Tuesday, August 17, 2010

8/16/10: IDF soldier posts photos with detainees. HuffPost: Outrageous!!! Give it top coverage!!! (But let's keep ignoring Islamist threats, murder)

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Summary:
  • HuffPost decided to give top-line coverage to a story that, in the context of Middle East affairs and atrocities, is a yawn, and can only serve the interests of the cyber-jihad.
  • Nine examples are provided which show how this this action fits the continuing pattern of HuffPost's pathological, egregious anti-Semitic journalistic bias. Specifically, of how it prominently runs even the most unsupported, inflammatory accusations against Israel and Jews --- while ignoring or whitewashing the acts and statements of Islamist terrorists and murderers.
  • Even though HuffPost claims it prohibits and will not publish user comments containing anti-Semitic and ethnic libels and conspiracy theories, as per its continuing practice, it reviewed, approved and published a litany of them on this thread, from its long-term users.
  • If you share our outrage over HuffPost's actions, write to its senior management (politely, please) and let them know.

On August 16, 2010, HuffPost published the following story near the top of its front page:
PHOTOS: Ex-Israeli Soldier Poses With Bound Prisoners On Facebook

It also published the story just under the top stories on its World page:


And unlike other stories from the AP, which HuffPost runs "straight" (crediting only to AP), in this case, it apparently modified it in some way that it felt deserved some credit:


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So what did HuffPost --- the #1 most-read blog in the world, and now a top-10 U.S. "news" site --- decide merited giving this story getting such top-line coverage?

Let's take a look.
Here's the introduction to the story (emphasis added):
A former Israeli soldier posted photos on Facebook of herself in uniform smiling beside bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners, drawing sharp criticism Monday from the Israeli military and Palestinian officials.

Israeli news websites and blogs showed two photographs of the woman. In one, she is sitting legs crossed beside a blindfolded Palestinian man who is slumped against a concrete barrier. His face is turned downwards, while she leans toward him with her face upturned. Another shows her smiling at the camera with three Palestinian men with bound hands and blindfolds behind her.

Oh, the horror!!!
She... had a picture taken of herself with detainees who... hadn't given their consent!!! (Anyone know a good copyright attorney in Gaza?) And in another, she... smiled at one of them??? Oh, the humiliation!!!

Well, this is all clearly proof-positive that Israel is the new Nazi state, as so many of the radical leftists and Islamist cyber-jihadis that HuffPost attracts, enables and emboldens say (and HuffPost approved them to say, on this thread; below)!!!


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Putting HuffPost's top-line treatment of this story into the context of its pathological anti-Semitic bias in "news" coverage


Viewed in isolation, HuffPost's decision to give this story such prominence is not that big of a deal.

Until, that is, one places it into the context of innumerable other editorial decisions it's made in the past two years, which show the unmistakable, pathological, egregious bias that goes way beyond a bias against Israel. Rather, HuffPost's decisions, below, bear all the trademarks of journalistic anti-Semitism --- and in some instances, a willingness to facilitate the global cyber-jihad.

Consider these nine examples of decisions that HuffPost has made regarding news from the Middle East:

(1) Hezbollah openly threatens the mass murder of Israeli civilians, boasting of its new, advanced weapons (which it obtained in violation of U.N. Resolution 1701).
HuffPost --- which claims it is a "nonpartisan newspaper" --- decided this story merited no coverage.

(2) Israel announced that it has identified 160 Hezbollah arms depots in southern Lebanon --- all outlawed by U.N. in Resolution 1701, Israel's condition for withdrawing in 2006.
HuffPost --- now a top-ten U.S. "news" site --- decided this story merited no coverage.

(3) Hezbollah supporters, armed with sticks and eggs, disarmed a U.N. "peacekeeping force" --- whose duty, in part, is to root out illegal weapons in southern Lebanon.
HuffPost --- which claims it is "covering news in a 21st century kind of way" --- decided this story merited no coverage.

(4) Palestinian Authority chairman Mahmoud Abbas, the (supposed) "moderate" who receives billions in financial and military aid from the U.S. and the international community, has repeatedly told Obama that he wants peace with Israel. Shortly thereafter, he told Arab states he wants war with Israel (but only if they'll help). Shortly thereafter, the White House affirmed Obama's "strong support for President Abbas's leadership on behalf of the Palestinian people and his commitment to peace."
HuffPost --- the world's #1 most-read blog --- decided this story merited no coverage.

