AP Photo Labels Jews as Extremists, Muslims as Residents
An Associated Press photo [ID: 090805016913] on August 5, 2009 showing a scuffle that occurred in the context of the dispute over the eviction of Palestinian families living in Sheikh Jarrah carried the following caption:
Israeli border police officers listen to a Muslim man after scuffles broke out between Jewish extremists and Muslim residents next to the house where a Palestinian family was evicted from on Sunday, in the east Jerusalem neighborhood of Sheikh Jarrah, Wednesday, Aug. 5, 2009. The Unites States and European Union have criticized Israel for allowing two Palestinian families to be evicted by police in east Jerusalem and replaced by Jewish settlers. (AP Photo/Alex Kolomoisky) ** ISRAEL OUT **
The caption editorializes by assigning judgment-laden labels to the two sides. The Jews are described as extremists and the Muslims are simply identified as residents. On what basis does AP assign these labels?
On May 17, 2009, the Israeli Supreme Court ruled that an eviction order originally handed down in 1982 against the Arab families living on property owned by Sephardic Community Committee and Nahalat Shimon International in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of East Jerusalem should be carried out. The Palestinian families were evicted for not paying rent to the legal owners. The eviction took place on Aug. 3.
The Jerusalem Post has covered the topic extensively, summarizing the current situation here. A more detailed version of the history of the property can be found here.
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