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Israel Seeks Fairness From ‘New York Times’
Dear Mr. Clark Hoyt, Public Editor of The New York Times,
I write in connection to a series of articles published in The New York Times in recent weeks regarding the Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, colloquially referred to as the Goldstone Report. I am deeply concerned by the subjective and often damning language that The New York Times uses towards Israel as it fails to accurately reflect the nature and scope of the report.
Over and over, The New York Times’ articles on this matter employ language that easily leads the reader to believe that the Goldstone Report found conclusive evidence that Israel committed war crimes. In Neil MacFarquhar’s “U.N. Council Endorses Gaza Report” (Oct. 16), the article states that the Goldstone Report “details evidence of war crimes committed by the Israeli Army…” In Sharon Otterman’s “Gaza Report Author Asks U.S. to Clarify Concerns” (Oct. 22), the Goldstone Report is described as having “found evidence of war crimes committed by Israel…” In yet another example –– MacFarquhar and Otterman’s “Palestinians, in Reversal, Press U.N. Gaza Report” (Oct. 14) –– the Goldstone Report is once again described as having “found evidence of Israeli war crimes…” These articles reflect only a sample of the many that discuss Israel vis-à-vis the Goldstone Report in conclusive and condemnatory terms.
In stark contrast, a Reuters article carried by The New York Times on Oct. 14, “Israel Urged to Investigate Gaza War Crimes Charges,” describes the Goldstone Report as reflecting “U.N. allegations of possible war crimes.”
The description offered by the Reuters piece is a critical component of any factually accurate discussion of the Goldstone Report. In sharp contrast, the aforementioned Times articles fail to reflect this vital distinction as readers will falsely assume that the Goldstone Report found conclusive evidence of Israeli war crimes.
I wish to reiterate Israel’s position that the Goldstone Report is deeply flawed and one-sided as it offers legitimacy to Hamas terrorism and its deliberate strategy to launch attacks, store weapons and use as shields the civilian population and infrastructure of Gaza. At the same time, the report’s mandate predetermined its findings that wrongly condemned Israel’s legitimate exercise of its right to self-defense. The tendency of The New York Times to gloss over such realities must be rectified and I sincerely hope that paper will use accurate and appropriate language to ensure that its coverage of the Goldstone Report and the wide Middle East is fair and honest. I remain at your disposal if you would like to further discuss this matter.
Yours truly,
Mirit Cohen, Spokesperson, Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN
I write in connection to a series of articles published in The New York Times in recent weeks regarding the Report of the United Nations Fact-Finding Mission on the Gaza Conflict, colloquially referred to as the Goldstone Report. I am deeply concerned by the subjective and often damning language that The New York Times uses towards Israel as it fails to accurately reflect the nature and scope of the report.
Over and over, The New York Times’ articles on this matter employ language that easily leads the reader to believe that the Goldstone Report found conclusive evidence that Israel committed war crimes. In Neil MacFarquhar’s “U.N. Council Endorses Gaza Report” (Oct. 16), the article states that the Goldstone Report “details evidence of war crimes committed by the Israeli Army…” In Sharon Otterman’s “Gaza Report Author Asks U.S. to Clarify Concerns” (Oct. 22), the Goldstone Report is described as having “found evidence of war crimes committed by Israel…” In yet another example –– MacFarquhar and Otterman’s “Palestinians, in Reversal, Press U.N. Gaza Report” (Oct. 14) –– the Goldstone Report is once again described as having “found evidence of Israeli war crimes…” These articles reflect only a sample of the many that discuss Israel vis-à-vis the Goldstone Report in conclusive and condemnatory terms.
In stark contrast, a Reuters article carried by The New York Times on Oct. 14, “Israel Urged to Investigate Gaza War Crimes Charges,” describes the Goldstone Report as reflecting “U.N. allegations of possible war crimes.”
The description offered by the Reuters piece is a critical component of any factually accurate discussion of the Goldstone Report. In sharp contrast, the aforementioned Times articles fail to reflect this vital distinction as readers will falsely assume that the Goldstone Report found conclusive evidence of Israeli war crimes.
I wish to reiterate Israel’s position that the Goldstone Report is deeply flawed and one-sided as it offers legitimacy to Hamas terrorism and its deliberate strategy to launch attacks, store weapons and use as shields the civilian population and infrastructure of Gaza. At the same time, the report’s mandate predetermined its findings that wrongly condemned Israel’s legitimate exercise of its right to self-defense. The tendency of The New York Times to gloss over such realities must be rectified and I sincerely hope that paper will use accurate and appropriate language to ensure that its coverage of the Goldstone Report and the wide Middle East is fair and honest. I remain at your disposal if you would like to further discuss this matter.
Yours truly,
Mirit Cohen, Spokesperson, Permanent Mission of Israel to the UN
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Reader Comments
The following are comments from the readers. In no way do they represent the view of thebulletin.us.
bbsnews wrote on Nov 7, 2009 11:36 AM:
" Mirit Cohen,
The Times has it right, Reuters got it wrong.
It is correct to describe the Goldstone Report as having "found evidence that Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity".
That's the fact
Anyone who has read the section starting on page 198 describing seven instances of direct attacks on civilians can read it for themselves.
Israel refused to cooperate, and instead of addressing the substance, it simply tries to discredit the report or lie about it as you have done here.
The Goldstone Mission does indeed spend a great deal of time laying out war crimes committed by Palestinian militants including rockets, the report however also says that there is no evidence that Palestinian militant groups used human shields, indeed the Christian Science Monitor had to edit a recent story and also remove that claim.
