One Event--Two News Stories. You Decide.

B”H

Two versions of the same story. First A7-- where they say the arabs attacked, then the JP—where they say the “settlers” attacked.

Interesting. I’m sure the court will find with the JP and convict the men who were trying to protect lives and shooting INTO THE AIR to disperse the rioting arabs.

OK, here you go:

First, the A7’s version:

Arab Rock Attack in Samaria, Civilians Fire in Air
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/Flash.aspx/150421

(IsraelNN.com) Arabs threw rocks at cars near Yitzhar Junction in Samaria Thursday. A civilian who saw that the soldiers present were not doing anything took a soldier’s gun and fired in the air. Another civilian who was armed also fired his weapon in the air.

The two Jewish civilians were detained for questioning.
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My comment on the validity of the A7 story:

For days and days and days, the arabs have been attacking cars and trucks and busses in Samaria with stones and firebombs. Several people have been injured and many buses have been badly damaged.

Almost nothing has been done to protect the movement of Israelis in Samaria, and people are fearing for their lives just to drive to the store or to work.

This story seems completely plausible, considering the circumstances of the past few weeks.


Now the JP Version (See my comments below):

24, 2008 14:23 | Updated Jul 24, 2008 15:09
Driver grabs gun from soldier as settlers riot in W. Bank
By JPOST.COM STAFF
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1215331086721&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Settlers from Yitzhar ran riot Thursday, clashing with Palestinians and security forces, following the evacuation of a bus in the nearby Adey-Ad illegal outpost in the West Bank.

Six security force members were wounded in the riots, including one seriously when she was hit in the head by a stone. Eleven settlers were also hurt.

Judea and Samaria police said they received a report saying that at one point during the clashes, an Israeli driver pulled over his vehicle near an IDF jeep after being targeted by Palestinian stone throwers, got out of the car, and snatched a gun from a soldier, firing a number of times in the air.

A second Israeli driver also reportedly fired in the air with his personal firearm. There were no casualties reported during the incident and Judea and Samaria police detained the two Israelis for questioning.

According to reports, after the Adey-Ad bus was evacuated, the Yitzhar settlers gathered at the site, at which point the police told them to return to their homes.

While dispersing, a riot broke out and the youth began throwing stones at cars at Shiloh Junction and setting tires on fire.

Palestinians claimed that as the riot progressed, some 150 settlers attacked Palestinian farmers in the village of Burin near Nablus. Burin is the closest village to the settlement of Yitzhar.

According to the Palestinian claims, sections of their fields were set alight, cars damaged and dozens of farmers attacked.

AP contributed to this report
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My comment on the validity of the JP story:

We are expected to swallow a lot of silly facts with no explanation. Why were the soldiers evacuating the bus? Was the bus some sort of “illegal outpost” that they were required to evacuate? Probably not. The bus was probably being evacuated because it had been attacked by arab stone throwers, and those traveling on the bus were probably resisting evacuation because they were afraid of being assaulted and believed the bus to be a much safer place for them to wait.

Also, the JP shows its immediate bias by saying “Illegal Outpost” and using the term “settler” to refer to Israeli citizens. Both are loaded terms, used to try to bias the reader against the victims of the stone throwing.

The story is very vague about who is being dispersed, and who is throwing the stones, and insinuates that the stones are being thrown by Jews. However the story reads, “While dispersing, a riot broke out and the youth began throwing stones at cars at Shiloh Junction and setting tires on fire.”

Up until now the story has been very clear in assigning blame to Jews, but becomes suddenly vague about who is throwing the stones. Also, “11 settlers” were injured, but no report on arabs being injured. Hmmm. Strange that the Israeli citizens were being injured by their own stones, is it not? I guess they are so inept and throwing stones that they hit their own heads with them? Maybe they need lessons from the arabs who, a paragraph later, are reported to be attacking vehicles with stones, “Judea and Samaria police said they received a report saying that at one point during the clashes, an Israeli driver pulled over his vehicle near an IDF jeep after being targeted by Palestinian stone throwers, got out of the car, and snatched a gun from a soldier, firing a number of times in the air.”

Ah! It was the arabs throwing stones, but we are not supposed to pay attention to that. No! We must pay attention to the “settler” who, in his crazed state as a Zionist manipulator, has grabbed the gun of a soldier and fired—not at the arabs, not at the soldiers, not at the border police—but IN THE AIR. Horrifying!! I am sure this is why the border policeman was injured BY A STONE. It must have dislodged itself from the bullet in the air!!

(By the way, the soldier in question should have a court martial. A soldier must always protect his/her weapon no matter what. He/she is lucky someone dangerous didn't grab it and kill everyone there.)

Then, we are further horrified to hear a second crazed “settler” used his “personal firearm” to shoot—not at the arabs, not at the soldeirs, not at the border police—but IN THE AIR.

Of course, there were no arabs detained, only the “settlers” who are evil incarnate. Then, of course, the arabs start telling a tale of how their farms are being burned and their people attacked by the crazed settlers who, I am assuming, were traveling on the bus only to locate hapless arab farmers to attack!

If you look further, I think you will find that the “AP” reporter probably also works for the “Palestinian” newspaper Al-Ayyam. I am guessing it is Ali Daraghmeh reporting—as it looks like his style. Pretty long story for no byline, isn't it?