(5) After being initially depicted as a he-said she-said, strong indications emerge that the Lebanese military (with suspected Hezbollah participation) ambushed and assassinated a senior IDF officer while he was supervising... a tree being pruned, on Israeli land.
As will be revealed in a special report tomorrow, HuffPost decided this story deserved only subdued (off-the-front-page) treatment, then quickly removed it... to make room for the story of an injured elephant, which it kept posted for an entire week. Even though HuffPost gave breathless, day-by-day, top of the front page coverage to a Hamas murderer whom Israel had been wrongfully accused of assassinating.

(6) In 2009, Hamas began claiming it's ready for peace talks with Israel. HuffPost decided this was worthy of top-line coverage, along with a cuddly new picture of its chief terrorist. But what about Hamas's continuing threats of global genocide against Jews --- also in 2009? One example: "The time will come, by Allah's will, when their property will be destroyed and their children will be exterminated, and no Jew or Zionist will be left on the face of this earth."
HuffPost --- which claims it seeks "to debunk the right-left way of thinking" --- decided such statements merit no coverage. It did, however, give top-line coverage to one far less inflammatory statement by an Israeli official.

(7) Israeli PM Netanyahu made an impassioned speech before the U.N., outlining his proposal for peace with the Palestinians.
HuffPost --- which claims "the highest calling of journalists is to ferret out the truth, consequences be damned" --- decided his speech merited no coverage. Instead, it decided to write and give top-line coverage to an original article that asked whether Libyan madman Gadaffi raised legitimate points in his 90-minute, insane screed at the U.N.

(8) Israel delivered lightning-quick, world-heralded medical relief to Haiti after its earthquake, that even major nations could not.
HuffPost --- whose namesake and Editor-In-Chief reportedly "sees herself as the future of journalism, not the end of it" --- decides this merits no coverage (here). Instead, it decided to give top-line coverage to "news" stories about Palestinians dressing up as characters from the movie "Avatar," Netanyahu's housekeeper complaining about how he & his wife treated her, etc.

(9) Prior to its May 2010 launch, the leaders of the "Terror Flotilla" refused a request for assistance by the family of Gilad Shalit, the Israeli soldier whom Hamas has been illegally holding hostage for four years. Shalit's family requested these (supposed) "humanitarians" help pressure Hamas to allow Gilad to receive letters and food packages, in accordance with the international laws that they (supposedly) cherish.
HuffPost decided this story merited no coverage. Instead, it chose to run screaming front-page headlines accusing Israel of wrongdoing in stopping the "flotilla." When facts and videos emerged, however, that showed these "peace" activists were actually terrorists who ambushed and attempted to murder the IDF soldiers, who fought back, HuffPost went into "blackout" mode, and began publishing anti-Semitic libels against Israel.

And yet, when one ex-IDF soldier posts on Facebook a few pictures of her sitting with Palestinian detainees... HuffPost issues the digital equivalent of yesteryear's "Stop the presses!!!," and gives the story top-line coverage.


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So what kinds of user comments were incited by this "red meat" --- which HuffPost reviewed, approved and decided to publish? Need you ask?




HuffPost dangled this "red meat" very prominently before the salivating snouts of the radical leftist and Islamist* "wolves" that flock to the site, who predictably submitted a torrent of comment containing anti-Semitic and anti-Israel libels and conspiracy theories. (*An estimated 135,000+ of HuffPost's unique monthly visitors originate from Iran or Pakistan; see Section 4-4.3 here)

And as usual, even though HuffPost claims it prohibits such comments, it went on to review, approve and decide publish them --- while as many as fourteen other comments were awaiting its review (right).

Here's a sampling. Also, note how many of these users have 20 or more "fans" (highlighted in bold), meaning they are not hit and run "trolls" that Ms. Huffington falsely claims are the ones responsible for comments that violate her site's policies.

Eddie Sengola
8 Fans

[...] It's Official, Israel has became a Nazi State!

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NotTomPaquin
17 Fans

Disrespect for human life was the impetus of the Israeli nation in the 40's, and they turn around and perpetuate the same disrespect for human life.

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Hank007
302 Fans

But remember, Jews must always be seen as the victim.

Permalink

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MarcEdward
378 Fans

The Israeli right
has been successful in teaching the young that Palestinians are less than human, setting them up to someday carry out a Final Solution to the Palestinian question.
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PermalinkThe crimes of Israel against humanity...
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