Rudoren's tweet last night:
Jodi Rudoren@rudoren
Very cool NYT piece on crossing into Gaza via Rafah tunnels by Ruqaya Izzidien, who I'm looking fwd to mtg next trip http://nyti.ms/JTmJ5z
This is what was tweeted in response:
CiF Watch@CiFWatch
@rudoren Yes how cool! Have you given a thought to how many Israelis have been victims of terror attacks b/c of those tunnels?
She then backed off a bit-
And received this:
Jodi Rudoren@rudoren
@seffikogen Said story was cool, not the existence of the tunnels. Cool to have a story inside them, showing how it works.
And a good sum up:
Jodi Rudoren@rudoren
@seffikogen Perhaps not best word choice on my part. fascinating maybe better, revealing, etc
Margie in Tel Aviv@MargieInTelAviv
@rudoren spoken like a star struck 16 yr old.
Will Jodi ever get the hang of it or instead of tweeting is she twattering?
By the way, it was pointed out that
There was a false claim in that tunnel story:
"The Israeli government views the tunnels as an illegal smuggling route and often targets them in airstrikes, which usually trap and kill workers."
My friend asked: 'When was the last airstrike on a tunnel? Months ago? What is the definition of "often"? And "usually" -- doesn't the IAF almost always bomb empty tunnels? '
And then ChallahHuAkbar pointed out that
It seems one tunnel was bombed in early May, no one died. http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=481535
At least two Pals have died in tunnels on their own in May http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=486658 and http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=487657
Guess one can't really depend on balanced, factual and objective news from the NYTimes or its employees.
UPDATE
I wonder, do NYTimes reporters, bureau head, editors, know that through the tunnels come the weapons & bullets Israel faces?
^
Posts
3 comments:
I believe that she is more clueless than ideological.
Do you recall that first she praised Vidal Sassoon's biography and then backed off when someone tweeted (something to the effect of) "How can you find the Naqba fascinating?"
Here too, she seems to have backed off when someone pointed out that not all tunnels are benign.
She seems to be trying desperately not to offend but has this "gee whiz" attitude that prompts her to speak up before she's thought through the implications of her words.
Her limitations are that she developed her world view in something of a cocoon and she's not especially curious.
The bigger problem here is Izzidien who apparently being given the job of "reporter" when as CiF Watch noted, she's a pretty vehement activist.
Look at Rudoren's reaction to Izzidien. I hardly think that Rudoren gives much thought to Izzidien's ideology or activism, but she's "exotic" and they'll be colleagues, so she's excited about meeting her.
Like Deborah Sontag in the late 90's and early 00's Rudoren is out of her league. Sontag, however, became increasingly hostile to Israel. Rudoren's one saving grace may be her aversion to offending anyone, which may act as leverage to occasionally get some good stories reported.
Let’s pay attention to the writer who wrote the NYT piece and who Rudoren admires: Ruqaya Izzidien
She has a long list of unfriendly pieces in Mondoweiss: http://mondoweiss.net/author/ruqaya-izzidien including the poor Pal’s “Christmas in Gaza.” Not a word about or picture about the Muslim discrimination, only that many were forced out of “Al Majdal” in 1948.
She's one of these liberals who's so excited to be around radicals that she has no real appreciation for who they are. Kind of like the 60's Jewish liberals who hung out with the black panthers because they seemed so 'cool.'
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