So Much Ignorance About Israel...

When I was looking for something to write about just now, I saw the strangest article on Reuters. Now, Reuters isn't just some news site. It's supposed to be news source. Not all newspapers have the budget for staff and photographers to be stationed all over the world. Reuters is a valuable news service. I got really excited by this headline:

Israel's lurch to the right dims two-state peace prospects by Luke Baker

Flash90

But then I read the article, and just now I heard Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu's comments on television. That article makes no sense at all.

I just heard Bibi say that he "wants a Palestinian state. The Palestinians deserve a state."  I almost lost my dinner. Luke Baker, who wrote that Reuters article just doesn't understand the situation, the history, background nor politics in Israel.

As I've written before, many years ago, when I was the main spokesperson in Shiloh, I got to know quite a few foreign journalists. I'll never forget what one newspaper editor told me:

"I generally don't hire journalism majors; I prefer hiring people with degrees in History, Economics, etc. Any intelligent, educated person can learn how to write an article, but someone who majored in Journalism didn't learn facts, only writing techniques. They frequently don't understand what they're writing about."

The Reuters article not only incorrectly describes the Binyamin Netanyahu government as "right wing" but keeps on quoting a Menachem Klein, a professor of Israeli politics at Bar-Ilan University who says:

"This is the most right-wing government in Israeli history, much further to the right than the Menachem Begin or Ariel Sharon governments..."

That's utter hogwash. Has this Klein forgotten Disengagement? That was the epitome of the Arik Sharon era as Prime Minister. You certainly can't call him or his term of office "right wing." His government was far Left. And there is nothing Right in Bibi's government. What new communities has he established in Judea, Samaria or the Jordan Valley for Jews?  There haven't even been enough new housing starts for natural growth!

And as I've written many times, I, myself heard Netanyahu in person state that his aim was to run for Prime Minister as a Centrist and establish a Centrist coalition, which is what he did.

Baker, who wrote the Reuters article seems to have a think about Fatah's  Mahmoud Abbas. In Baker's words:

"...Mahmoud Abbas, the mild-mannered, soft-featured Palestinian president."

I guess that Baker doesn't bother listening to what Abbas says in Arabic. If Arabic isn't one of his languages I suggest he check out the Palestinian Media Watch, where he'll be able to discover what Abbas says when friendly foreign journalists aren't listening. (the following form PMW)

“Fatah, the Palestinian National Liberation Movement, justified the statements of the Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, who condemned the Jerusalem operation (i.e. the Jerusalem Synagogue massacre) yesterday. Fatah member of PA Parliament Najat Abu-Bakr said that those statements were made within a diplomatic context.

She said that President Abbas’ behavior at this time is the height of diplomacy, since he is not required to speak like everyone else, because he is responsible for the entire Palestinian people.

Abu-Bakr said today, Wednesday [Nov. 19, 2014], in an interview to Al-Quds Radio: ‘The Palestinian President is forced to speak this way to the world, (i.e. to condemn murder of four rabbis and one policeman in the Jerusalem synagogue) and these statements result from [his] responsibility for the Palestinian People.’” 

[Quds Net News Agency, Nov.19, 2014]

I suggest that Baker broaden his information base.