Global Events & Politics Überthread

The New York Times appears to have spread propaganda meant to raise fears of famine in Gaza.¹
In an astonishing correction tonight, the Times said a Gaza toddler whom it had said last week suffered from malnutrition in fact had other “pre-existing health problems.”
But the vaguely worded correction does not explain a far more serious problem. As part of the article, the paper ran a huge photo that seems to show the boy is dying of malnutrition — but excluded his brother, who is clearly of normal weight.

(Two pictures are worth a million words.)



[td]


[/td]​


The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs publishedthe second photo on its Instagram account on Tuesday morning. Its authenticity has not been questioned. Israel also reported the boy has cerebral palsy. Children with cerebral palsy frequently have difficulty feeding themselves and appear malnourished.
In its correction, the Times neither apologized for nor explained how its reporters had failed to determine that the boy, Mohammed Zakaria al-Mutawaq, was obviously sick. Nor did it explain why the paper had chosen to run a photo that excluded his brother.
Shame on the NYT for leaving this out. Shame on Israel for killing thousands upon thousands of children with and without pre-existing medical conditions in the name of fighting terrorists. One seems far worse to me.
 
Just don’t forget this next time you and your boys quote the Times

It’s on purpose

Shame on Gaza for kidnapping killing and raping 100s of Israelis
 
The Times use of the picture was a mistake and they owned up to it. It happens. When the IDF kills civilians or bombs the wrong target, it investigates and owns up to it. The IDF is committed to observing the laws of war. But Netanyahu and his coalition partners have adopted policies that are likely to going to get them an indictment by the ICC for genocide.

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) has put out a comprehensive report on this. They are not the only Israelis who have broken with the Israeli government over its barbarous conduct of the war. A former Israeli prime minister has made much the same point. It is possible there are mistakes or exaggerations int he PHRI's report. But that does not detract from the basic point and the basic point of the Times story and other reports (there are many by now) of the effects on civilians of policies adopted by Netanyahu's government.


War is necessarily a brutal thing. But not all wars involve the adoption of policies that cause famine and starvation among civilians based upon the pretext of occasional theft of food by combatants.

The facts of the situation seem not to be in dispute, the Times use of that picture notwithstanding.

It should also go without saying that Hamas is a criminal organization. People belonging it to it should also be brought to justice.

And to say that Netanyahu and his coalition partners should be held accountable is not to equate Israel to Hamas. I think there is a clear moral difference.
 
Yea… I find it hard to get that worked up about the New York Times in the context of hundreds of thousands of innocent humans are being starved (which is 100% happening btw).
 
  • Like
Reactions: mqt
Btw...today's headlines from Israel's leading newspapers:

Jerusalem Post:

Israeli group of artists, intellectuals call for 'crippling sanctions' on Israel​


“Our country is starving the people of Gaza to death and contemplating the forced removal of millions of Palestinians from the Strip,” the letter alleged.​


Haaretz:

Gaza Starvation Nixed Netanyahu's Plan to Cruise Through the Knesset's Summer Recess​


As usual, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is simultaneously saying many (contradictory) things to many people. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, who momentarily threatened to quit the government when he discovered Saturday night that there had been a U-turn in the policy on sending aid to the Gaza Strip, heard soothing words from Netanyahu about imminent victory
 
Sorry - not sure where in my OP there was a mountain of Israel defense on the starvation of kids?

If someone wants to point that out, that’d be great. Seemed like a nice point about the NYT and the followers here that love to quote it

Otherwise for the second day straight we got folks that can’t read good
 
OIP.OJyV5F0T-Yfb4nvNoFYw-wHaGU
 
Sorry - not sure where in my OP there was a mountain of Israel defense on the starvation of kids?

If someone wants to point that out, that’d be great. Seemed like a nice point about the NYT and the followers here that love to quote it

Otherwise for the second day straight we got folks that can’t read good
If we agree that Israel is indeed starving children, my contention is that the editorial standards of the NYT are not my main concern here, and one such child that’s starving having a pre-existing condition doesn’t change anything.
 
Back
Top