Newsweek‘s False Headline: Israeli Forces Storm Al-Aqsa
Update, 3:14 PM EST: Newsweek Corrects: Israeli Police Did Not Enter Mosque
In line with a long tradition of false media claims about Israeli leaders and troops entering the Al-Aqsa mosque, Newsweek published the following headline this week:
The accompanying article does not substantiate the headline’s false claim that Israeli forces stormed the mosque. According to the article, by Jack Moore:
Israeli forces stormed Jerusalem’s Al-Aqsa mosque compound as they clashed with Palestinians for the third day straight at the flashpoint site.
Dozens of Palestinians clashed with the Israeli forces around the mosque, throwing stones at police who had entered the compound and used stun grenades on protesters, according to The Times of Israel. . . .
Footage released by Al Jazeera showed Israeli riot police stormed the mosque complex on Tuesday as Palestinians throw stones towards them. Israeli police can then be seen standing on top of the roof of the Al-Aqsa compound, overlooking Jerusalem’s Old City. (Emphases added.)
In other words, Moore writes, police “stormed” the mosque compound or complex, also known as the Temple Mount plaza, but did not enter the al-Aqsa Mosque itself which sits upon the plaza. Moore also cites, and links to, a Times of Israel article and Al Jazeera footage (below). Although Al Jazeera goes with the false headline (“Raw Footage: Israeli forces storm Al-Aqsa Mosque”), neither the raw footage nor the Times of Israel article supports the false headline that Israeli troops entered the mosque. The footage shows Israeli forces on the Temple Mount compound, referred to in the Newsweek article as “the mosque complex.”
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that Israeli police did not enter the Al-Aqsa mosque.
Stay tuned for news of a correction.
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