Bashing Israel: When is enough enough?

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Beefy Fairfaxista Ed O'Loughlin (allegedly found roaming free in Belgian Congo and domesticated by Fairfax Media) has been kicking Israel again, this time through the use of statistics presented without any context or background.

Honest Ed OLoughlin

It's a nice trick. An oldie but a goodie, the OC Propaganda Department frequently embraces the technique on occasion. A writer on a par with Steven Lewis, Mark Twain once wrote that there are "lies, damned lies and statistics."

Honest Reporting which reviews the world media for dishonest, biased and selective reporting about the Middle East was scathing about O'Loughlin.

FROM SUNNY EILAT COMES THE DARKNESS OF FAIRFAX DECEIT

And his recent report exemplified the Twain doctrine, filed from the resort town of Eilat in Israel where no doubt he forced down multiple cocktails in luxury with fellow scribes while bemoaning the shocking plight of the Palestinian people, he wrote:

Yesterday's attack ends a long period of quiet within Israel. According to the Israeli human rights group B'tselem, killings of Israeli citizens in the occupied territories and Israel reached a low of 23 last year, including six soldiers. In the same period the number of Palestinians killed by Israeli forces rose to 660, B'tselem found, half of them non-combatants and 141 of these minors.

Why was that? Why have Palestinian terrorists slipped below the Osama bin Laden Killing Spree Index Worldwide Terror Benchmark?

It'd be that pesky Israeli security fence, the one the Left would love to present as a symbol of repression. Unlike their Berlin Wall which kept people from escaping socialist tyranny, the security fence is designed to keep killers out.

And it's working. Big time. Read more and curse those who misrepresent the wall as "apartheid", a disgusting insult to the victims of apartheid in South Africa. Checking international borders is not unique to Israel, it's just when the Jews do it. Jew haters like to paint it as some expression of Neo Nazi totalitarianism. It'd be hippy-great to live in a world without Customs or passports or whatever but that day is a long way off. Countries that are in the terrorist's crosshairs, like Israel, the United States, Australia, anywhere where civilisation prevails, are entitled and obliged to protect themselves and their people.

ARE YOU A RACIST OR DO YOU JUST HATE JEWS?

The right to self-defence is widely accepted although in Israel's case too frequently questioned including by those who would be horrified to be told they're anti-semites. Look in the mirror a little closer lefties. Is your hatred of America driving you into the arms of a double standard about Israel that can only be explained in a race-hate context.

Dora McPhee probably doesn't think she hates Jews but she certainly is dripping with venom about the Jewish state. Her letter published today in the left-wing press:

Turning Palestinian against Palestinian

READING Ed O'Loughlin's report "Palestinian unity hopes collapse in violence" ( The Age, 9/1), it is no wonder Palestinians are starting to turn on each other. (OC¹: I'll make a wild prediction. It's must be Israel's fault right?)

In fact, it is extraordinary that for their nigh-on-60-year struggle for a just solution to their dispossession they have managed to avoid descending into civil war (OC: Yes they've been so united while shooting each other for decades) despite suffering an extraordinarily unjust dispossession of their land, nearly 40 years of Israel's military occupation of the remaining 22 per cent and a continued theft of their land while they are corralled by Israel's apartheid policies. (OC: Must invite her in to do a consultancy on invective) All the while, they have seen how the West, led by the US, has colluded with Israel in its further dispossession and "ethnic cleansing" of what remains of Palestine. (OC: She calls it Palestine, presumably supports a two-state solution, and yet thinks Israel imposes "apartheid" by checking the borders of the "two nations". Logic is rarely allowed to get in the way of a good story at The Aged)

But finally the Israel-US coalition has found a way to make the Palestinians turn on each other (OC: JK Rowling move over) by arming and funding Mahmoud Abbas and his Fatah party while punishing the whole population with a crippling boycott that has strangled the Hamas-led Government they dared to vote in. (OC: Nice to see she's even bought into the Palestinian faction fight herself. Are the Jews also to blame for her divisive rhetoric?)

This must surely be a cynical exercise in creating the landscape for a civil war. It will not bring peace to Israel, but it will buy it more time to create more facts on the ground with its ethnic restructuring of the West Bank and East Jerusalem. (OC: The last sentence did not translate well from the original German)

Dora McPhee, Melbourne

Lieutenant Dan of the OC Investigations Unit (pushing for promotion to Field Marshal with recent efforts) pointed out this unpleasant material and makes the compelling point:

Yes, reading O'Louglin's bile probably WOULD leave "no wonder". However, it would also leave one with the impression that EVERYTHING in the world is Israel's fault, including (but not limited to) Palestinians killing each other, Shea and sunni Muslims killing each other, Janjaweed Arabs Killing Africans in Darfur, Lebanese Muslims Killing their fellow Christians in Lebanon and more than 20 worldwide conflicts from Thailand to Chechyna invloving Muslims with not a Jew nor American in sight (but let's blame them anyway).

