Killing versus Kidnapping

CBC reported on the kidnapping of the three Israeli teenagers, but so far has not reported on the killing of two Palestinian teenagers which occurred as a result of the Israeli violent search for the missing teenagers.

The Israel army has run roughshod over the Occupied Territories, ostensibly in the search for the teenagers, actually brutalizing thousands of innocent Palestinians in the process. BBC reports that at least 1,000 homes have been invaded. They are kicking down doors, on the flimsiest of pretexts, and terrifying women and children by the thousands.

We do not know the fate of the three teenagers, but we do know that Israel's behaviour in this search is disgraceful and should be scorned by all right-minded people.

But CBC clearly thinks the KILLING of Palestinian teenagers by a brutal army attacking their homes, is less newsworthy than the DISAPPEARANCE (as yet unexplained) of Israeli teenagers.

If there is an doubt about CBC bias, this can certainly lay it to rest.

Headline Porn

Netanyahu offerred no evidence for his claim, but CBC thought it still warranted this big headline:

Israel PM accuses Hamas of kidnapping 3 missing teens

This is disgraceful journalism. Headlines are read by more people than read the articles, and they tend to stick in people's minds longer.

Headlines like this are great propasganda tools. They do not have to be true - just catchy and memorable.

Why does CBC never cease to make propaganda for the land-grabbing, occupiers and ethnic-cleansers of the expanding Israeli state???

Kidnapping - 80 for 3

CBC.ca largely ignored the recent (May 2014) assassinations of two unarmed Palestinian teenagers, and the killing of a 7-year old child in Gaza this week, but runs articles every hour about 3 kidnapped Israeli youths. So their priorities are starkly evident - killing Palestinian kids is no big deal, but kidnapping Israeli kids is.

The article itself is full of sloppy, if not intentionally misleading wording.

First of all CBC calls the kidnapping of 80 or more Palestinians, most probably without evidence, as "arrests". If the three Israeli kids being removed from their routine lives is a kidnapping, then removing dozens of Palestinians from their families like this is also kidnapping.

A brutal occupying army is terrorizing a captive and helpless population in Palestine. When Israel pulls Palestinians out of their homes and imprisons them without evidence, this is not arresting. This is kidnapping.The power difference between the occupied and the occupier, renders every act by the occupier an abuse. "arrest" sounds legitimate. It does not apply to what Israel does to Palestinians. CBC should call a spade a spade.

CBC loves to quote Israel leaders. These leaders have absolutely no credibility, yet CBC keeps quoting them. Why? Netanyahu says Hamas is guilty of the kidnapping, but offers absolutely no evidence. Is not this lack of evidence, reason enough not to repeat so loudly what Nertanyahu is saying. Does CBC need to run Israel's propaganda machine for Israel??

Hamas has denied responsibility for the kidnapping. But look at the language CBC uses to report this:

Hamas "stopped short of accepting responsibility." No they did not stop short! They DENIED responsibility. There is a world of difference in this wording. CBC is setting itself up as a judge, satisfied with the words of Israeli leaders, and needs no other evidence. Why are the words of Palestinian leaders treated with this weasily wording???

Also, there is a sub-headline:  "Hamas deflects responsibility" - No Hamas denied it. What is this weasily "deflects"  word - it sounds like something that was earned was prevented from reaching its target by being deflected.

Why can't CBC learn English and stop working for Israeli propaganda???

CBC, repeat after me: "Deny means deny. Deny does not mean "deflect". Deny does not mean "stop short". Deny means deny." Is that so hard?

Why no photo?

Pictures are powerful. The picture of the Pope bowing his head against the Apartheid Wall is a powerful, historic, even iconic image. Why did CBC.ca fail to show it?

Sometimes inaction speaks volumes, and this is a case of it. CBC did not publish this photo as part of its routine defense of Israel, and attempt to mislead the Canadian public on behalf of a foreign state.

Pope at the wall

 

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Honours versus Boosts?

This was the headline for the May 26 CBC.ca article on the Pope's Middle East visit.

Pope Francis honours Jewish victims day after boost for Palestinians

Why couldn't CBC say that the Pope was honouring Palestinian suffering and victimhood as well? What does "boosts" mean? It is a feeble, wishy-washy word, and does not carry any of the power of "honouring'. This kind of biased headline is routine for CBC, and is a disgrace.

 
The truly meaningful action of the Pope, which was praying at the illegal Apartheid Wall, was played down by CBC. Instead it made much of the obligatory, routine and thus less-newsworthy visit to Yad Vashem, the Holocaust Memorial. How is the memorial to an event almost 70 years in the past, more important than an action recognizing the ongoing injustice of the Israeli occupation?

CBC always likes to quote Israeli leaders, even when they are spouting propagandistic nonsense, so again in the absence of any similar or contradictory quote from one of his Palestinian victims, they had this quote from Netanyahu:

"I explained to the pope that constructing the fence (separation barrier) prevented many more victims of Palestinian terror, which continues today," Netanyahu said.

So, although CBC is paid for by us Canadians, in the service of Israel, CBC bends over backwards to try to depreciate the action of the Pope's prayer at the Wall by emphasizing that it is a necessary evil (which is a patent untruth). It would be nice if CBC could dedicate itself more honestly to serving the information needs of Canadians who pay the bills, than serving the propaganda needs of this foreign country, Israel.

Missing in Action

There were two major stories covered by US major media and BBC but not even mentioned on CBC.ca

On May 25th, Pope Francis stopped on his way through Bethlehem to pray beside the Israeli-built wall that bisects the city. This was a subtle criticism of Israel's building of this travesty. It warranted international and CBC attention.

A few days earlier films were taken of Israeli soldiers intentionally shooting to death two unarmed, unthreatening Palestinian teenagers. This is not unusual, but it is usually not caught on film. This is proof of Israel's brutality to the occupied people of Palestine, and warranted media attention.

Why did CBC not think these two events were news-worthy? Is it fear of offending Canada's disgusting Prime Minister who blesses Israel repeatedly, regardless of how disgusting their behaviour.

Speaking of Crimes?

CBC.ca had an article on April 27th which reported that Mahmud Abbas said publicly that the Holocaust was the worst crime against humanity.

It also reported Netanyahu's response to this statement. He said Hamas, Abbas's partner in their new unity government, wants to commit a second Holocaust by destroying Israel.

Speaking of crimes, how about the Nakba? No one has to say it is the worst crime against humanity, but who can deny that a major crime against humanity was committed when the Palestinians were driven off their land? Also the brutal occupation of Palestine which has persisted for almost 50 years is a serious crime. 

In this context of Israel-Palestine, when speaking of crimes against humanity, does it really make sense to completely  ignore the lesser, but very serious and ongoing crime of the Nakba?

Perhaps CBC might have at least hinted that, speaking of crimes, some mention should have been made about the Nakba. Perhaps CBC might have noted that Netanyahu was being rather ungenerous and ungrateful when his only response was to make questionable claims about another Holocaust. 

Hamas may not want to have an Israeli entity sitting on their land and dictating and abusing Palestinians, but that does not come even close to meaning they want to commit a Holocaust against Jews. Netanyahu's claims are spurious and unproductive and perhaps, instead of just repeating them and echoing them, CBC could have pointed our this reality.