Three hours ago, a breaking news was on Aljazeera TV, which said that three disguised Jews attacked Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth. Period. No further details.
I went digging for more details in the MSM, unfortunately I could not find much worth mentioning. However, I noticed what we call biased story coverage. Read on how some of the early coverage was written:
YNet - Israel:
Hundreds of Nazareth resident attacked a man suspected of throwing detonators into the Church of the Annunciation in the city. The man was beaten by the crowd, which is preventing ambulances from entering the area.
Police have arrested three people for suspicion of throwing the detonators.
Haaretz - Israel:
Fire-crackers thrown in Basilica of Annunciation in Nazareth; dozens gather.
LA Time - USA:
Two people disguised as Christian pilgrims threw firecrackers into a revered church in Nazareth Friday, sparking a riot in the biblical Israeli town, police said.
Two people disguised as Christian pilgrims threw firecrackers into a revered church in Nazareth Friday, sparking a riot in the biblical Israeli town, police said. (copy of the above)
Police say at least two people disguised as Christian pilgrims heaved firecrackers into the famed Basilica of the Annunciation. It's one of Christianity's holiest sites.
Only after three hours of the breaking news, some news agency comes to complement Aljazeera.Reuters comes out with alert news which says:
Three Israelis set off firecrackers inside a church in the town of Nazareth on Friday, sparking panic among several worshippers.
A police spokesman said two Jewish women and a man were holed up inside the Church of the Enunciation, one of Christianity's most important sites in the Holy Land. Police had entered the church, he said.
Four hours after Aljazeera, Haaretz and YNet says they are Jews. Not a single American news agency until this moment said they are Jews!
Just imagine if the attackers were Arab or Muslims, I pet all my money that the news would have been the breaking news all over the news media worldwide by now. Lets write the news bulletin again:
Three PALESTINIANS TERRORISTS set off firecrackers inside a church in the town of Nazareth on Friday, sparking panic among several worshippers.
A police spokesman said two MUSLIM MILITATING TERRORIST women and a man were holed up inside the Church of the Enunciation, one of Christianity's most important sites in the Holy Land. Police had entered the church, AND SHOOT DEAD THE SUICIDE BOMBERS, he said.
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Would that make a breaking news? I guess it would. Just add the above spice to it, and there you go!
Please allow me to be sarcastic a little. Lets guess what we will hear next:
- The Israeli attackers are suffering from mental disorders.
- The firecrackers were suppose to be set off outside the church, but accidentally caught fire while three Israeli tourist were carrying them inside there bags.
- The Arab Christian mobs are taken to court for attacking the innocent Israelis
- Just use your imagination. Trust me it will come true...
This is how you write news so that everyone is innocent, but Arab (Christian and Muslims) are always the terrorist, intolerant, violent, bloodily people!!
Are these Israelis terrorist? By all known definitions of terrorism, Yes.
Is Judaism a violent, intolerant religion? I guess not.
Then why do you blame Arab and Muslims when they call such Israelis as terrorist, and the Arabs are immediately called anti-Semitic. But when the world calls Arab and Muslims terrorist, it is ok and we should accept it?
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I cry for you. I am literally crying. Everytime I hear the news we don’t get here in the states, I cry. This time it’s just news not being reported correctly. What about eveything else? Why can’t our people here (US) understand? Why is not everybody crying except when an Israeli is the victim? Why do we not see here what you live with everyday. It is so evil. I cry for you as I skim the other Palestinian blogs. Oh my god, what can I do except cry. What can I do. Please help me.
Robin, perhaps you could see a psychiatrist to ease your troubles. As for the news, I just read a recent report that suggests that a Jewish-Christian couple recently undergoing their own psychiatric difficulties may be responsible, and not THREE JEWS as reported here. In any event, there has yet to appear any ideological motive, so why attribute any ethnic/religious characteristics at this juncture? Isnt it possible that any disparity in reporting the facts between the various reporting agency may have more to do with the nature of “breaking news”, rather than some grievous cultural bias? And, is the point here that western media inaccurately attributed to Muslim extremist the 911 attacks, the first twin-tower attacks, the Cole bombing, the London bombings, the Malaysia bombings, the Madrid bombings, the Darfur massacres, the Paris riots, the world-wide Cartoon mayhem, the sensless murder of journalist — Robin, I too cry.