Game on.

¹ OC is "The Other Cheek Blog - http://andrewlanderyou.blogspot.com

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A moderately ersatz joke: How many Muslmis does it take to change a light globe? Better to sit in the dark & blame Israel

Posted by richard sicree on 2007-02-10 23:19:20 GMT

O'Loughlin's report of 9 February 2007 is pure fantasy. Not a single other reporter has reported on the situation in Gaza suggesting that Hamas has the ascendancy. He should be asked to explain why he has come to a conclusion no other journalist, reporter or commentator has reached.

Posted on 2007-02-09 23:02:23 GMT

Fairfax has have a Anti Israel Agenda, the Journalist who covered the Middle East for Age And Sydney Morning herald before Oloughlin was Tony Walker he is currently the Middle East correspondent for the other Fairfax paper Australian Financial Review Tony Walker has written two biographies on Yassar Arafat he is equally Pro Palestinian and very anti American.

Posted by Michael Burd on 2007-02-09 19:35:11 GMT

The solution is to expose Jaspan and O'l for what they are and to effect change at the Age. A lot of people still read this trash and are influenced by it...even if we don't.

Posted on 2007-02-09 19:25:47 GMT

Have a look at O'l report 9/2/06 It is a disgrace,"US backed","US favourite"etc Egypt is a"US client state"Any professional editor would never publish this infantile,marxoid,anti-Amercanism.What can you expect from Pilger's little mate -Jaspan,Read old Abe Rabinovich in the Oz everyday to compare.Solution ?drop the Age read the Australian.

Posted on 2007-02-09 11:18:46 GMT

Thanks, Paul, I am posting this article on our website...you will find it in the "recent articles" section.

Posted by Ronit on 2007-02-03 21:19:23 GMT

The attitudes to Israel by media like The Age (as discussed Landeryou piece and adjoining comments) is not isolated. An article in today's Jerusalem Post (http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1170359772498&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull) reveals similar anti-Israel sentiments expressed by BBC Mideast editor Jeremy Bowen. It is incumbent on people concerned by this phenomenon to make an effort, however small, to fight for fair coverage of the Arab Israel conflict rather than remaining passively resigned to the status quo.

Posted by Paul Rozental on 2007-02-03 20:37:11 GMT

The current Age newspaper coverage of the Palestinian civil war is simply disgraceful. I follow Al-Jazeeranews.net and BBC online and even these news services dont try to paper over the truth of what is going on in Gaza today like The Age does. Always minimising the events, The Age seems to make a point of finding every excuse in the book for the avoiding the bleeding obvious: that the killers are responsible for their own actions. Somehow The Age must always invoke Israel as the "true" cause of Palestinian tribal wars - as in today's (3/2) lamentable (and unattributed) "Hope gone, Palestinians turn on each other". What an editorial crock! Moreover, the countless peace opportunities Palestinians have bucketed from 1948 until Camp David and the unilateral return of Gaza dont warrant a mention! Yes, Richard Sicree many of these "left-wing" types are remarkably ignorant of fundamental facts on the conflict, but I am not so sure that one can afford to be so benign about their ignorance. They can be remarkably detailed about facts that suit their case. They dont lack intelligence to examine wider information germaine to the issues - it is just that that they must remain selective - otherwise the whole case they support (ie the Palestinian long-suffering underdog) will totally unravel. Unfortunately selective bias like this on issues concerning Jews has another name.

Posted by Paul Rozental on 2007-02-02 21:41:30 GMT

Sorry. It's that 'Shtetl' mentality again :-)

Posted by Daniel Lewis on 2007-02-02 11:12:51 GMT

Can the worthy commentators on this posting go outside there comfort zone & look at the postings on the source blog.Your wisdoms would be better shared with a wider audience than with those who only read the more narrow but still interesting sites like ICJS

Posted on 2007-02-02 10:58:39 GMT

Ed O'Loughlin, Terry Lane, Mike Carlton, Alan Ramsey, David Bernstein, Michael Gawenda, Sarah Smiles, Maher Mughrabi, Andra Jackson, Kenneth Davidson, Michael Leunig, Petty, Margot Kingston, and Anthony Loewenstein....what do these lurid and pathetic creatures have in common...well they are all apologists for Arab terrorists against Israel, promulgate the fable known as the Palestinian narrative, and of course work for the Marxist Fairfax trash

Posted by annoyed on 2007-02-01 09:01:37 GMT

Richard Sicree, you are quite correct in being judicious about calling people antisemites. Indeed, most Jews are hesitant, despite the big lie by the far-left that Jews call everybody antisemites in order to stifle criticism of Israel. The problem however, is the number of people on the Left who might be horrified at being called an antisemite, yet regardless have unknowingly (or otherwise) climbed into bed with the most virulently antisemitic organisations on Earth. At some point, people need to be held to account for whom they associate with. If you are supporting the rights of a group who openly claim they want to kill Jews, it's a pretty slippery slope.

