Always read the Corrections box in the New York Times–you never know what you might find. From today’s edition:
Because of an editing error, a picture caption on September 9 with an article about a request by Secretary of State John Kerry that the European Union suspend its planned restrictions on financial assistance to Israeli institutions to show the Israeli public the benefit of pursuing a peace agreement with the Palestinians misidentified the setting of the photograph. It is the Palestinian village of Beit Jala in the West Bank–not Gilo, a nearby Israeli development in Jerusalem.
The print edition of the paper had a caption that called Gilo “an Israeli development.”
This is inadequate. Gilo is an unlawful Israeli settlement–or colony, if you prefer–on the occupied West Bank. Gilo is the subject of intense controversy–see the 2009 Times headline, “Plan to Expand Jerusalem Settlement Angers U.S.,” over a story that called Gilo
an area in southern Jerusalem considered by Israel to be a neighborhood of the city and by the Palestinians and much of the world to be a settlement that violates international law.
As Phillip Weiss of Mondoweiss noted (10/29/10), Gilo
is on a hill a few miles south of Jerusalem and it is now gobbling up the lands of Walaje, a Palestinian village. There are demonstrations against this further illegal expansion all the time. Palestinian houses are being demolished, lands seized, farmers dispossessed. The unending narrative of 43 years of military-religious occupation.
So when the Times decides to call Gilo an “Israeli development in Jerusalem,” they’re essentially taking a side: For the Israeli view and against international law.
Gilo (cc photo: David King)
I would like to see more criticism of pro-Israeli bias in the media on FAIR. For example, the other day Joe Scarborough on MSNBC’s Morning Joe repeated often told lie that Israel is our Ally because it shares our values. Really? Whar values are those? Values of apartheid, segregation and slow ethic cleansing?
FAIR? Please….The writer needs to buy some type of measuring instrument. Gilo is not a few miles south of Jerusalem. It is not even a few hundred YARDS from the main shopping mall and the Jerusalem train station. I live in the heart of Jerusalem, and I can see the buildings of Gilo right now through my living room window. I understand people can write anything they choose, especially to an audience that might not know the area, but please, try to be at a least somewhat truthful.
Calling Gilo a “settlement” is just plain stupid. I can remember when sniper fire from the Jordanian West Bank into apartment windows in Gilo was a common occurrence prior to the 6-Day War.
The author of this article needs to consult a map of the area printed before the 6-Day War to see his error.
Still, no matter the measure in feet or miles, Gilo is still an illegal settlement. The issue, after all, is the Times failure to see Palestiniian land as Plaestinian land; although apparently Israel has the same problem. : )
EPHRAIM, what difference does the view from your apartment make to this story?? Gilo is an illegal Israel colony. Period. The NY times continues to use language that sanitizes the ongoing truth of the Israeli polices of apartheid and “ethnic cleansing”.
Bravo!
Americans have been so fooled by the foreign government interfering, corrupting bribing, and blackmailing in our politics that they don’t even recognize it. It took 40 years to get syria out of lebanon’s politics and we can’t seem to recognize the 800lb gorilla in the room coercing our foreign policies!
@ Marc & Glorianna–
You’re both wrong. The land the neighborhood of Gilo is built on was purchased by Jews before WW II. As long as you argue that the acquisition of land by war is unacceptable, it should be unacceptable that land legally owned by Israeli Jews can be considered “Palestinian land”.
PLEASE do your homework before making comments that have no basis in reality.
Gilo is an illegal settlement according to international law. Usually when there is an issue like this organizes Pro-Israeli groups come and try to obfuscate issues, but law is clear.
It should also be called an American colony as Israel is basically funded by the US. Anyway, since when has international law bothered the US/Israel?
Hi Michael. Why should any of the Arab nations have accepted the dumping of a European colony in the region? Since when has Israel acted in a peaceful way with its neighbours? I agree that 242 says states should live in peace within “recognized boundaries free from threats or acts of force”. Why has Israel never wanted to show its borders then? The Palestinians were absent from asserting their rights (normal in response to having your nation stolen and handed over to another group) and the ‘cause’ was subordinated to the needs of the Arab states who controlled it for their own pathetic/selfish reasons. It would seem unrealistic for them to be in a position to negotiate anything at the time. It was after ’67 that they began to have some self-assertion. I see Israel as the belligerent state and you obviously don’t. If Israel was not a belligerent nation why did Lavon and Ben-Gurion want to take Syria during the 50s?
