Say, take a look at this headline and tell me what kind of images it conjures up:
Israeli police storm Jerusalem’s holiest site
Holy crap! Israeli police stormed the Temple Mount? Really? Let’s see what
the Israeli media have to say. First, Ynet:
Jerusalem: Temple Mount riots resume
Nine police officers were lightly injured Sunday stones and Molotov cocktails hurled at forces stationed at the Temple Mount as part of the high state of alert in the area. A female Australian reporter was lightly injured by stones in the Old City.Forces patrolling the area also noticed oil poured on the floor, apparently in order to cause the officers to slip and make their activity in the area more difficult.
A police force entered the Temple Mount compound in order to catch the stone throwers, using shock grenades. More than 18 people were arrested on the Mount and in its surroundings, including senior Fatah member Khatem Abdel Kader, who is charge of the Jerusalem portfolio in the Palestinian organization.
9 cops, reporter lightly hurt in J’lem
Nine police officers and a foreign reporter were lightly hurt Sunday in clashes between security forces and Arab rioters in the capital.Police were forced to storm the Temple Mount twice during the the day of fierce rioting, and were met by a hail of rocks and a firebomb.
And Ha’aretz, the Israeli paper most quoted by the New York Times:
Israel Police battle Arab rioters on Temple Mount; PA official arrested
Stone-throwing Arab youths wounded three policemen on the Temple Mount on Sunday as Jerusalem police, firing water cannons and stun grenades, raided the holy site in a bid to quell repeated bouts of rioting. At least 18 Palestinians were wounded over the course of the day.Police stormed the compound twice; the first time was in response to Arab youths who pelted officers with rocks and poured oil on them.
Later Sunday morning, about 100 Arab youths renewed rioting at the Temple Mount, after which Border Police and regular policemen raided the site again, using stun grenades to disperse the rioters.
In other words, Arabs rioted on the Temple Mount and were throwing stones below at Jews, a life-threatening action. Israeli police moved in to stop the stone-throwing and rioting. And how does the AP portray this?
Israeli forces stormed Jerusalem’s holiest shrine Sunday, firing stun grenades to disperse hundreds of stone-throwing Palestinian protesters in a fresh eruption of violence at the most volatile spot in the country.
A wall of Israeli riot police behind plexiglass shields closed in on the crowd, sending many protesters – overwhelmingly young men – running for cover into the black-domed Al-Aqsa mosque. The mosque is one part of the compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary.
After several rounds of clashes, dozens of protesters were still holed up inside the mosque at midafternoon, occasionally opening shuttered doors to throw objects at police. The Israeli forces did not enter the building and police said they had no plans to do so. There were no serious injuries.
You know what you didn’t see in the AP? Any stories leading up to the events that happened today. It was all over the Israeli press that Arabs were calling for rioting at the Temple Mount again. But the AP puts none of these facts into its article.
The Jerusalem Police will bolster deployment throughout the Old City, east Jerusalem and Temple Mount compound Sunday, following recent calls by both Arab and Jewish elements to arrive at the compound on Sunday.
The Islamic Movement announced it will make buses available for worshipers who wish to arrive at the mosque Sunday.
The movement’s spokesman Zahy Nujeidat said the flyer calling Arabs to protect the area was issued “in response to those who try and desecrate al-Aqsa.”
Instead, the AP puts this as the fourth paragraph:
Israel’s national police chief, David Cohen, accused a small group of Muslim extremists of trying to foment violence – echoing a charge made by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu two weeks ago.
Note the attempt to blame it on Netanyahu and make it seem like a false accusation, when it is absolutely true. Also notice that the lead calls them Palestinian “protesters,” when, in fact, they are rioters. What are they protesting? Are there signs? Is there a cause? No. They are responding to the lies that Jews are going to “attack” al-Aqsa. It is incitement—not the “charge” of incitement. But those facts would affect the narrative, and so, they don’t wind up in the story.
Typical. That’s why I have an entire category titled “AP Media Bias.”
i was actually fairly happy with that article, because of:
“The disputing claims to the hilltop compound in Jerusalem’s Old City lie at the heart of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. It is revered as the holiest site in Judaism, home to the biblical Temples.
It also is the third-holiest site in Islam, after the Saudi cities of Mecca and Medina, and believed to be the place where the Prophet Muhammad ascended to heaven. At the center of the compound is the famous golden cap of the Dome of the Rock.”
i was thrilled to see jewish connection to the temple mount as judaism’s holiest site actually mentioned and taken seriously. no “jews think of this spot as the site of an ancient temple” crap. plus, i loved that muslim connection was for once mentioned second and put in true context as only the third holiest site and only then because of an obscure legend.
muslims would have you believe that muhammad ascended to heaven from an outhouse if they felt it would get them leverage against the Jews . Truth is that Muhammad never visited Jerusalem, nor is it mentioned in the koran.Religion of small minds.
the only reason why moslems claim to want Jerusalem is because it belongs to the Jews. that’s the ONLY reason. Sure wish they would claim the vatican next…I wonder what would happen? any ideas?
Osama bin Laden has already laid claim to Spain (Al Andalus). If he gets it (in exchange for “peace in our time”), he’ll probably go for The Vatican soon after.