Kick Off Event at Drexel Draws In 40-60 Students
Dragons for Israel at Drexel University, a CAMERA supported group since 2011, held their first event of the semester, with 40-60 students attending. (in Focus)

The longest life imprisonment sentence?
Logical mistakes, lack of contextualization and bias in the Spanish news agency Europa Press. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

13 years on: BBC website still misleads over 2000 Ramallah lynching
The BBC states that its online news articles are a ‘permanent public record’. But what happens when those stories are inaccurate, biased or misleading? (BBC Watch)

BBC template response to audience complaints about Psagot
In response to complaints about its lack of coverage of an attack on a nine year-old Israeli girl, the BBC says it was the weekend. (BBC Watch)

The paper which hates Britain? Guardian leaks ‘worst blow to British intel ever’
Several of Britain’s top national security advisors have slammed the Guardian for their decision to disseminate extremely sensitive classified information – intel which one official warned would serve as a ‘guidebook for terrorists’ . (CiF Watch)

Palestinians will pay dearly for Hamas ‘resistance tunnels’
The discovery of a Hamas tunnel stretching from southern Gaza into Israel, built with humanitarian construction materials, not only will harm Gaza economically, but will serve to erode Israeli trust that future territorial concessions will truly result in peace. (CiF Watch)

Finally a 3000 year old Palestinian village is found – Well only in Ha’aretz headline
Misleading headline implies Israel is about to evict a 3000 year old village. (Presspectiva)

From journalist to capital founders
For the European TV channel Euronews, Tel Aviv is Israel’s capital city. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

El País, recycling nothing
Under the headline “Swiss scientists confirm the possibility that Arafat was poisoned”, the Spanish newspaper El Pais transformed a non-news item into a news-breaking event. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

Selective journalism
When the World Bank blamed Israel for the Palestinian economic ills, Spanish press was eager to inform. But when an EU document pointing to Palestinian corruption was leaked, there was silence. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

On September 26, Electronic Intifada published in its “human rights” section another of its endless depictions of Gazan deprivation caused by Israel’s allegedly cruel policy of denying construction materials, mainly cement. The article states:

With the severe shortage of building supplies in Gaza, for example, construction has stopped on 13 government schools and tendering postponed on 26 others, the UN agency OCHA reported.

Rehabilitation of the 76 kindergartens that were damaged during Israel’s November 2012 attacks on Gaza was also likely to be delayed or postponed, and the construction of a new building at Al-Aqsa University has stopped, OCHA added…“There are hundreds of construction projects pending in Gaza,” including many badly needed housing projects…

Now we know the real reason why the cement was so desperately needed.

On October 13, Israeli officials reported that security forces had uncovered a large tunnel penetrating deep into Israeli territory. It is reportedly large enough to facilitate the transfer of a battalion sized military force. According to Israeli sources,

Security forces last week discovered the terminus of the tunnel some 300 meters inside Israel proper, near Kibbutz Ein Hashlosha… The tunnel, which began in Abbasan al-Saghira, a farming village near Khan Yunis, was described by officials as being 18 meters deep and 1,700 meters long. Officials estimate it took around a year to construct.

Officials estimated that 500 tons of cement was used to construct the tunnel. On October 14, the discovery of another tunnel was reported, rigged with explosives.

Revelations about what Hamas did with its cement exposes the sob stories about Gazan shortages as cynical deceptions. For years, so-called human rights groups have chided Israel for its caution in supplying construction materials to Gaza and mocked its concerns that such materials would be used for terrorism purposes. Meanwhile, the whole time, Hamas was diverting the supplies to build tunnels into Israel in order to launch terrorist attacks. Apparently the kindergartens and desperately needed homes can wait.

BBC backgrounder on Yom Kippur war misleads on Syria
In a backgrounder on the Yom Kippur war, the BBC claims that failed negotiations between Syria and Israel sparked the fighting, despite the fact that no such negotiations took place. (BBC Watch)

BBC Yom Kippur war accuracy failure perpetuated over years
BBC articles going back at least eight years cite grossly inflated Israeli casualty figures in Yom Kippur war. (BBC Watch)

Threat to the Well Balance of Peace at the University of Houston
CAMERA Fellow writes about the situation on his campus: “Students for a Democratic Society, the same student organization that was fighting for civil rights in 60’s and 70’s . . . this time they were involved in the so-called “Palestinian cause”, their approach, more than humanitarian, is political agenda, with sparkles of antisemitism. . .” (in Focus)

