Time Magazine Fails to Correct Errors

UPDATE: Time Magazine Published Clarifications, but they obfuscated more than they clarified.
Click here to read about the Dismal Clarifications.
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It is now clear that, even according to the UN, Israel did not attack the UN school in Gaza in January of 2009 and no one inside the school was killed. CAMERA contacted Time magazine editors, urging them to correct the January 7, 8, and 14th articles, as well as any others which made similarly inaccurate claims that Israel shelled a UN school and killed 40 civilians seeking shelter inside the school. As of February 24th, Time has failed to set the record straight.

As reported by Ha’aretz, February 3rd,

“Maxwell Gaylord, the UN humanitarian coordinator in Jerusalem, said Monday that the IDF mortar shells fell in the street near the compound, and not on the compound itself.

“Gaylord said that the UN ‘would like to clarify that the shelling and all of the fatalities took place outside and not inside the school.’ ” [ www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1061189.html ]

Israel struck back at Hamas combatants who were launching rockets at Israel from near the school. 3 Israeli shells landed in the vicinity of the school, but not inside the school compound. Not a single person inside the school was killed, although 9 Hamas terrorists were killed and unfortunately 3 (not 40) nearby civilians.

Following are Time magazine articles that need to have corrections published, particularly the online versions that people continue to read.

Online versions of these articles should have corrections placed at the beginning of the article.

* UN Says No Hamas Fighters Were in Bombed Gaza School
by Tim McGirk, January 07, 2009
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1870087,00.html

Inaccuracy: Headline states that “Gaza School” was “Bombed”

Inaccuracy: “Before the school was hit by Israeli bombs…”

* Can Israel Survive its Assault on Gaza
by Tim McGirk, January 08, 2009 [ appears in online January 19 issue ] http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1870314,00.html

Inaccurate statement:
“Instead, the deaths of at least 40 civilians taking shelter at a United Nations-run school north of Gaza City are more likely to become the dominant image of the war. ”

The dominant image, pushed by McGirk, is an utterly false one.
Israel did not attack the school, and no one in the school was killed. Israel did attack Hamas combatants who were launching rockets from nearby the school, killing 9 of them and unfortunately 3 civilian bystanders.

It is a double war crime for Hamas to launch rockets at Israeli civilians, and to launch the rockets from a Palestinian civilian area, thereby endangering the civilians nearby who are at risk when Israel fires back at the combatants. It’s interesting that there are no separate articles describing Hamas’ war crimes.

* Fighting the Media War in Gaza
by Andrew Lee Butters, January 14, 2009
http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1871487,00.html

Inaccurate statement: “When Israeli forces shelled a United Nations school that left more than 40 dead,”

Israel did not shell a UN school and 40 people inside the school were not killed. No one inside the school was killed.

Israel did fire back at Hamas terrorists who were launching rockets at Israeli civilians from nearby the school, killing 9 Hamas combatants and 3 civilians (not 40).

CAMERA looks forward to seeing the corrections of these serious errors. So far, as of February 24th, Time magazine has failed to set the record straight.

Other articles debunking the myth of Israel shelling the UN school, killing 40 civiliians.

http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1633

http://camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=118&x_article=1625

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/critiques/new/Did_Israel_Shell_a_UN_School_The_Truth_Exposed.asp