It was in ’71 that Gunnar Jarring proposed a full peace treaty between Israel and Egypt if Israel fully withdrew from Egyptian territory. Israel refused the proposal. Jordan has always been against the Palestinian cause wanted the West Bank to increase their territory, which they did but which was only recognised by the UK, Iraq and Pakistan. A negotiated peace treaty is the only long term solution as you say but this assumes that Israel is willing to do this on the basis of justice and honesty. Negotiations are a way of stalling any real justice for the Palestinians as it means Israel continues to steal territory won in war and building on it.
Palestinians have the right to fight for their land, because to quote Moshe Dayan “The declaration of the State of Israel in 1948 was at the expense of ethnically cleansing 513 Palestinian villages, creating over 700,000 Palestinian refugees and expropriating their lands, homes and businesses in 78 percent of Palestine…There is not one single place built in this country that did not have a former population”. The attempted assassination of Shlomo Argov was used as a pretext to remove the PLO from Lebanon even though the PLO had nothing to do with the attempt. I am sure as an Israeli in your shelter it was a nightmare but for Palestinians since the destruction of their nation, they were not so lucky as to even have shelters.
True, the US has gained massively from Israeli experiments/testing of weaponry against a largely unarmed civilian population. Bit surprising to use the mass slaughter of Indo-China as a rationale to be proud of. Personally I think it means that Israel is an accomplice to that slaughter and therefore partly responsible.
The Hamas covenant was a reaction to the destruction of Palestine. Israeli source Avner Cohen has said that Israel tolerated and in some cases encouraged Hamas as a force against the secular PLO. I’d rather read an Israeli constitution that says all Israeli citizens are equal irrespective of religion or ethnicity and proof that it is adhered to. Also I’d like to see a document that says Jews and non-Jews are to be treated the same in regards to land allocation/funding. Is the majority of state land only for the use of Jewish people?
I would say for everyone who has an issue about Israel read the history.
I am Jewish and I was born in Afghanistan. As Jews we were not allowed to own our own homes or have oour own business. Officially the gov’t denighed that there were and Jews in Afghanistan.
When the Afgans saw us they knew we were Jewish and considered Palestinians. Which is a new name fir the Jewish Homeland.
Before you decideto anti anything. Go to Israel for a week and then go to any fundementalist muslim country. Then you can come back and share your view. The producers of the show Lock up went to an prison in Israel and thought she was on a college campus. Better than American jail.They provide education,And are allowed to be with their families. If you commit an honor killing, the person who killed the girl to save face go to Jail. In any other muslim country if a woman is raped, she is killed by a family member. And the girl who was raped is dead and the rapist gets a slap on the hand and everything is normal again.
I think Americans are quite naive about the middle east. If Mulims care so much about theit plight, why do other muslim countries help. Saudi Arabia can spend the king pocket chain of the king and help the palestians. Instead of for they are givien arms. As Naser said if they didn’t have Israel to complain about the muslims would kill each other.
for example Syria. Go to libiya, go to southern Lebanon wich has taken over the coutry which has a large christian population. If you go with a woman make sure no one is wearing a cross and she has ample clothing to cover her body. Whe you go to Israel she can walk along the beach in a bikini. I have lived in both worlds. If I did not live in America, I’d go to Israel. I was even in Iran b4 the shah was forced out.
Remember, America is great to them then they bomb our military people in Beirut, The barreks of saudi america.They highjack Israeli planes and go to Uganda.Israeli managed to he murder of the Israeli team during the oympics. As an American you should be glad Israel is their. many of the inventions by the Israeli’s have been shared w/the US. And the only safe haven. As it is said, when you shake hands with a muslim make sure you get all your fingers are all there.
Oh and I for got to mention a time where they flew into 2 building and the health of people worked there, they are suffering.
Anyone remember Israeli’s shooting first.? In New York 0n 9/12 and on all you heared were Israelis who spent money in the city that heped the economy.
So before you go making blind statements – go on vacation. The Israelis may debate and disagree, but like muslims In Afghanistan knew the Jews – we belong in where the call palestine, which was always the homeland of the Jewish people, Israel.
Finally, enough with blaming the jews the world has done enough to make us suffer. Find another scapegoat and SHUT UP about Jews. What goes around is now coming around. Deal with it. We did for a long time.
This is a person who see’s both sides. Americans can never understand their mind set. Speak to a veteran. And ask them to share the experience from both Bush Wars.
This is the last time I want to hear about this crap unless you lived it.
Sorry for my mispelings. I meant when the palestinians killed the wrestling team in the olympicans.
There is no place called palestine anymore. the land owners are back and are using the original name. Israel The Jewish homeland.