Friday, October 03, 2008

Two Views; Two News

I found it amazing that two Israel media outlets would published parallel news items - parallel but never touching. One media site can't find the room for an item that goes against its editorial ideological grain.

First, from Haaretz, the liberal left voice:-

Last update - 14:30 03/10/2008

Settlers clash with rabbis guarding Palestinian olive harvest near Hebron

Jewish settlers clashed with activists of the Rabbis for Human Rights movement near the West Bank city of Hebron on Friday as they protected Palestinians beginning the annual olive harvest.

Israeli police and soldiers grappled with settlers who tried to drive off local Palestinians and international supporters of Palestinian rights in the West Bank.

"This is just the beginning of the olive harvest which will be going on for the next two months," said the executive director of Rabbis for Human Rights, Arik Ascherman.

He said activists were going to 40 Palestinian villages to protect olive growers and uphold their right to work the land, and harvest. They would act "as human shields" if necessary.

A settler woman screamed "Murderer, murderer" at the rabbi, and settlers angrily shouted down any activists trying to explain their aims to TV reporters.


And now from INN, identified with the religious right:-

Na'alin: Arabs, Leftists Hurl Rocks at Nationalists

14:38 PM October 3, '08

Arabs and leftists hurled rocks Friday at Land of Israel activists at Na'alin, near Modi'in. The IDF responded with tear gas. No one is known to be hurt.

At 1:00 P.M. a group of Land of Israel activists arrived at the checkpoint near Na'alin, singing patriotic songs. Arabs and radical leftist sympathizers immediately began hurling rocks and insults at them. The military responded with tear gas and stun grenades. A military jeep drove the Arab rioters back into the village of Na'alin.

The incident is ongoing.


In INN (Arutz 7), you can also find this:-

Leftists Clash with Hevron Jews

At least one person was arrested Friday morning in Hevron during a disturbance that broke out between leftists and residents of the city's Jewish community. The residents said the leftists came to provoke them.

They add that one of the leftists allegedly hit the wife of activist Itamar Ben-Gvir while she was carrying a seven-month-old baby, sparking the disturbance. The man was detained by police



While Haaretz ignores the attack by Arabs on Jews at Na'alin, it highlights and perhaps misrepresents an "attack" by "settlers" on human rights 'activists' near Hebron.

Two parallel universes.

Which outlet would you read if you wanted to be part of the "informed public"?

1 comment:

Risa Tzohar said...

As anyone who has ever been anywhere that an incident has been 'reported' in the media knows, it never sounds like you remember it. When I read these things, I know that both sides don't tell the whole story.