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August 30, 2010
Israel Legitimacy article printed in The Northern Advocate, 28th August 201
Hatred Of Israel Denies Truth Of Democracy
So many people just can't contain their rage against Israel.
A mere mention of Israel and they're out of the starting gate in record time with another tirade accusing it, and its defenders, of every conceivable evil in the world — from Nazism to Apartheid, from blood libel to mass murder.
Their narratives are pre-cooked, airtight and impervious to reason. They are filled with a hatred of Israel that eludes logical explanation, a blindness that shuts out any contrary evidence. As they say ‘my mind is made up — don't bother me with the facts’. (read more)
August 10, 2010
In The Press, ad hominem is OK, response not
The Press is the third largest daily paper in NZ and the largest in the South Island. It also contains the most biased letters column. (See posts of 21/12/09, 17/10/09, 29/9/09, 23/9/09, 7/8/09, and 25/4/09.) In the latest example of bias, the editor unecessarily abridged a pro-Israel letter, then published a vicious ad hominem attack on he writer that was abetted by the abridgment, but did not permit her to respond to the personal attack. This led to the following complaint by KBRM to the editors:
Hi, Coen (cc Andrew),
You once said you would “keep a close eye” on the letters column. I know complaints about letters are a nuisance to you, but just take a look at this latest example of Michael Vance's bias and see if you don't agree that he has gone way beyond the pale of good journalism. In summary:
1. He shortened a pro-Israel letter by over 50% even though it was well within the limit, thereby reducing its effectiveness and impact.
2. He then published a childish ad hominem attack on the writer that took 50% more space than her abridged letter and contributed nothing of substance to the debate.
3. He then refused to permit the writer to defend herself against the attack that he himself had aided and abetted by emasculating her first letter.
Please take the time to read the following detailed account: (read more)
August 6, 2010
Gaza Flotilla ‘raid’— More missing truths
On May 31, Israeli naval forces intercepted six ships attempting to break the naval blockade of the Gaza Strip. Five of the ships agreed to redirect toward Ashdod where the aid material could be transferred overland to Gaza after undergoing security inspections. One ship refused, and when Israeli troops attempted to board it peacefully, they were attacked with live fire and light weaponry. After ten Israelis were wounded or captured, the Israeli forces responded and nine crew members were killed.
As usual, the NZ public was not given these facts. Instead the NZ press screamed headlines about the ‘deadly flotilla raid’, with all the blame placed, explicitly or implicitly, on Israel. KBRM then submitted an article giving the ‘missing truths’ to most NZ newspapers, but it was only accepted by one small paper (the Gisborne Herald). Once again, KBRM had to pay for an advert to get the true story to the NZ public:(read more)
July 22, 2010
NZ media ignore luxury mall opening in Gaza
Although the New Zealand media have followed international trends in reporting that Israel's blockade of the Gaza Strip is hampering rebuilding efforts and creating a humanitarian crisis, they failed to notice the recent opening of a newly constructed, well stocked shopping mall in Gaza. This prompted a KBRM member to write to seventeen New Zealand newspaper editors, asking the following question:
If the Israeli and Egyptian blockade of Gaza is as effective as Hamas, George Galloway, and the international media would have us believe, where on earth did the Gazans get the building materials required to construct a large shopping mall, never mind the items that are for sale? Surely if the Israeli and Egyptian blockade restricts the importation of building materials into Gaza to the extent that ordinary Gazans cannot rebuild their homes and hospitals, it would be impossible for a well-stocked shopping mall to exist in the Gaza Strip. (read more)
