Omar Abdel-Baqui had a chance to discuss Hamas’ policy of embedding its operatives, and hiding its weapons, in civilian areas and buildings, using those civilians as human shields, and hoping that the IDF would kill them so that their deaths might be weaponized, turned into propaganda against Israel. He might have mentioned how Hamas leaders in Gaza, such as the terror group’s leader in the Strip, Yahya Sinwar, hide themselves in tunnels, surrounded by Israeli hostages whose presence is meant to deter IDF attacks. He might have reported on the anti-Hamas outbursts by residents of Gaza, enraged by their wretched conditions to such a point that they have been daring to attack Hamas for using them as cannon fodder. He might have reported on the Hamas leaders living in luxury hotels in Qatar, while at home their people suffer the consequences of the attack those leaders launched against Israel on October 7. But Abdul-Baqui mentioned none of those things.
“Under New Editor, the Wall Street Journal Is Misreporting Facts About Israel,” by Andrea Levin, Algemeiner, July 31, 2024:
What is it like for teenagers to live in that world?How do Gen Z Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank feel about a regime that rejects peaceful coexistence and leaders who seize Israeli children, young women, and elderly hostages and torment them, some in underground dungeons? What exactly have they been taught about Jews? Did Abdel-Baqui ask any of them how they felt about the mass rape of young Israeli women on October 7? Have young Palestinians been so indoctrinated in Jew-hatred that rape, murder of children, and hostage-taking are acceptable? That would have been a worthwhile question to probe and report.
Perhaps as well, given the widespread belief that Jews are interlopers in the land of Israel, it would have been worthwhile to probe what Gen Z’ers make of the countless archeological sites and artifacts literally everywhere in the region marking the long and ancient Jewish presence there. They’re told Jews have no history in the land and must be expelled. Wouldn’t these questions have been important and informative for readers?…
How much of the nonsense and lies of Palestinian propagandists, denying the Jewish connection to the Land of Israel that goes back 3500 years, and which is testified to by more than 10,000 Jewish archeological “between the river and the sea,” do Gen Z Palestinians believe? How deep is the extent of their brainwashing? How do they convince themselves that the Jews really have no history in their land?
Abdel-Baqui recounts the deplorable killing of Bilal Saleh by settlers in November 2023 in a period shortly after October 7, when fear and anger on the part of Israelis at the unprecedented Hamas atrocities and the jubilation of West Bank Palestinians over the massacre had fueled tensions. That crime is inexcusable — and was treated as such by Israel. But there’s no context provided to explain that the area [the West Bank] has been radicalized and militarized, with a massive inflow of arms and the growth of Iranian-supported militias threatening to set off a larger conflict. There’s no mention that most of the Palestinian casualties have been gunmen killed in clashes with Israeli military, or Palestinians killed when shooting, hurling IED’s, stabbing, ramming or otherwise assaulting Israelis. In this tense environment, civilians are sometimes tragically caught in the crossfire.
The Palestinian casualties in the West Bank have not been innocents. They passed out candies, and engaged in triumphant allahu-akbaring, upon learning of the tortures, rapes, mutilations, and murders of 1,200 Israelis on October 7, and the kidnapping of 251 more, including babies, children, and the elderly. Those Palestinians in the West Bank who have since been killed were engaged in firefights with the IDF, or were killed while committing terrorist attacks against Israeli civilians, shooting at them, stabbing them, hurling explosives at them, and ramming their cars. None of this makes it into the article by Abdul-Baqui in the Wall Street Journal.
Abdel-Baqui’s report is a fantasy consisting of endlessly malevolent Israelis making life hell for innocent Palestinians, both in Gaza and the West Bank, who want only to be treated decently by their Israeli overlords.
Rick Gordon says
Obviously the new WSJ editor does NOT care and will only report what fits their narrative.
bill says
Well he is a Mus one does not expect6 balanced reports from them especially when lying (called taqqiya) is a basic part of their religion