The New York Times Omits Crucial Information in Report of Corrie Civil Case

The New York Times continues to reveal its unreliability in reporting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, omitting crucial information in its coverage of the verdict in the civil case of activist Rachel Corrie’s death.

The Times piece, “Court Rules Israel is Not at Fault in the 2003 Death of an American Activist” on Aug. 29, 2012 by correspondents Jodi Rudoren and Danielle Ziri spans six columns, yet mentions just once in passing that Corrie had “joined the International Solidarity Movement in January 2003,” without providing any further information on the organization’s politics, goals and activities.

According to NGO Monitor, a group that monitors non-governmental organizations active in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the International Solidarity Movement (ISM)

encourages activists to take “direct action” that often places them in danger and in direct confrontations with Israeli Defense Forces during military operations. An article in Mother Jones described ISM as, “Embracing Palestinian militants, even suicide bombers, as freedom fighters,” and “entering military zones to interfere with the operations of Israeli soldiers.”

NGO Monitor quotes statements made by ISM leaders revealing their ruthlessness. For example,

in response to Corrie’s death, ISM co-founder Thom Saffold said, “It’s possible they [the protesters] were not as disciplined as we would have liked. But we’re like a peace army. Generals send young men and women off to operations, and some die.”

ISM bills itself as a “a Palestinian-led movement committed to resisting the Israeli occupation of Palestinian land using nonviolent, direct-action methods and principles.” But according to NGO monitor,

in a 2002 article, ISM co-founders Adam Shapiro and Huwaida Arraf wrote, “The Palestinian resistance must take on a variety of characteristics, both non-violent and violent…In actuality, nonviolence is not enough…Yes, people will get killed and injured,” but these deaths are “no less noble than carrying out a suicide operation. And we are certain that if these men were killed during such an action, they would be considered shaheed Allah.”

Rudoren and Ziri went into detail describing Corrie’s protest activities and quoted her lawyer that “It’s a black day for activists of human rights and people who believe in values of dignity.” But they couldn’t find any space among the hundreds of words to inform readers of what the ISM actually stands for and that it intentionally places young impressionable Westerners like Rachel Corrie in harm’s way, sacrificing their lives to serve a radical agenda.