Compare and contrast

Take a look at these two BBC articles, which should be close to identical, and yet, they are not.

Hezbollah accused of war crimes
Amnesty International has accused Hezbollah of acts amounting to war crimes in the conflict with Israel.

It says the Lebanese militant group deliberately targeted civilians with rockets in the 34-day war – a “serious violation of humanitarian law”.

Amnesty has already accused Israel of committing war crimes by targeting Lebanon’s civilian infrastructure and is urging a UN inquiry into violations.

Hezbollah rejected the report, calling it a result of US and Israeli pressure.

Hezbollah MP Hassan Fadlallah said Amnesty should analyse the number of civilians killed on each side, before accusing Hezbollah of war crimes.

Amnesty says what it calls Israel’s violations can in no way justify Hezbollah’s actions.

That was from a few days ago. Now this one:

Israel accused over ‘war crimes’
Amnesty International has accused Israel of committing war crimes by deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure in Lebanon.

The human rights group says attacks on homes, bridges, roads and water and fuel plants were an “integral part” of Israel’s strategy in the recent war.

The group also calls for a UN investigation into whether both Israel and Hezbollah broke humanitarian law.

Israel said it did not deliberately target Lebanon’s civilian population.

In a report released on Wednesday, Amnesty International bases its accusations on an examination of Israeli attacks and comments made by Israeli officials during the 34-day conflict with the militant group Hezbollah.

Notice how the BBC, like most media outlets, include Amnesty’s charges against Israel in the new charges against Hezbullah. Notice also how they change the wording on the phrase “war crimes” in the lead when discussing Hezbullah, but have no such compunction when Israel is charged with them. Also notice two paragraphs in the lead with Hezbullah denying the charges, replete with excuses and a named spokesman. Israel, as always, is identified with the vague “Israel said.” No spokesman is named, yet the reporter had to talk to someone to get that quote, or had to read a press release somewhere with an identified spokesman.

The dehumanization of Israel in the mainstream media continues.

By the way, that British anti-Semitism report? Funny, but it seems to have dropped off the radaro—and it never got very high up on it to begin with. Imagine a report that said anti-Muslim attacks were up sixfold in Britain since 2001. We’d still be seeing it on the front pages of world newspapers.

What biased media?

Shyeah.