Iran, from a nuclear threat to a disarmament champion
The press barely covered the designation of Iran as chair of the Disarmament Commission of the UN. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

The Media and Netanyahu’s Blue Denim Jeans
Should Reuters have been more careful with its report? (Presspectiva)

We Welcome The New ICC Executive Director: Jacob Baime, A Former CAMERA Fellow
Jacob Baime writes about his time as a CAMERA Fellows while an undergrad at Brandeis. (in Focus)

At a recent conference, “Israeli Christians: Breaking Free? The advent of an independent Christian voice in Israel,” Israeli Christian leaders spoke about how their history, culture and heritage have been overwhelmed by Muslim Arabs.

As reported in Israel Hayom, Rev. Gabriel Naddaf, a Greek Orthodox priest in Nazareth, addressed the gathering:

Naddaf spoke of the Christian roots, planted deep in this land since the dawn of Christianity. This is where Jesus Christ’s doctrine first emerged. The Christian faith, he said, came out of the Jewish faith and its biblical roots. As far as Naddaf is concerned, what happened in the seventh century was an Arab invasion from which the Christians also suffered. He added that he wasn’t very proud of the Christian crusades either, and distanced himself from them.

He surveyed the dire situation currently faced by Christians in Arab states, and said that the realization that Israel is the only country in the region that protects its Christian minority has prompted many Arabic-speaking Israeli Christians to develop a desire to contribute to the state of Israel.

Lt. Shaadi Khalloul, spokesman for the Israeli Christian Recruitment Forum, an officer retired from the Israel Defense Forces Paratroopers Brigade, and a scholar of the Christian faith in the region, said:

“The typical Christian student thinks that he belongs to the Arab people and the Islamic nation, instead of speaking to the people with whom he truly shares his roots — the Jewish people, whose origins are in the Land of Israel.”

Rev. Naddaf declared:

“The State of Israel is our heart. Israel is a holy state, a strong state, and its people, Jews and Christians alike, are united under one covenant.”

CAMERA could find no reporting on this conference in any mainstream media outlet. Instead some, for example 60 Minutes, promote a demonstrably false narrative that “Christians in the Holy Land” are persecuted by Israel.

But real, living, breathing Christians in Israel know the truth: Israel alone in the Middle East respects and protects the rights of the Christian minority. So… Where’s the coverage?

Watch a CAMERA-produced video on the 60 Minutes story:

BBC’s Simpson mainstreams trope used by anti-Israel campaigners
The BBC’s veteran World Affairs editor uses a suspect idiom employed by anti-Israel writers . (BBC Watch)

Inaccuracy and distortion in BBC report of Netanyahu’s UN speech
The BBC website’s report on the Israeli PM’s UNGA speech misleads audiences . (BBC Watch)

More evidence the Guardian got it wrong on Rouhani’s “Holocaust” remarks
Contradicting the Guardian’s account of the remarks to CNN’s Christiane Amanpour by Iran’s president Hassan Rouhani, Rouhani’s own translator has recently confirmed that the word “Holocaust” was in fact never used by during the interview. (CiF Watch)

Fighting for Israel on College Campuses
CAMERA’s Senior Campus Coordinator writes in The Algemeiner on bullying and harassment that she experienced at Hampshire College while trying to defend Israel. (in Focus)

He Just “Died”
Analysis of media coverage of the death of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef (Presspectiva)

Why do building materials so confuse the media?
Presspectiva corrects erronous reports on Israeli policy regarding the Gaza Strip (Presspectiva)

Middle East in the Spanish speaking press
The press was focused on possible political implications of the death of Rabbi Ovadia Yosef and land restitution to Palestinians from Burka. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

On The Front Page!
IDF Lt. Colonel Anat Berko speaks to a crowd of over 100 students on how children and women are recruited by terrorist organizations. Article about event appears on front page of student paper. (in Focus)

In May 2012, Ha’aretz publisher Amos Schocken boasted the launch of a “new era,” “our new, multi-platform digital subscriptions” with “seamless integration with social networks.”

Schocken spoke of “a significant enhancement of its online content, especially in English.” But make no mistake: While the quantity of the online content may have been enhanced, the accuracy was not.

