Raw media bias in action

The AP is blaming Israel for responding to rocket attacks on civilians. Let’s take a look at the bias. First, the headline:

Israeli Aircraft Launch Missiles in Gaza

Reading just the headline, you would think that Israel simply flew into the Gaza Strip and fired missiles for no reason.

Now, the lead:

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – The Israeli air force attacked three buildings in the Gaza Strip early Saturday, the first airstrikes since Israel withdrew from Gaza last week after 38 years of occupation, the army said.

Hospital officials said three people were hurt.

Two paragraphs in, and we’re still thinking the IAF woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning and decided to attack Gaza. You still have no idea why Israel attacked. Finally, we have the information, which should have been in the first paragraph:

The attacks, which Israel said targeted militant weapons facilities, came after militants fired 21 homemade rockets from the Gaza Strip into the Israeli town of Sderot, injuring five Israelis, the army said.

Notice the use of the adjective “homemade,” which makes the reader think that these are some kind of fireworks-type rockets. Notice also that the quote is from “the army,” not a spokesperson, in the AP’s usual drive to depersonalize all things Israeli.

Hamas claimed responsibility for many of the rockets, blaming Israel for a blast that killed 15 people Friday at a rally in the northern Gaza refugee camp of Jebaliya.

Israeli denied involvement in that blast, and Palestinian security forces said it was caused by the militants’ mishandling of explosives.

This is a subtlety that most readers are unaware of: When a news article charges something, then immediately puts up a denial, they do this so make it look like the party is guilty.

Now let’s take a look at the next story, which expands on the response to the attacks on Israeli civilians by Hamas:

Missile Strike Kills 4 Hamas Militants

Wait a minute: That’s the language they generally use for palestinian attacks–“Missile Strike Kills 4”–was the Anti-Israel Bias Editor asleep at the wheel?

GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) – Israel killed four Hamas militants in a missile strike Saturday and moved artillery cannons to the Gaza border, launching what it vowed would be a “crushing” response to a Hamas rocket barrage on Israeli towns.

Israel also sealed the West Bank and Gaza, barring all Palestinians from its territory, within hours of the Hamas attack – the group’s first major violence since Israel withdrew from the Mediterranean coastal strip two weeks ago.

Notice the use of the modifier “major” in front of “violence.” There have been constant shootings, attempted bombings, and even a suicide bombing attempt–none of which is considered “major.”

Now, as to context:

The escalation followed an explosion Friday at a Hamas rally at a crowded Palestinian refugee camp that killed at least 15 Palestinians. Witnesses said the blast went off near a pickup truck carrying masked militants and homemade rockets.

Hamas blamed Israel and said it fired rockets on Israeli border towns in retaliation. But the Palestinian Authority said the blast was an accident resulting from militants mishandling explosives. It renewed demands that armed groups stop flaunting their weapons.

Let’s take a look at the order of events that the AP considers an “escalation.”

1. Israel withdraws all citizens from Gaza
2. The palestinians hold a victory march
3. Hamas missiles blow up in a pickup truck, killing 15 and wounding around 100
4. Hamas launches 30 kassam rockets into Israel, wounding five civilians
5. Israel fires missiles at the terrorists who are trying to kill civilians

Someone needs to explain to the AP that it isn’t “escalation” to fire on murderers who are trying to kill your people, and that it isn’t “retaliation” to send 30 kassam rockets into a civilian area because your own people are too effing stupid not to bring dangerous weapons into a crowd of children.

But apparently, they will not do so anymore:

In its struggle to bring order to Gaza, the Palestinian Authority won agreement from militant groups for a ban on displaying weapons starting late Saturday. Hassan Yousef, a Hamas leader, said the group would abide by the ban. “There will be no military parades in the streets and Hamas weapons will go into the shadows,” he said.

I doubt it.

See if you can spot the editorializing in this next section:

Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz met Saturday with the army chief and the head of the Shin Bet security service to formulate Israel’s response. “We have to make it clear to the Palestinians that Israel will not let the recent events pass without a response,” Mofaz said in a statement. “The response needs to be crushing.”

Mofaz ordered large numbers of ground forces to deploy near northern Gaza, from where most rockets have been launched. Security officials said thousands of soldiers have been called up.

On Saturday afternoon, Israeli aircraft fired five missiles at two cars in the Zeitoun neighborhood of Gaza City, killing four Hamas militants, according to medics, witnesses and Palestinian radio reports. Nine people were wounded.

Palestinian Information Minister Nabil Shaath denounced the strike as an “act of criminal aggression” and accused Israel of trying to destroy a truce that largely has held since February.

In an unprecedented step, Israel also set up five artillery cannons on the Gaza border, guarded by seven armored personnel carriers. Soldiers appeared to be settling in, building a command post and rolling out barbed wire.

Israel in the past retaliated for Palestinian rocket fire with airstrikes or ground incursions. Artillery fire is less precise, however, and artillery shells fired into densely populated Gaza could cause many casualties. Israel appeared to be signaling it is determined to stop the rocket fire at any price.

This is a news article. Funny how the analysis oozes in every time there’s a chance to make Israel look bad and the pals look good.

And this is also the beginning of exactly what I predicted: When Israel responds to the attacks on her civilians, the world is going to blame Israel for responding, not the terrorists for attacking.

The headline of this article should have been, “Hamas rocket attacks wound five Israelis.” But you’ll never see a headline like that outside of the Israeli press.

I really hate the mainstream media.