun's role as a hub of terror activity.

The media outcry over this latest incident is in stark contrast to other regions of conflict, including a remarkably similar incident involving the alleged deaths of a large number of civilians as a result of Sri Lankan army actions on Wednesday.

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/Beit_Hanoun_In_Context.asp

[Englander]

49. Yes, who to believe?

A respected Israeli human-rights group, or an extremist, rw, 'media watchdog group'. Who to
believe? The group that addresses the reality of the situation, or the group that's intent on
creating their own reality, ala the Pretzeldent?

This week's FrontPageMagFanClub;

'HonestReporting.com

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* Why Terrorists Get Good Coverage
Published: Thursday, August 19, 2004

* Fence Rulings and Biased Omissions
Published: Thursday, July 08, 2004

* Palestinian Authority Confirms Terror Ties
Published: Thursday, June 24, 2004

* The Sheikh's Press Pass
Published: Monday, June 21, 2004

* The Sheik's Press Pass
Published: Tuesday, June 15, 2004

* AP's Arafapologies
Published: Thursday, May 20, 2004

* Anti-Israel Bias for Kids
Published: Thursday, March 25, 2004

* Sheikh Yassin's Talking Points
Published: Wednesday, March 24, 2004

* Palestinian Kids: Terror's Guinea Pigs
Published: Tuesday, March 09, 2004

* Yasser's Suicide Bombers
Published: Thursday, February 26, 2004

* NY Times Rehabilitates Al Jazeera TV
Published: Tuesday, February 24, 2004

* Not an "Apartheid Wall"
Published: Tuesday, February 17, 2004

* Star Tribune Discovers Terror
Published: Friday, February 13, 2004

* Reuters Pulls for the Palestinians
Published: Thursday, February 12, 2004

* Partisan Editing at Herald Tribune
Published: Friday, January 30, 2004

* Anti-Israel Media Bias: A Stone's Throw Away
Published: Thursday, January 08, 2004

* High Times for Anti-Semitism
Published: Friday, January 02, 2004

* 2003 Dishonest Reporting "Award"
Published: Wednesday, December 17, 2003

* Blaming Israel for Istanbul
Published: Tuesday, November 25, 2003

* Exposing Palestinian Authority's Corruption
Published: Thursday, November 20, 2003

* Terror-Denial
Published: Thursday, November 13, 2003

* Honest Reporting for Campus
Published: Monday, November 03, 2003

* Of Missiles and Videos
Published: Tuesday, October 28, 2003

* Two-Faced Response to Gaza Bombing
Published: Monday, October 20, 2003

* The Media's Mideast Relativism
Published: Thursday, October 16, 2003

* Whitewashing Terror
Published: Thursday, September 25, 2003

* Blame Israel First
Published: Monday, September 22, 2003

* Arafat Cycle
Published: Thursday, September 18, 2003

* Killing for Peace
Published: Friday, September 12, 2003

* Editors Consider the "T-Word"
Published: Monday, September 08, 2003

* Accepting the Lies of Hamas
Published: Wednesday, August 27, 2003

* Who Got Hurt?
Published: Monday, August 18, 2003

* Prisoners: Fact vs. Fiction
Published: Friday, August 15, 2003

* Shlomi Shelling
Published: Thursday, August 14, 2003

* Security Fence Scrutiny
Published: Tuesday, August 05, 2003

* Disregarding Iraqi Jewish History
Published: Friday, August 01, 2003

* Off the Map
Published: Wednesday, July 30, 2003

* A Journalist's Critique
Published: Monday, July 28, 2003

* Tactless in San Diego
Published: Thursday, July 24, 2003

* The Deceit of Reuters Headlines
Published: Thursday, July 17, 2003

* "V" is for Victory
Published: Monday, July 07, 2003

* Palestinian Bush-Whacking
Published: Wednesday, July 02, 2003

* Hudna With Hamas
Published: Monday, June 30, 2003

* Tit-For-Tat
Published: Friday, June 27, 2003

* Rooting Out Hamas?
Published: Wednesday, June 18, 2003

* Israel's Strike Against Hamas
Published: Friday, June 13, 2003

* Abu Mazen: Coup for Peace?
Published: Wednesday, May 07, 2003

* The ABC's of Media Bias
Published: Monday, February 10, 2003

[Boston Critic]

50. You've got it backwards

B'tselem is oft-criticized for their pro-Palestinian bias and their willing to twist the facts to support their views:

http://www.ngo-monitor.org/editions/v2n12/v2n12-4.htm
http://www.ngo-monitor.org/editions/v3n05/IMRABetselemCasualtyFigures.htm
http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_article=493&x_context=2

Whereas Honest Reporting has a track record of going after media outlets when they get their facts wrong, often winning retractions because they make sure they have the facts on their side.

So, since I support the group that deals with reality rather than one that, in your words, is "intent on creating their own reality," obviously a rational, objective person is going to rely on Honest Reporting, and not a highly suspect source like B'tselem.

And that's a shame, because B'tselem would be much more effective as a critic if they were honest.

[Englander]

52. Is this supposed to be satire? n/t

[Englander]

53. Israeli offensive leaves north Gaza town reeling

By Joel Greenberg
Tribune foreign correspondent
Published November 14, 2006

BEIT HANOUN, Gaza Strip -- Muhammad al-Kafarna, the mayor of this devastated town, is facing a daunting task these days. A punishing weeklong Israeli army incursion, followed by an artillery barrage that killed 19 people last Wednesday, has left Beit Hanoun reeling.

"This was worse than any previous raid," al-Kafarna said as he reviewed damage reports in his office Sunday. "It was deliberate destruction."

>snip

The latest Israeli army sweep into Beit Hanoun, which ended last Tuesday, killed more than 50 Palestinians, militants as well as civilians. The army said it uncovered large amounts of weaponry, including rocket launchers, and that it hit several rocket squads. But the operation failed to stop the rocket fire, and it caused widespread destruction.

Streets were chewed up by tanks, facades of houses and shops were sheared off, and other homes were demolished. Water mains were broken, releasing sewage into the streets. Lampposts were toppled, trees uprooted and electricity and phone lines knocked down.

According to preliminary figures compiled by the municipality, about 50 houses were destroyed. About 400 other homes were damaged, one-third of them left uninhabitable. In addition, 40 shops and 25 vehicles were wrecked by tanks and bulldozers, according to the statistics.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/chi-0611140141nov14,1,5525677.story?coll=chi-newsnationworld-hed