COMMUNIQUE: 23 April 2006

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We commend the New York Times and Washington Post for their strong and accurate editorials on Hamas

However, since the election of Hamas, both papers have made a welcome about-turn, consistently labeling Hamas for what it is, a terrorist organization whose goal is the destruction of the State of Israel. This week,  both papers produced strongly worded, accurate editorials in reaction to the Hamas/PA endorsement of the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv that killed 9 and wounded scores more.

The New York Times labels Hamas' defense of the terrorist attack as "monumentally cynical and dimwitted.... (the response was) not just immoral, but stupid as well." Not willing to accept the weak argument that it wasn't actually Hamas who carried out the attack, the Times writes:

But Hamas is no longer just a terrorist ally of Islamic Jihad. Last time we checked, it is the government of the Palestinian people. It cannot just sit on the sidelines and cheer terrorist attacks that were renounced by the same Palestinian Authority that Hamas now controls.

When Yassir Arafat headed the Palestinian Authority, we repeatedly noted that he gave speeches in Arabic supporting terrorism while paying lip service in English to the peace process. All too often, the media underreported on the PA's encouragement of terrorism. While we will continue to push the Times to show consistency and refrain from reporting on "moderation" where none  exists, we do commend them for this straight forward editorial.

Commend the Times for their principled stance.

Contact them at: letters@nytimes.com

The Washington Post editorial leads off with the ramification of Hamas' decision to back the terror attack (emphasis added): 

HAMAS FACED its first concrete choice this week between its ambition to govern the West Bank and Gaza and its extremist commitment to terrorism -- and it chose to side with the suicide bombers.... The result was to put the Palestinian government on record as an outlaw and to raise dangerously the chances of a major new outbreak of Middle East violence.

We note, however, that Hamas has been very clear and "on the record" about its support for terrorism. From its odious charter calling for the global murder of Jews to the recent pronouncements of Hamas' elected leaders, there has been no change in Hamas' worldview. In fact, Hamas' recent appointment of an arch terrorist leader to head a special new PA military force shows quite clearly Hamas' intentions. (Above is a file photo of a special Palestinian "security" unit.)

Now that the Post understands that the PA is under the control of terrorists, lets make sure their reporting is consistent.

Contact them at: letters@washpost.com

While we are heartened that two of America's leading newspapers have come out so strongly against Hamas, experience has shown that we must  be vigilant to ensure that coverage does not soften. Help us keep the media honest. If your local media reports at face value on Hamas moderation, ask them where the evidence is for their claims. You can also e-mail us examples of bias at action@honestreporting.com.

FIFA Follow-up

Last week, we reported on efforts within FIFA, the governing body of international soccer, to censure Israel for an attack on an empty soccer field in Gaza. The Jerusalem Post has now run an editorial undermining  FIFA's claims that it does not engage in any politics. As the Post says:

Maybe it is time for FIFA to admit that they are involved in politics, at least when it comes to pointing out what they see as the wrongdoings of Israel and its army, despite their lack of military expertise or exact information.

For those who had trouble e-mailing FIFA last week, the correct e-mail address is contact@fifa.org.