Where’s the Coverage? Netanyahu Not the Only Leader Absent from Mandela Memorial

The passing of Nelson Mandela has rightly been a big news story. The memorial service, attended by many dignitaries, has also, appropriately, received broad coverage. But one element of this story has been grossly over-played by the press and that is the fact that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu did not attend the memorial. The New York Times, Christian Science Monitor, NBC, CNN, Huffington Post and others all lamented Netanyahu’s absence. The Washington Post ran an Associated Press story:

Fresh off a series of scandals over his high-flying lifestyle and expensive habits, Israel’s prime minister says he will skip Nelson Mandela’s funeral on Tuesday due to the high cost of the trip.

Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision stood in contrast to the mad rush by world leaders to attend the event, and seemed to underscore the embattled Israeli leader’s isolation on the world stage. Nearly 100 heads of state, along with tens of thousands of mourners, are expected at the memorial in a Soweto soccer stadium.

Buddhist spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama also did not attend the Mandela memorial. And how did The Post and AP cover that? Did he “skip Nelson Mandela’s funeral”? Uh, no:

The Dalai Lama will not attend memorial services for fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate Nelson Mandela in South Africa, where the Buddhist spiritual leader has twice been unable to obtain a visa, a spokesman said Monday.

Tenzin Takhla gave no specific reason for the Dalai Lama missing the memorial service in Johannesburg and funeral in Mandela’s hometown, saying only that “logistically it’s impossible at this time.”

Note the contrast with the description of Netanyahu’s absence. It’s pretty stark.

Because they were so busy haranguing Netanyahu, the popular press was unable to cover the fact that Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdoğan also did not attend the Mandela memorial. CAMERA could find no mention of his absence in any of the mainstream media. Only the Turkish media outlet Hurriyet Daily News felt it was newsworthy.

This double standard between the over-coverage of Netanyahu and the media silence on Erdoğan is so pronounced that it inspired a hilarious satire in the Tablet online magazine, “Entire World Sneers at Turkish Prime Minister’s Absence at Mandela Memorial”:

When time came for the Turkish leader to pack his bags for Soweto, Erdoğan decided not to go. Despite the attendance of over 90 heads of state and tens of thousands of selfie-taking world leaders and mourners, Erdoğan sent Deputy Prime Minister Beşir Atalay in his stead. And that is when the world erupted!

Erdoğan “is determined not to be a part” of the world one liberal Turkish columnist scribbled angrily. The columnist added that Erdoğan, the premier of a G20 nation, “is not the smug, petty, vindictive, waffling, in-your-face insulting man he seems. He’s something worse.” Turkish authorities, careful to safeguard their rank of #138 in the Press Freedom Index, quietly carted the journalist off to jail for 25 years.

How did The Washington Post and Associated Press cover Erdoğan’s absence? They didn’t. The leader of a G20 nation and NATO member state decided to “skip Nelson Mandela’s funeral.” Where’s the coverage?