Category Archives: Israel/Palestine

Why Is Israel Bombing Gaza?

Posted on 08/26/2011 by Peter Hart

The coverage of the Israeli attacks on Gaza is following some predictable patterns. The New York Times has a headline today (8/26/11), "Israeli Strikes in Retaliation Kill Nine Gazans." Readers should ask: Retaliation for what? It's widely understood that this … Continue reading →

Posted in Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Media Criticism, New York Times, NPR | Tagged | 15 Comments

The Times' 'Truism' on Mideast Peace

Posted on 07/21/2011 by Peter Hart

The first sentence of Mark Landler's piece in the New York Times today (7/21/11): It is a truism of Middle East peacemaking that the United States is the pivotal player–the most credible broker between the Israelis and the Palestinians. If … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, New York Times | Tagged | 1 Comment

Newsweek Covers Egyptian Election…Via Israel

Posted on 07/11/2011 by Peter Hart

Here's the headline and subhead in a Newsweek piece (7/10/11) about the Egyptian presidential election: Egypt's Rising Power Player Amr Moussa is on track to succeed Mubarak. And that spells danger for Israel. Reporter Dan Ephron characterizes Moussa like this: … Continue reading →

Posted in Egypt, Israel/Palestine, Newsweek | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Ethan Bronner on the Non-Crisis in Gaza

Posted on 07/05/2011 by Peter Hart

When I saw the July 3 New York Times headline "Setting Sail on Gazaâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢s Sea of Spin," I expected the worst. Times reporter Ethan Bronner's analysis piece on the Gaza humanitarian flotilla starts off predictably enough, saying there's blame to … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, New York Times | Tagged , , | 21 Comments

Richard Cohen, Oxymoron

Posted on 06/07/2011 by Peter Hart

Washington Post columnist Richard Cohen writes (6/7/11): I once worked for an editor who banned the word "oxymoron." I donâ┚¬Ã¢”ž¢t know why. It's a good word, meaning a contradiction in terms. The dictionary offers some examples: "wise fool" and "legal … Continue reading →

Posted in Barack Obama, Economy, Israel/Palestine, Washington Post | Tagged | 11 Comments

Friedman's Bogus Advice on Palestinian Nonviolence

Posted on 05/25/2011 by Peter Hart

In today's New York Times (5/25/11), columnist Tom Friedman issues yet another call for Palestinians to practice non-violence: May I suggest a Tahrir Square alternative? Announce that every Friday from today forward will be "Peace Day," and have thousands of … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, New York Times | Tagged | 33 Comments

NYT's Anonymous Israeli Truth-Tellers

Posted on 05/19/2011 by Peter Hart

What's the Israeli government's new "plan" for peace? Reading the New York Times doesn't help your understand where they stand. Earlier this week, the Times' Ethan Bronner (5/17/11) praised a speech by Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu for exhibiting "greater … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, New York Times | Tagged , , | 18 Comments

NY Times and the Israel/Palestine 'Status Quo'

Posted on 05/18/2011 by Peter Hart

The New York Times has a piece today (5/18/11) previewing Barack Obama's Israel/Palestine speech, calling it a "chance to reshape the debate," whatever that's supposed to mean. One thing to always pay attention to in coverage of this issue is … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Media Criticism, New York Times | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Palestinians Protest Israel's Founding–or Something Else?

Posted on 05/17/2011 by Peter Hart

At Electronic Intifada, Ali Abunimah challenges the skewed history coming from Ethan Bronner in the New York Times (5/15/11). In trying to explain the context for the recent Palestinian protests, Bronner wrote: After Israel declared independence on May 15, 1948, … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, NBC, New York Times | Tagged , | 47 Comments

NYT and the Threat of Egyptian Democracy

Posted on 04/29/2011 by Peter Hart

The New York Times' David Kirkpatrick filed a report today (4/29/11) on one apparent problem with the move towards democracy in Egypt–the country might pursue policies more in line with what the Egyptian public supports. The most important news here … Continue reading →

Posted in Egypt, Israel/Palestine, New York Times | 9 Comments

Timelines and 'Trading Blows' in Gaza

Posted on 04/11/2011 by Peter Hart

A headline in yesterday's New York Times (4/10/11): Violence Rises as Israel and Hamas Trade Blows This "blow trading" has resulted in18 deaths, all in Gaza–roughly half civilians and half militants. On the Israeli side, one boy was seriously injured. … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Mideast, New York Times | Tagged | 15 Comments

Is There Really a Goldstone 'Retraction'?

Posted on 04/05/2011 by Peter Hart

The big Israel-Palestine news of the weekis Richard Goldstone's op-ed in the Washington Post on Sunday (4/3/11). The short version you pick up from the media is that Goldstone has "retracted"his UN-sponsored report on war crimes during Israel's Operation Cast … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Washington Post | Tagged , | 28 Comments

Joe Klein and the Palestinian Gandhi

Posted on 04/01/2011 by Peter Hart

There's a long tradition of U.S. pundits wishing for the day Palestinians finally decide touse non-violent means to protest Israeli occupation. Time magazine's Joe Klein weighs in on the subject this week: Ever since Israel won control of the West … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Media Criticism, Time | Tagged | 17 Comments

Known Knowns: Libya, Kristof and Certainty

Posted on 03/24/2011 by Peter Hart

In his New York Times column today (3/24/11)–headlined "Hugs From Libyans"–Nicholas Kristof boils down the argument in favor of the war in Libya: Then, on Wednesday in Benghazi, the major city in eastern Libya whose streets would almost certainly be … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, Libya, New York Times | Tagged | 8 Comments

Assigning Blame for West Bank Killings

Posted on 03/16/2011 by Peter Hart

Five members of a family in the West Bank settlement of Itamar were killed in their home on Friday night. Nothing is known about the perpetrators or their motivation. But much of the media coverage assumes the killers were Palestinians, … Continue reading →

Posted in Israel/Palestine, New York Times | Tagged | 31 Comments