Posted by Daniel Lewis on 2007-02-01 08:27:20 GMT

I'm a bit reluctant to descibe left wingers with the "Palestine bee in the bonnet" as anti-Semites, & think it's pointless doing so. The opinions aren't based on racial stereotyping, but just the general vacuousness of the left, and its knowledge-free zone starting point. Most left-wingers present their opinions as a badge of their "niceness"; as a identification symbol; like an ankle bracelet. The opinions are just what they believe will make them seem cool to their aspired cohort. Like the student history teacher last year mounting off re Lebanon war; eyebrow stud etc, pity he'd never even heard of Sadat. The point is that his opinions on Israel are just part of thee package, as his version of being cool; but not an antisemite, however much his Israel views are opposed to what we consider vital Jewish issues

Posted by richard sicree on 2007-02-01 06:46:04 GMT

What is disappointing is letters like a Jewish letters editor publishes Dora Mcpheeâ€™s.. {Perhaps he regrets leaving Australian Jewish Democratic society along with his old mates Salbe and the Rothfields}.. Who claims to be a Zionist yet he publishes ten sorry 20 anti Israel letters to 1 letter that is sympathetic to Israel and only begrudgingly? I think Jews {that were not anti Zionists} would be better off with a letters editor that was not a so called Zionist Jew...at least at the Australian/Herald Sun they publish both sides and are fair and balanced!

Posted on 2007-02-01 03:28:53 GMT

Half of Israel is desert (the Negev). Saudi Arabia is building a fence along its entire border with Iraq. Arafat's widow , Suha , gets $20 million dollars a year for life (he married her to stop the rumours that he was gay). Palestinian Arabs are kicked out of any of the 22 Arab countries whenever the dictators decide - all interesting facts but unmentioned by the media. "Blame Israel" for all the world's troubles is the usual theme. Afterall, the Arab/Islamists only want to live in peace and harmony and all of their terrorism and killings, worldwide, reflect what just and moral people they are. Sharia law makes Allah a pimp - kill the infidel and get 72 virgins. Such high moral standards, of course we must always admire and sympathize with the Arabs - even though they don't believe in the Ten Commandments.

Posted by R.E.D. on 2007-02-01 02:49:01 GMT

O'Loughlin wasted no time in turning the story of a suicide bombing murder of three Israelis into a story about the deaths of Palestinians during the course of an asymmetrical war being waged mainly against Israeli civilians. In that regard, whilst the death of non-combatants is regrettable, O'Loughlin presents a scenario whereby it's Israel that is totally to blame for the deaths of the non-combatants. What he conveniently omits to divulge to his readers is that there is considerable doubt as to non-combatant numbers (most terrorists wear civilian clothing and therefore are often wrongly classified as non-combatants) and then there's the issue of terrorists putting non-combatants in harm's way because they operate in breach of humanitarian laws from civilian areas. That makes the terrorists responsible for all of the deaths - there's no need to distinguish whether they are combatants or not. Unfortunately, the shameful way in which O'Loughlin reports on the conflict makes it almost respectable for the Dora McPhees of the world to spread their bile and froth at the mouth about alleged Israeli injustices against the Palestinians as she did in yesterday's letter to the Age. The letters editor of the Age surely has sufficient knowledge about the Middle East to know that Ms. McPhee's letter was nothing more than a piece of vile agitprop with little factual foundation. That he/she allowed such crap to be published in the first place, tells us a lot about the dark place that he/she and this once great newspaper now inhabits.

Posted by Jack Chrapot on 2007-02-01 00:33:44 GMT

How come Ed did not report the last suicide bombing ... if he did it was probably just as askew and bias.

Posted on 2007-02-01 00:11:34 GMT

Did you know that the Israelis killed JFK and crested global warming too? (with a wry smile, she said)

Posted by Shoshanna on 2007-01-31 23:30:09 GMT

This is a great article. It tells it like it is and shows O'Loughlin and his masters at Age Jezeera up for what they are--one sided biggots.

Posted by Wazza on 2007-01-31 21:22:18 GMT

Ronit I would prefer to see the response in a newspaper preferably the same paper rather than a blog.

Posted by Ivor on 2007-01-31 13:59:10 GMT

Compare Palestinian jounalist Nidal al-Mugrabi's report s for Reuters republished in the Herald-sun or the OZ with this report.Mugrabi's report staight & professional by comparison.What one has come to expect of anewspaper ,edited by a man ,who in his last post published a Pigeresque article claiming the US govt murdered 3,000 of their own citizens on Sept 11!This report is but a symptom of the failure of nerve &more significantly-intellect of the Fairfax board(see Hilmer's recent reflections & Walkers admissions about his "educashion"

Posted on 2007-01-31 10:52:17 GMT