Media outlets regularly charge the IDF
with brute over-reaction to Palestinian stone-throwers, described as
mere "protestors" who pose no serious danger.
The latest episode took place on
Saturday (Jan. 3), when three Palestinians were killed during a
clash in Nablus. Among them was 15-year-old Amjad al-Masri, who had
engaged soldiers from a rooftop. News outlets
reported a discrepancy between Palestinian witnesses who claimed al-Masri
was merely "throwing stones" from above, and the IDF spokesman, who
said he was "dropping large bricks on
soldiers."
Here's an actual scene of
stone-throwing "protest" in Nablus, captured by an
Associated Press
photographer on Jan.2 :
Those are cement
building blocks, and from a few stories up they are deadly weapons
by anyone's standards. "Protestors" carry placards; they don't
hurl cinder blocks.
Western courts have convicted those who threw boulders onto
roadways of first-degree murder.
The above photo
certainly supports the IDF's version of al-Masri's death. Yet in a
classic case of selective omission, two news reports on the event completely ignored the IDF's actual version
(emphases added):
-
Reuters: "Israeli soldiers have shot dead three Palestinians,
including a 15-year-old boy, who were throwing stones in protests
around the West Bank city of Nablus early on Saturday local time,
Palestinian medics and witnesses said."
- Associated Press: "On Saturday, troops
opened fire at a large number of Palestinians throwing stones, an
army spokesman said."
These news reports adopt the Palestinian version as if it were
established fact. Readers, unaware of the flagrant selective
omission, are led to the false belief that trigger-happy Israeli
troops open fire against non-threatening Palestinian "protestors."
Comments to Reuters:
editor@reuters.com
Comments to Associated Press:
feedback@ap.org
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HonestReporting.com