The fact is, it was Israel that was using human shields, did you even read the full report?
Those that do are as appalled at Israel's actions as they are unsurprised that Palestinian militants committed war crimes as well. "
The Times has it right, Reuters got it wrong.
It is correct to describe the Goldstone Report as having "found evidence that Israel and Hamas committed war crimes and possible crimes against humanity".
That's the fact
Anyone who has read the section starting on page 198 describing seven instances of direct attacks on civilians can read it for themselves.
Israel refused to cooperate, and instead of addressing the substance, it simply tries to discredit the report or lie about it as you have done here.
The Goldstone Mission does indeed spend a great deal of time laying out war crimes committed by Palestinian militants including rockets, the report however also says that there is no evidence that Palestinian militant groups used human shields, indeed the Christian Science Monitor had to edit a recent story and also remove that claim.
The fact is, it was Israel that was using human shields, did you even read the full report?
Those that do are as appalled at Israel's actions as they are unsurprised that Palestinian militants committed war crimes as well. "
johnny2bad wrote on Nov 7, 2009 2:20 PM:
" Mr. Cohen's plea to the Times whining that the newspaper is unfair to Israel clearly demonstrates the Fifth Column Israel has working in the U.S. The Times has been more than conciliatory towards Israel.
Israel has violated international law with impunity for decades. Israel long employed apartheid policies and engaged in ethnic cleansing of the Palestine territories. Israel refuses to join the IAEA, sign a nuclear non-proliferation treaty or allow inspections of their nuclear facilities. Israel has refused to stop the illegal construction of settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Israel has spied on the U.S. many times and refuses to adhere to the "road map". These are the acts of a rogue country that should be isolated and brought to account for their violations of international law and numerous war crimes. "
Israel has violated international law with impunity for decades. Israel long employed apartheid policies and engaged in ethnic cleansing of the Palestine territories. Israel refuses to join the IAEA, sign a nuclear non-proliferation treaty or allow inspections of their nuclear facilities. Israel has refused to stop the illegal construction of settlements in occupied Palestinian territories. Israel has spied on the U.S. many times and refuses to adhere to the "road map". These are the acts of a rogue country that should be isolated and brought to account for their violations of international law and numerous war crimes. "
bbsnews wrote on Nov 9, 2009 11:43 AM:
" What's with the censorship here?
I waited through the weekend in case you were short-staffed, then half the day Eastern time, and still my comment has yet to be published.
This article is in error, where's my comment addressing those facts? "
I waited through the weekend in case you were short-staffed, then half the day Eastern time, and still my comment has yet to be published.
This article is in error, where's my comment addressing those facts? "
bbsnews wrote on Nov 9, 2009 8:11 PM:
" What is the excuse for censorship here at "The Bulletin" - what is the reason for stifling the free flow of facts? "
Jack Auff wrote on Nov 13, 2009 5:40 PM:
" Judge Goldstone is respected world-wide for his past work investigating other war crimes and I never heard anyone squealing, not until Israel was accused of deliberately bombing and shooting civilians.
Goldstone is Jewish, an avowed Zionist and loves Israel.
Can you imagine what the report would have read if he was not?
Israel's got a long and bloody track record of war crimes in Lebanon from 1982 to the present.
And in Gaza.
The only thing saving your keister is that the USA is aiding and abetting Israel's war crimes by voting NO on any UN resolution to investigate the same.
Israel needs to be held to account for their latest bloody rampage or there will be many more IDF murders of civilians in the future. "
Goldstone is Jewish, an avowed Zionist and loves Israel.
Can you imagine what the report would have read if he was not?
Israel's got a long and bloody track record of war crimes in Lebanon from 1982 to the present.
And in Gaza.
The only thing saving your keister is that the USA is aiding and abetting Israel's war crimes by voting NO on any UN resolution to investigate the same.
Israel needs to be held to account for their latest bloody rampage or there will be many more IDF murders of civilians in the future. "
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asasson wrote on Nov 7, 2009 10:18 AM:
The Goldstone report blatantly ignored many points which lead to the defensive operation led by Israel against Gaza.
The Operation Cast Lead was not an offensive against innocent families caught within the borders of a terroristic region, but a defensive operation against the Hamas terror organization which oversees the Gaza region and brings fear to the innocent residents of Gaza.
Hamas over eight years lobbed over 12,000 rockets into Israel without provokation. Further, they have trained terrorists to cross over Israel borders with the intent to murder Israeli's through suicide attacks.
Israel dropped thousands of leaflets written in Arabic warning residents of a defensive operation. Also, thousands of text messages were sent to mobile phone users with the warnings. Hamas chose to fight their war behind the skirts of innocent women and their children by setting up armories and rocket launching sites in heavily populated areas and schools.
During the same time period, Israel was also offering medical aide to Gazans hurt, but the Hamas would not permit their own people to seek the assistance. Moreover, Hamas used their own ambulances to carry weaponry to their attack sites instead of carrying those hurt to seek medical aide.
It is time for the NY Times and other news agencies to wake up and take a good look at terrorism. Not only does it affect Israel, but also the US. Last year, 5 men were caught in NJ plotting to enter Ft. Dix with the intent of a terror attack. Just last month, 3 men were arrested for terrorist activity from the mid-West and NY. And now, need I mention the incident at Ft. Hood.
To those in the US who have already stored 911 away as a distant memory, remember the fear you had when it happened. Then, try to imagine living that fear daily as did the residents in the areas attacked daily by Hamas from Gaza over eight years. "