Haaretz Falsifies Restriction on Gaza Imports - CAMERA's Call

CAMERA Alert: Haaretz Falsifies Restriction on Gaza Imports

May 21, 2009

This week, the Israeli daily Haaretz again launched a campaign of erroneous accusations against Israel, this time concerning restrictions on goods entering the Gaza Strip. A May 17 news article by Amira Hass and a May 19 editorial (see details later) level a number of false charges, including: Israel prohibits the entry of toilet paper, diapers, toys and books; there is only crossing for exports from Gaza to Israel; and Israel provides only 70 percent of the industrial fuel needed to run Gaza's power plant.

Haaretz, with its popular English-language Web site, to a large extent helps shape sets the foreign press corps' agenda regarding Israel. As JJ Goldberg writes in the June 2008 Columbia Journalism Review: "Haaretz also publishes an English-language print edition that lands every morning on the doorsteps of most diplomats, tourists, and foreign correspondents, and this is the correspondents' first window into Israel each day."

This was the case a few weeks ago when the Israeli daily published a series of articles giving voice to Israeli reservists who weeks after serving in Operation Cast Lead alleged war crimes, including indiscriminate killings. Within days, the soldiers admitted that the so-called atrocities were rumors that they heard but about which they had no first-hand knowledge. By then, however, the claims had been repeated in media outlets around the world, and featured prominently in the New York Times.

Hopefully, with timely intervention on the part of CAMERA staff and volunteer letter-writers, we can make sure that this time the Western press does not swallow Haaretz's falsehoods on Gaza imports.

ACTION ITEMS 

*Write the following people at Haaretz and request that they print corrections concerning their many factual errors. Be specific. For example, cite the Palestinian report (see below) which clearly states that diapers and toilet paper are permitted into the Gaza Strip. Ask for corrections both in Hebrew and English, in print and online.)

Publisher Amos Schocken at amos.schocken@haaretz.co.il

Editor Dov Alfon at editor@haaretz.co.il

Deputy Head of News Division Ari Zilberberg at avi.zilberberg@haaretz.co.il

You may also write to the more general emails of news@haaretz.co.il and op-ed@haaretz.co.il

*Submit a concise letter-to-the-editor rebutting the factual errors in Ha'aretz's reports: letters@haaretz.co.il

*Spread the word about Haaretz's lack of credibility on the crossings. You can forward this alert, link to our online article ("Haaretz Senseless on Gaza"), blog about it, and share it on social networking venues such as Twitter and Facebook.

IN DETAIL

Read CAMERA's full article here:

http://www.camera.org/index.asp?x_context=2&x_outlet=55&x_article=1675