Rocket fire from Gaza, bias from AP

Terrorists fired dozens of rockets into Israel today, wounding three foreign workers, two of them seriously. A day ago, a roadside bomb critically injured an Israeli soldier, who may not survive. The Iron Dome system stopped seven rockets from landing in Ashkelon. 72 missiles have been fired so far. So what is the AP spin on this story?

Gaza rockets draw Israeli strikes; 2 Gazans die

It takes the AP nine paragraphs to tell you that the foreign workers were wounded. Nine paragraphs. Remember that only the first three to five paragraphs make it into your local paper’s “World” section. Here is the lead that the AP is sending around the world:

Gaza militants pummeled southern Israel with dozens of rockets and mortars on Wednesday, and Israeli airstrikes killed two Palestinians in a sharp escalation of violence following a landmark visit to the coastal territory by the leader of Qatar.

Hostilities have been simmering for weeks, but erupted into barrages from Gaza immediately after the Qatari ruler left the territory Tuesday. Militants from the ruling Hamas movement joined the fray, undercutting the emir’s appeal to avoid confrontation with Israel.

Oh, what a moderate man that emir is. He came with an offer of nearly half a billion dollars in aid for Hamas, but he supposedly told them to leave Israel alone. Because that’s what Hamas does, not, say, swear to destroy all of Israel.

By the way, Hamas isn’t even trying to deny that they’re behind the rocket fire. Remember they are now the governing body of Gaza, and the group the EU keeps insisting that Israel should talk with about peace. Sure. Peace. Because that’s really what they want. Just look at how they ask for peace.

Hamas’ military wing and a smaller militant faction claimed credit for the rocket and mortar fire.

The smaller group — the Popular Resistance Committees — said one of its members died in one of the airstrikes, and Gaza health official Dr. Ashraf al-Kidra said another Gaza man died of wounds sustained in an attack Tuesday night that killed two militants. No militant group claimed him as a member.

Note how the AP actually did have news about the Israeli workers’ injuries in the lead of the first story. But the anti-Israel day shift editor got hold of the story and made sure they moved that information out of the morning newspapers’ reach.

Rockets and mortars from the Gaza Strip pummeled southern Israel early Wednesday and an Israeli airstrike killed a Palestinian militant, in a sharp escalation of violence following a landmark visit to Gaza by Qatar’s leader.

Several foreign workers in Israel were wounded in the rocket fire, and a number of militants were also injured in the air attacks, Israeli and Palestinian health officials said. Hamas security forces were ordered to evacuate their facilities for fear they would become targets of Israeli airstrikes, and some southern Israeli schools canceled classes.

If you think I exaggerate about the anti-Israel editing in the AP, you haven’t been following this blog for very long.