Ha’aretz‘s Facebook page currently features the following item with the heading “Women of the Wall compromise and agree in principle to move from Jerusalem’s Old City to a new egalitarian space”:

The Women of the Wall will agree to a compromise which will remove their monthly prayer group from the Old City? Hardly. As the hyperlinked article explains, the compromise would mean that the prayer group would be held “on the other side of the Mughrabi Bridge.” In other words, according to the plan, the group would move southward along the Western Wall some 30 meters and pray in the area of Robinson’s Arch and the southern excavations, a site rich in archeological treasures and well within the Old City, as any visitor can plainly see.

But don’t take our word for it. Check out this Ha’aretz graphic, which was published along with an article by Nir Hasson’s about the potentially problematic aspect of placing a prayer platform in an archeological site:

In his 2012 letter to readers, Schocken maintained that “Haaretz has an important role to play . . . .in promoting greater understanding between Israel and the Jewish Diaspora.”

The Women of the Wall issue is of great concern for large numbers of Diaspora Jewry, many of whom have never visited Jerusalem and don’t have a clue where the Mugrabi Gate and Robinson’s Arch are in relation to the Kotel prayer plaza. When Ha’aretz’s Facebook page falsely states that the group is agreeing to exile outside of the Old City, how exactly is “greater understanding” achieved?

(Hat tip: Judge Dan)

Update: (7:24 AM EST) Shortly after CAMERA contacted an editor concerning the editor, the post was removed from Ha’aretz‘s Facebook timeline.

We already know that Sohrab Ahmari, the Wall Street Journal, Arash Karami, Ali Alfoneh, two journalists who spoke with the New York Times blog The Lede, and Fars News Agency all concur that Rouhani did not use the word “Holocaust” in his interview with CNN and Christiane Amanpour. We already know, in other words, that CNN mistranslated him. And CNN also already knows.

Now, just to make matters more clear, Rouhani’s own translator has weighed in. “No, he did not use the word ‘Holocaust,'” Banafsheh Keynoush told NBC’s Robert Windrem.

Note, too, how NBC’s Windrem seems to gently imply at the end of the video that Amanpour, who has repeatedly stood by CNN’s translation, would know enough Farsi to realize that Rouhani did not use the word “Holocaust.” The corollary would be that she has been intentionally deceiving her audience.

Credit goes to NBC for investigating the issue. As for CNN, it is not to late to make the right journalistic move: Prominently correct the mistranslations — and while they’re at it, demand an explanation from Amanpour.

Debate widens on BBC avoidance of the word terrorist
The BBC’s coverage of the recent terror attack in Kenya has sparked debate over its use of language. (BBC Watch)

BBC’s Marcus promotes ‘moderated’ Iranian Holocaust denial
The BBC’s diplomatic correspondent promotes the notion of ‘moderated’ Iranian Holocaust denial . (BBC Watch)

Guardian engages in Rouhani Revisionism in report on “Holocaust” remarks
Leave it to the Guardian to obfuscate the Iranian President’s recent Holocaust Revisionism. (CiF Watch)

The Guardian tries out a new narrative: Islamist “dove” vs the Zionist “hawk”.
Guardian headline claim that the Israeli Prime Minister has engaged in “anti-Iran” talk is not supported by the subsequent text. (CiF Watch)

El Universal of Mexico and its bias
Bias, lack of context and anti-Israeli ideology in the Mexican newspaper El Universal. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

Middle East headlines in the Spanish speaking press
Israel warnings in regard to a nuclear Iran and promises by Rohani to “free” the internet access is his country was the focus of attention of the Latin American and Spanish press. (ReVista de Medio Oriente)

CAMERA Speaks at Indiana University
CAMERA leads writing and media workshops with Birthright students and pro-Israel students at Indiana University. (in Focus)

The Case of the Mysterious Fatwa
Did Iranian Supreme Leader Khamenei issue a fatwa banning nuclear weapons?. (Presspectiva)

OPINION Letter to the editor: Israel cannot be compared to Syria
CAMERA Fellow quickly writes a response to an anti-Israel piece at SUNY Binghamton, his published piece can be read here. (in Focus)

Hummus (the word has a few alternative English spellings) is a popular food dip or spread made from cooked, mashed chickpeas generally blended with tahini (a thick paste made of ground sesame seeds), olive oil, lemon juice, salt and garlic. Hummus originated in the Middle East and the word itself comes from either the Arabic word for chickpea or the contemporary Hebrew word for chickpea.

