Los Angeles Times Cover Up: Palestinian Police Beat Israelis at Joseph’s Tomb

The Los Angeles Times today covers up the fact that Palestinian police beat Jews who illegally visited Joseph’s Tomb. The article today, with the somewhat vague headline “Man opens fire in crowded bus station in Israel, 1 killed; 9 injured,” mentions the Joseph’s Tomb incident at the end of the piece.

A reminder of the explosive role of religion in the conflict came overnight as 30 Jews violated standing instructions from Israel’s military and entered the West Bank city of Nablus to visit the site of Joseph’s Tomb, a Jewish holy site under Palestinian control, parts of which were damaged by fire the night before.

Palestinian security services blocked the Jews from entering and coordinated with Israel’s military to extricate them from an angry crowd. Israeli soldiers detained five of the violators, who were later placed under house arrest.

In two paragraphs about the incident, The Los Angeles Times provides not a word about how the Palestinian Authority police themselves beat the Israelis. Haaretz reported:

Some 30 Israelis made their way to Nablus early Sunday morning in order to pray at Joseph’s Tomb. Upon arrival they were attacked by local Palestinians. One of the vehicles they came in was set ablaze.

Palestinian security forces rushed to the scene and arrested five of the Israelis, beating a few in the process, before turning them over to the Israel Police. Israeli soldiers, in coordination with the Palestinian forces on the ground, were called in and extracted the remaining Israelis.

Similarly, Times of Israel reported:

The detainees told police that after they arrived at the shrine, Palestinian Authority Police officers confronted them and cocked their guns at them. The police officers also attacked them with clubs and sticks and hit them with the butts of their guns, they said.

Can you imagine how The Times would cover an incident in which Israeli security forces beat Palestinian worshipers? Actually, there’s no need for imagination.

Take this Sept. 15, 2015 Los Angeles Times article which carried the following headline in the print edition: “Israeli police battle again battle Palestinian protesters at disputed holy site in Old City.” The article begins:

For the third day in a row, Israeli police clashed Tuesday with Palestinian protesters at a disputed holy site in Jerusalem’s Old City, according to Palestinian officials and Israeli police. . . .

Palestinians said police fired stun grenades at the protesters and attacked others with clubs, injuring several and causing damage to the mosque building. Israeli police said forces entered the compound to disperse Palestinian protesters who threw rocks at them.