Article: U.N.: Lebanon force is active

Date: July 20, 2010

This article reported on a spokesperson for the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon saying "UNIFIL had found no evidence of weapons smuggling to the south since the 2006 war."

Omission. Misleading: This was a shoddy piece of reporting. The Israeli government has released photographic evidence proving there are massive amounts of weapons, including missiles, in that area. The article omits any reference, creating the blatantly false impression that the statements from the United Nations spokesperson are accurate.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 5
Bias-Free: 0
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 7

Article: Egypt hosts unusual indirect Mideast talks

Date: July 19, 2010

This article reports on Egypt meeting separately with Palestinian Arab and Israeli leaders and United States envoy George Mitchell.

Omission: It referred to direct talks between the Palestinian Arabs and Israel as "still seemingly distant," but did not even hint at the reason: the refusal of the Palestinian Arabs to negotiate.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 8
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 2

Article: Abbas sets talks requirement

Date: July 18, 2010

This article reports on Palestinian Authority chair Mahmoud Abbas saying "Israel must agree to the idea of a third party guarding the borders of a future Palestinian state before direct peace talks can start" and "Israel must also agree in principle to a fair land swap that would compensate the Palestinians for West Bank land absorbed by Jewish settlements in any peace deal." (This are quotes from the article but not directly of Abbas.)

Lack of Balance: It accurately reports the Arab demands, but gives balancing space to any Israeli positions other than to say Israel has rejected the Arab demand for what it calls "East Jerusalem" to be its capital.

Opinion. Bias. Omission: "After years of fruitless negotiations with Israel, Abbas has been wary of sitting down with an Israeli leader he doubts is ready to make the Palestinians an accept able offer."

This omits reference to offers Israel has made which the Arabs have rejected. It gives no indication of the primary reason negotiations have been fruitless: the unwillingness of the Arabs to make any concessions.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 8
Bias-Free: 3
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 7

Article: From West Hartford To The West Bank

Date: July 18, 2010

This was a feature on University of Hartford professor Don Ellis teaching a summer course at Ariel University.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 10
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 0

Article: Libyan-chartered ship to Gaza docks in Egypt

Date: July 15, 2010

This was a short article about a Libyan-chartered boat supposedly carrying "aid" for Palestinian Arabs in Gaza reaching El Arish after altering its course following a warning from the Israeli navy.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 10
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 0

Letter: Why the Vitriol?

Date: July 13, 2010

This letter, from N. Burki of Farmington, was primarily a nasty attack on columnist Charles Krauthammer, particularly for Krauthammer's criticism of President Barack Obama.

It mentions Israel only in the last paragraph: "All this is puzzling, until one realizes that Mr. Krauthammer hates the president for putting his country first before all others - including Israel, China, Russia and Kazakhstan. And for Mr. Obama to dare to reach out to Muslim countries especially draws Mr. Krauthammer's ire."

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 0
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 5

Article: Israel says it won't allow aid ship to reach Gaza

Date: July 12, 2010

This is a short article reporting on Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman saying "an aid ship sent by a Libyan group" would not be allowed to reach Gaza.

Misleading: The article refers to the ship as an "aid" ship without referring to the fact that it is primarily a propaganda effort.

Omission. Bias: The article refers to this ship coming "just over a month after Israeli commandos killed nine activists in a raid at sea" without mentioning the fact that the "activists" were armed and trained IHH operatives who attacked the Israelis.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 8
Bias-Free: 6
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 4

Article: Israeli soldier charged

Date: July 7, 2010

This was a short, one-paragraph article reporting on Israel indicting one of its soldiers for manslaughter in the death of a Palestinian Arab during the 2008-9 operation "intended to halt the firing of missiles into Israel."

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 0
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 1

Article: U.S.-Israel thaw on display

Date: July 7, 2010

This article reported on and analyzed the meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States President Barack Obama.

Misleading: The article reported "In a weekend Cabinet meeting, Netanyahu publicly set direct talks with the Palestinians as a top priority of his upcoming conversation with Obama." This creates the false impression that such talks had not been a top priority.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 9
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 0

Article: Palestinians call for halt to army raids

This article reported on a demand by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Salam Fayyad that Israel halt its operations against terrorism in Palestinian Authority towns in the disputed territories.

It also reported on Turkey's foreign minister asserting that country would cut ties with Israel unless Israel apologized for its interception of the "Free Gaza" flotilla or accept an international inquiry into what the article labelled "its deadly raid."

Bias. Imagery. Misleading: The language described above presents an image of a deliberate deadly attack by Israel rather than the reality of the attack on Israel by the armed and trained fighters on the flotilla.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 7
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 5

Article: Israel still bans many items as blockade opens for food

Date: July 6, 2010

This article reported on an Israeli easing of the restrictions designed to prevent weapons from reaching Gaza.

Bias: It explained Israel as defending the restrictions, implying they were not justified.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 8
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 0

Article: Netanyahu: Ready to start peace talks

Date: July 6, 2010

This article concerned a meeting at the White House between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and United States President Barack Obama, scheduled for the following day.

Omission: It speculated "Obama is expected to pressure Netanyahu to extend Israel's 10-month moratorium on new settlement construction in the West Bank, a policy set to expire in September," but omitted mentioning the ten month moratorium was undertaken with the understanding it was a one-time moratorium, would lead to direct talks and would be reciprocated by steps taken by the Arab states.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 9
Pro-Israel: 0
Anti-Israel: 0

Article: Netanyahu: I'd let 1,000 go to free Israeli soldier

Date: July 2, 2010

This article reported on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying during a live address to the nation that he would let 1,000 Arab prisoners free in order to obtain the release of Gilad Shalit, kidnapped by Hamas terrorists four years ago, but there would be limits: dangerous terrorists will not return to the areas of Judea and Samaria (the West Bank) from where they can continue to harm Israel's citizens" and "top terrorists" would not be freed.

Bias: The writer felt compelled to explain Judea and Samaria referred to "the West Bank" but omitted explaining that Judea and Samaria were the historical names for the areas while "West Bank" was a new term introduced to obscure the historical Jewish connection.

Despite the bias, the article was effectively somewhat pro-Israel by otherwise simply reporting on something which inherently displayed how far Israel was willing to compromise and its contrast with the heartlessness of its intransigent enemies.

Ratings

Factual Accuracy: 10
Bias-Free: 9
Pro-Israel: 1
Anti-Israel: 0