I’m interested in learning more about those “firecrackers” lol. According to the BBC, there was a “blast” that left “black marks on the walls”. I’m pretty sure most people who hear the word “firecracker” won’t relate it to blasts that leave black marks on walls and make people panic like what obviously happened in the church. This is kind of like the same thing that happens when all media outlets who have the same agenda decide on one word to use, like the “laundry list” in Bush’s state of the union speech :D I just wonder if John Stewart is gonna comment on this one :p Probably not.
There are reports that the attack was carried out by a couple, one Jewish and one who’s actually Christian. The Israeli police say they’re mentally disturbed. I think the chances of all the attackers being mentally disturbed is quite remote, I mean what is this a group of mental institution patients who escaped and set out on a church attack mission? But you know, I don’t blame the Israeli police for saying that, I know the police in other Middle East countries invented many more unbelievable stories like that in the past :p
Joachim,
Dear man, I don’t really quite know how to respond to you because you are but a person in a realm that I have only ventured into recently. But I can say one thing, by your response to my statement you don’t give a darn what I have to say anyway. Oh, what the heck: My statement was not aimed at your ilk, but rather at the Palestinians who are suffering everyday, every minute at the hands of a policy of hatred aimed at them. We here in the west are not PRIVEY to that side of the story Mr. Joachim but unfortunately I HAVE seen it up close and real and have lived in Lebanon and the Middle East. I am not a stupid person Sir. But when only one side of an issue gets reported so as to condone our policies in Palestine, then yes I DO cry. If more people had a balanced view of this matter then they sure as HELL would not be supporting it. Uh oh, am I going to start a contraversy, I think in this case, BRING IT ON!
Psychiatric difficulties…. hahahahahaha… loooooooooool
Guys, this is hilarious. It seems that the state of Israel is full with them. Didn’t I expect this to come? Of course, but why?
Because every time something like this happens they say that the guy is mentally disturbed. Starting with burning of alAqsa mosque until Al Khalil Massacre by Goldstein. They all were mad people.
So, they are not terrorists. Bohahahahaha… Poor Palestinians, they have to deal with a state full of madness :-D
Why surely if not for Jewish people, from the Kingdom of David, the Arabs living in the ghettos of Jordan would now be full citizens of Jordan.
Of course the Israeli Government, fully independent with no Western influence, performing banking transactions for prominent Arabs and Arab Organizations, leads a Nation which begged for attacks since ’48 so they could take land of conquest. Now that Government, fully independent and not foreign occupied, is dragging it’s own people out of villages and giving the land away.
Now we know that people such as this, being less than 15million people in a world of -6.5 billion people-, that’s a world population percentage of less than .25%, surely circumvent the base instinct of humanity to be beaten down and oppressed as a tiny minority. And surely the 5 million who live in Israel are occupying the worlds’ land while hiding behind such false construct as a calender year of 5766.
With all of the natural resources held in Israel; It is no surprise that this tiny minority of non-indigenous indigenous people TOTALLY DOMINATE THE WORLD.
What is sorely missed in the above topic is that the Jewish are as abused by the “regional” and international status quotient as the neighboring poor Arabs. They’re both getting f*cked over.
No storm lasts indefinitely. The earth does not sit still hence the night and day. When anything defies normal transitions then it is being influenced, effected, manipulated, controlled.
I think it’s called a **Paradigm.**
Haitham,
Does that mean I don’t exhibit psychiatric psychosis either?
Maybe depression insues when I read about Palestinians and their suffering. But for that no pill will ever ease the anguish. By the way, all those events that Joachim mentioned, how many of them were carried out by Palestinians? Maybe you could set the record straight.
Haitham,
I just wanted to hear it from the blogmasters masters mouth for all to see. Of COURSE I knew that, it’s just the blurring of the lines to blame and the construct made to condone US policies drives me crazy. Oh no, maybe I DO need a psychiatrist! Thanks.
Haitham,
Please listen. This couple have REAL difficulties.
Because of their difficulties, the Israel welfare system had taken their child from them a few years ago. They had been hiding when Violet (the wife) was pregnant because they feared of what eventually happened. There is a supreme court decision with the name of the father. I think it’s about the decision to take away their baby.
Here is a link to a news item from September 2003 about this couple.
http://www.nfc.co.il/archive/001-D-29339-00.html?tag=23-52-18
I am not justifying anything of course. I am just saying that THIS TIME, the news about the psychiatric problems of the couple is true and based.
