Guardian gratuitous, and highly misleading, anti-Israel photo of the day

H/T Omri

On Sept, 2nd I commented on Mehdi Hasan’s CiF pice, A State of Palestine would backfire on its own people, which opposed the upcoming Palestinian Declaration of Independence (UDI), not because it would be injurious to the peace process but because it would mean the de facto recognition of the Jewish state, and bring to an end the immutable (inheritable) grievance of the “nine million” Palestinian “refugees” in the “diaspora”. 

Hasan’s commentary, which, quite predictably, vilified and demonized the Jewish state in a manner consistent with those who seek the end of Jewish sovereignty in the Middle East, included this photo:

First, the characterization of the event as a “march” is grossly inaccurate.  

The incident was one in a series of violent acts on May 15th, 2011 – a date known by anti-Israel activists as “Nakba Day” (which mourns Israel’s very existence) – which took place on the Lebanon and Syrian borders, as well as in East Jerusalem, Qalandia, Bethlehem, Beit Omar and Nebi Salah, and elsewhere, and which was believed to be an Iranian sponsored provocation.

The incident, which the photo illustrates, occurred at the Erez crossing in the Gaza Strip, where dozens of Gazan civilians breached a Hamas roadblock during the early afternoon hours on May 15, and attempted to damage the crossing (which also gives Palestinians humanitarian aid) and illegally cross the border into Israel.

The protester allegedly injured was a resident of Palestinian ruled Gaza, not the West Bank.

In other words, the man who’s the focus of the Guardian photo is not one of the “refugees” which Hasan’s piece focuses on but, rather, a citizen of an independent Hamas-run Palestinian state who was attempting to storm the border of a state which his country is essentially at war with.

Other than complimenting Hasan’s broader narrative, of Israeli villainy and immutable Palestinian victimhood, what possible relevance does the photo have with the commentary?

Written By
More from Adam Levick
Chris McGreal: The worst Guardian journalist
This blog has consistently demonstrated the journalistic malice of Guardian reporter Chris McGreal – a reporter so hostile...
Read More
Leave a comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *