Just a Bit of Media Bias

Can you imagine if 26 parliamentarians from 14 different countries toured Samaria under the tutelage of Peace Now, or Breaking the Silence or B'tselem and they released a statement denouncing the Jewish communities and condemning the 'occupation' what the media response would be?

And that they released a castigating declaration against Israel's government's policies in the territories and handed it to a government minister.

Front page headline in Haaretz, I'd guess.

Large picture in Yedioth Ahronot.

Even Israel Hayom would note it.

After all, coming from the US, Australia, South Africa, Guatemala and several countries in Europe, that would be news.

But that isn't what happened.

What did happen was this, as reported in the Times of Israel:

A group of lawmakers from 14 countries visited the northern West Bank on Sunday in a show of solidarity with Israel, as the head of the settlement movement praised US President Donald Trump...
The lawmakers were in the country for the annual Israel Allies Foundation conference, which is co-sponsored by the World Jewish Congress and has for years brought Christian and Jewish pro-Israeli lawmakers from various countries to the Holy Land during Sukkot, the festival during which, according to Jewish tradition, the nations of the world ascend to Jerusalem.
Alan Clemmons, a Republican member of the South Carolina House of Representatives, told the other lawmakers that the Israel boycott movement is “financial terrorism.”
“Israel is the occupier of no one’s land other than the land that God promised to the people of Israel,” he said.

Of course, Arutz 7 in Hebrew posted it, as expected, with a video of Deputy Foreign Minister Tzipy Hotovely speaking.   And here is an extract from Arutz 7 in English:

Twenty-six parliamentarians from around the world on Monday signed a statement that the Jewish people have a legal right to sovereignty over all of the land of Israel, and a statement that anti-Zionism is an expression of anti-Semitism."We want to reject all declarations that seek to negate the connection of the Jewish people to Israel and Jerusalem, as well as the misrepresentation of the State of Israel as an occupier, and to emphasize the anti-Semitic character of the misnamed 'anti-Zionism," the parliamentarians wrote."We call upon governments, institutions and leaders around the world to adopt the definition of anti-Semitism used by the US State Department and the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance, which has been approved by many European countries and recognizes that anti-Zionism is an expression which can be used in place of anti-Semitism."We support the State of Israel and recognize the right of the Jewish people, including the rights to sovereignty and self-defense in all its lands and territory, while recognizing the need of all religions for a strong and united Israel, with Jerusalem as its eternal and united capital.

It related that MK Gila Gamliel (Likud) received the position paper from the parliamentarians.

When you read mainstream Israeli media, you are a media consumer who is defrauded. The news you receive is biased, unbalanced, unfair, non-pluralistic and lacking in the really important facts, especially on the issue of the Jewish presence in Judea and Samaria.

I was informed, though, that Yaakov Ahimeir, host of "Seeing the World" Saturday evening news program, was present and recorded an interview.  I hope it will be aired.

I searched but didn't find reports in the foreign media as well.

You have been warned about Israel media bias.

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P.S.    Middle East Monitor now has a story. ^