Whose hummus?

An otherwise mouth-watering (includes full color photos), apparently innocuous article,“Jerusalem’s Hottest Hummus,” in the Wall Street Journal’s weekend Sept. 21-22, 2013 edition (Adventure & Travel section), contains this little gem of a paragraph by the article’s author, Nicolas Brulliard, an independent journalist based in Jerusalem:

Of course, in this region every cultural marker is a point of contention in some respect. Israel, a nation of Jewish immigrants who bring along their own culinary traditions, has adopted hummus as a de facto national dish. Many Palestinians view that development as yet another example of colonial overreach.

Brulliard’s (colonial overreach) last sentence above is gratuitous. Europeans eat a lot of potatoes, which originated in the New World of the Western Hemisphere. Are the chips of British fish ‘n chips “imperialist”? Palestinian and other Arabs have availed themselves of many Israeli innovations, including a variety of irrigation techniques. Do Israelis complain of “misappropriation”? Why mention “colonial overreach” here, especially when modern Jewish settlement in Israel marks not a colonial entrprise but an indigenous people’s return?

One notes that the author has previously made snide jabs at Israel; for example, here where he wrote, “Livni has long been viewed as an honest and principled political figure – somewhat of an oddity in Israel’s political landscape …” Further, his writings don’t seem to contain such innuendo aimed at Arabs or others.

As to the charge that Israelis unjustifiably claim hummus as a national dish, another example of colonialism, nonsense!

Hummus had been common food for at least the more than half of the Israeli population (and their Israeli-born descendants) that arrived from Arab countries in large numbers beginning in 1948-49. These Jews may have lost their homes and neighborhoods when forced to flee by their fellow (Muslim Arab) countrymen but they didn’t lose their taste for their beloved native hummus.

Mr. Brulliard, there’s plenty of fuel stoking the anti-Israel propaganda fire without adding hummus, which, in fact, burns poorly if at all. B’te avon! (Good appetite!).

There has been a lot of coverage of the new Pew Study, A Portrait of Jewish Americans. It is interesting to note what the media chose to highlight.

Some of the reporting focused on American Jews’ increasing secularity. CNN’s blog headline read, “Study: American Jews losing their religion.” The Los Angeles Times declared “Almost 1 in 3 Jewish Americans had a Christmas tree, poll finds”. One Huffington Post article underscored comedy of all things, announcing, “Humor Essential To Jewish Identity, Pew Survey Reports”.

In fact, the study reported that “having a good sense of humor” was actually less essential to what “being Jewish” means to American Jews than “caring about Israel.” But caring about Israel did not make the headlines.

The Pew study revealed that for 87% of American Jews, caring about Israel is “essential” or “important” to what being Jewish means to them. Only 12% said caring about Israel is not an important part of what being Jewish means to them. Further, 69% of poll respondents said they feel emotionally “attached” or “very attached” to Israel. Only 9% do not feel attached at all to Israel.

These results largely coincide with the findings of a 2011 CAMERA study, conducted by pollster Frank Luntz, where 94% of respondents said if Israel “no longer existed tomorrow” it would be a tragedy. Nearly one in four said they would consider such an event “the biggest tragedy of my lifetime.”

But, these Pew results and the CAMERA results do not fit with the popular narrative, often promoted by the media, that American Jews are disaffected or disengaged from Israel. That could be why a second Huffington Post article was headlined, “What Defines An American Jew? New Study Reveals Divides On Identity, Religion And Views On Israel.” Eighty-seven per cent say Israel is important or even essential to their Jewish identity and 69% are emotionally attached to the Jewish state. Where’s the “divide”?

The New York Times even tried to trump up some sort of divide by arguing:

While 69 percent say they feel an emotional attachment to Israel, and 40 percent believe that the land that is now Israel was “given to the Jewish people by God,” only 17 percent think that the continued building of settlements in the West Bank is helpful to Israel’s security.

As if these things are in opposition! As if those of us who feel an emotional attachment to the United States have to support drone strikes or NSA surveillance practices or any other American policy.

(By the way, 40% of those polled believe God gave the land of Israel to the Jewish people but that does not mean that 60% believe He did not. Actually, 27% do not agree, 5% don’t know, and 28% don’t believe in God.)

The fact is plain: American Jews are tightly and deeply connected to Israel. So… Where’s the coverage?