NYT Continues Long Tradition Of Halfhearted Anti-Israel Bias, Cites Lack Of Evidence Of Pro-Hamas Sentiment As Proof Of Widespread Pro-Hamas Sentiment
Fewer than 100 people showed up on Monday in the busy center of Nablus for a demonstration in solidarity with the suffering Palestinians of Gaza. There were a few Palestinian flags, and some posters that featured bombs with Jewish stars and dripping blood and demanded, "Where is the conscience of the world?" But when an organizer asked passers-by to join the rally, only a handful responded. The lack of interest was not, for certain, lack of support for Hamas. Fury is rising here over the war in Gaza, as are support for Hamas and anger with the Palestinian Authority in this city, which has long been the beating heart of opposition to Israeli occupation of the West Bank. Many want the authority and the Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas of the Fatah party, to do more to criticize Israel.
"For certain" joins "it's obvious" as a lady-doth-protest-too-much rhetorical giveaway that's made a pro-Hamas appearance during Cast Lead. And this whole tangled mess joins the NYT's "but what about Obama's wonderful dreams of peacemaking?" editorial as a banal hack job that's already been done better by other anti-Israel media outlets. Which I guess may be a point in the NYT's favor: they don't have the enthusiasm to be anything but conventionally biased. Cf. their late-to-the-dance May editorial about how Israel's wildly successful anti-terrorism fence was hurting Palestinians' feelings.
In related news Nicholas Kristof is asking NYT readers for feedback about his groundbreaking insight that Cast Lead might be creating resentment in the Arab world.
References:
* In Fatah-Governed West Bank, Solidarity With Hamas [NYT]
* UN Palestinian Stooge: "It's Obvious" That Israeli Attack Violated 48-Hour Truce That No One Knew About Until Now [MR]
* Editorial - Incursion Into Gaza [NYT]
* Predictable Media Meme Congealing: Israeli Self-Defense Is Bad For Obama [MR]
* Israel's Tactics Thwart Attacks, With Trade-Off [NYT]
* The Gaza mess, and a question for readers [Kristof / NYT]
* Concise List Of Middle East Failures That Were Going To Happen Anyway But That Foreign Policy Experts Will Now Blame On Israel [MR]
Previously:
* Palestinian Witnesses: Of Course Hamas Fired Mortars From UN School
* Hamas Blowing Out The Kneecaps Of Fatah-Linked Gaza Civilians, Executing Dozens
* Hamas Expands Killing Spree Against Fatah-Linked Palestinian Civilians
