Tuesday, October 02, 2007

THE FIRST BLOOD LIBEL OF THE 21ST CENTURY


Seven years have passed since the Palestinians launched their violent attacks on Israel and caused thousands of deaths on both sides, and now the truth is finally coming out. The death of the young Palestinian boy, Muhammad al-Dura, during an exchange of fire between IDF troops and Palestinian gunmen at the Netzarim Junction, Gaza in 2000 was a fabrication.

The blood libel was used to demonise Israel in the media and to justify the intensification of attacks on Jews during the second Palestinian intifada. The Israelis clumsily accepted responsibility initially but it has now investigated the matter fully. The story has been the subject of countless articles and some documentary films which have questioned the motives of the filmmakers from France 2 television who claimed that al-Dura was killed by IDF fire.

Several French and US journalists who have subsequently seen raw footage of the incident have indicated the shooting might have been staged by Palestinians. The footage is regarded as key evidence in a slander case in France against Philippe Karsenty, director of the media watchdog group Media-Ratings, who called the video of the incident "a hoax." Karsteny inexplicably lost the case in a lower court hearing but that decision is currently under appeal. The latest IDF investigation supports the case against France 2 and its Arab cameraman.

One awaits with interest to see how the local media will deal with this story.

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