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January 17, 2006
Star-Ledger Reinforces Sabra and Shatila Canard
A Jan. 8 Op-Ed in the New Jersey Star-Ledger by deputy editorial page editor Deborah Jerome-Cohen states:
Many Israelis didn't like the Sharon who was known around the world as the "butcher" and "war criminal" who orchestrated the massacres at the Sabra and Shatila refugee camps in Lebaonon in 1982.
It may be true that much of the world—the Arab world especially—wrongly believes Sharon "orchestrated" the massacre. Now, thanks to this Star-Ledger Op-Ed, readers in New Jersey are likely to believe the same canard, since Jerome-Cohen never clarifies that Sharon in fact did not "orchestrate" the massacre. Nor does she even point out that massacre was carried out by a Lebanese Christian militia, leaving readers are likely to believe it was carried out by Israel.
Of course, not only did Israel not carry out the massacre, but the most thorough investigation into the incident—the Kahan Commission report (which was critical of Sharon)—unequivocally found that Sharon did not in any way orchestrate the massacre.
The report stated:
We have no doubt that no conspiracy or plot was entered into between anyone from the Israeli political echelon or from the military echelon in the I.D.F. and the Phalangists, with the aim of perpetrating atrocities in the camps.... No intention existed on the part of any Israeli element to harm the non-combatant population in the camps.
For a more in-depth look at the report's conclusions, see here.
Posted by at January 17, 2006 05:16 PM
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