Hanan,
I am not the one you adressed your statement to but if you permit me my intrusion, I also read about this when I did some deeper delving. Indeed disturbed people come in all shapes, sizes and even religions. I happen to think that is just what the explanation is for so-called Islamic terrorism. It is their religion gone amok, similar to abortion-clinic bombers here in the US albeit on a MUCH grander scale. I for one am sorry if this particular incident is not accepted for what it was, a disturbed individual who happened to be Jewish (I think that’s what he was anyway if I remember correctly). Any way, my point is that there are demented people in all faiths and I only wish it would not lead to an attack on the faith itself. Politics are another matter, and on that everyone should be able to argue their point peacefully.
Haitham, hope I’m not intruding or stepping on your toes either. Peace!
In some ways I agree with Haitham, if this was a Palestinian, who had done this, it would have been in the headlines all over the western media, it is the same as when a crime is committed in some city in the US it will more likely make the news if the victim is white and the attacker is black than if the victim was black or Hispanic.
Having said that I also do not agree that this is a Jewish conspiracy, or that Israeli Jews are out to get all the Arabs in Israel…having lived in Israel for more than 15 years, I learned that there are many Jews who just want to live in peace and have allot of respect to the Arab culture whether Christian or Muslim.
So I do not believe that this incident is racially motivated in any way, and to make it so is irresponsible.
Mougley,
I agree with what you agree with too. It is absolutely a crime when the media is unbalanced and biased. I would hope that whoever did this, even if he were a demented (perhaps not the best choice of words) Arab, Buddhist or Hottentot, that he or she would recieve fair treatment. But I just reread Haitham’s post and I think he was trying to say that an excuse of insanity was being made for and accepted easier than if it was a Palestinian. I think that is the point, the inbalance in treatment towards this perpetrator based on special treatment. Heck, I don’t know. I don’t have a personal dog in this arguement, I just know that when a people has suffered such injustice for such a long time, one assumes the same in this case. As I witness the emotions on both sides from all of you, I feel powerless and intrusive for even raising my voice.
Hoping and praying on my or anyones part will do no good whatsoever, a political solution MUST be found to bring peace to this area.
I wish you all well but I wish more for justice.
I long for the day in which I am able to again walk the streets of old Jerusalem, Nabless, and Bethlehem without any fear or apprehension as I once did with my mother as a child.
I hope that the Israelis and Palestinians can learn to share the tinny but beautiful land thy occupy.
Mougly,
I also wish for the day that all people can live together and accept each other, no matter of their religious views. It will sure help us atheists. Yes, I am an atheist, but I love all people.
I don’t question religion, colour, gender or creed. I only see the person I am dealing with. My wife says that I am too trusting. Yes I am, because most of the people I deal with are worthy of that trust.
If that trust is failed, I keep trusting because I believe that trust should be carried on. I am self-employed. My trust can lose me money. I would rather lose money from a few distrustful people than scew all people for as much money as possible. I sleep peacefully at night knowing the small amount of money I made was honestly made.
In my trade I should make 50 to 60 thou a year after taxes. I am lucky if I make 15 thou. But I sleep at night.
Sorry if I am rambling on.
Robin, Joachim was right, please do seek psychiatric help, it may be too late.. The point that Joachim was making, is that break news reporting may be inconsistent and incomplete, with atribution not being clear in the first altercation of a news cycle. However, eventually retrospective analysis of the issue will get it right. With regards to Palestinian claims of media bias towards Israelis, I will say but of course. Why should Western media support uneducated, corrupt, chaotic, radical fundamentalist society cannot get it together? It is not Israelis that keep Palestinians and Arabs down, its Arab ineptitude as a society, and Arab “love” for their Palestinian brothers, which does not allow them to extend the rights of citizenship to Palestinians living in their countries that is destroying whatever “sufferer” image that Palestinians may have had with the Western media. In any case, Robin, I am not sure what pills can help in your case, but you are just as biased as any one of us, so cry on, cry on.
Hanan, very sorry sorry excuse for two people who have a difficult life with all this about their kids being taken. WELL that means that all the palestinians who have lost their beloved ones (difference is DEATH ) then have the right to attack israelis ??? or one rule for different people?
lisa,
You can’t be serious by posting a reply to a comment, which older than a year and expecting a reply from Hanan!
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