Annan urges Israel to stop killing Palestinians

[bemildred]

United Nations secretary-general Kofi Annan has said the suffering of the Palestinian people must not be forgotten during attempts to end the crisis between Israel and Lebanon.

On a visit to the West Bank, he called on Israel to lift its closure of the Gaza Strip, and said he told Israeli officials to stop killing Palestinians.

More than 200 Palestinians, many of them civilians, have died in Gaza since the Israelis launched their campaign at the end of June.

Mr Annan has called for Israel to stop its offensive, all incursions and its closure on Gaza, and has also demanded Palestinian militants stop firing rockets into Israel.

ABC

[newyorican]

1. Might as well...

...ask a junkie to go cold turkey, voluntarily.

[bemildred]

2. I found the unusual bluntness of the headline refreshing. nt

[furman]

18. I found the headline biased against Israel

The editors could have just as easily titled it "Annan Urges Palestinian militants to stop firing rockets into Israel".

A more balanced title would have stated both sides of the issue.

[bemildred]

19. Well, you have an argument there.

But headlines have to be short, so it becomes difficult to be evenhanded. I would wager if you looked around you could find a headline for the same story more suited to your tastes. As I said, I posted this one because I found the pithiness of the headline refreshing, but I do not object to a fuller treatment of what Mr. Annan had to say.

[furman]

20. How about "Annan Urges Restraint from Israelis and Palestinians"

Short enough for you now?

[bemildred]

22. Yes, it's good.

But it's not as novel as the original, or as blunt. I suppose that's the thing about being "even-handed", it tends to come off as wishy-washy too, and in the end you still fail to please everyone.

[furman]

23. Media bias is a major problem

Here is a report on the Australian media's treatment of Israel from the media watchdog organization www.honestreporting.com
http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/reports/Israel_in_the_Australian_Media.asp

Israel in the Australian Media
October,10 2005

The Australian media focuses disproportionately on Israel and particularly on the Arab-Israeli conflict. The bias in this coverage derives partly from trends imported from international sources, especially certain "narrative frames." However, there are domestic influences within the Australian media, especially among the public broadcasters and some of the newspapers, that exacerbate the problem.

Beyond bias, certain themes emerging in the Australian media are examples of the "new anti-Semitism." These include the alleged financial and media power of the Jewish lobby; an extreme demonization of Israel and extravagant assertions about the supposed worldwide effects of its policy toward the Palestinians; conspiracy theories about American Jewish neoconservatives; and a tendency to claim that anti-Semitism is a response to Jewish behavior and attitudes.

http://www.honestreporting.com/articles/45884734/reports/Israel_in_the_Australian_Media.asp

on edit:
I just submitted the article from the OP to HonestReporting complaining of bias in the title.

[bemildred]

24. It is ubiquitious.

My own observation is that objectivity is an ideal that is rarely approached, and that the attempt is rarely made. HonestReporting is no better than anyone else.

[furman]

25. I disagree. Watchdog groups like HonestReporting help effect change

and often elicit retractions and corrections from the original sources.

[bemildred]

26. That is your prerogative.

I submit that there is a difference between trying to be unbiased and lobbying for the bias that you prefer. Being unbiased requires that one air all points of view and attempt to give them appropriate weight. HonestReporting does nothing of the sort, it is an advocacy site.

[furman]

27. I did not say that HonestReporting is unbiased.

They expose examples of bias against Israel with the mission of eliciting corrections from the original media sources and informing readers like us of how the media helps sway public opinion.

[bemildred]

28. Good, then we agree. nt

[Englander]

29. Just like FrontPageMag, eh?

'HonestReporting.com

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[furman]

31. You would be better off criticizing HonestReporting's content

rather than where they distribute the content.

[Englander]

32. There's no need.

All I have to do is let them speak for themselves;

'Essential Links

>snip

Media Watchdogs
BBCWatch.com – Monitoring the BBC
IMRA – Independent Media Review Analysis
MEMRI – Middle East Media Research Institute
Palestinian Media Watch

>snip

Blogs
Backspin – Honest Reporting's blog
Cox & Forkum
Dry Bones
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It's Almost Supernatural
Little Green Footballs
Melanie Phillips
Daniel Pipes
Soccer Dad

http://www.honestreporting.com/a/essential_links.asp

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HonestReporting has quickly proven to be one of Israel's most important weapons in the battle for fair media coverage. At a time when Israel's image abroad counts among our most critical national priorities, and in a world of hostile media, it is crucial that HonestReporting's work continues and expands.

With over 140,000 subscribers, HonestReporting is Israel's largest media watchdog. Their prompt response to violations of professional journalistic standards keeps media outlets aware that they will be held accountable. Unknown potential damage is avoided and real danger is minimized, due to HonestReporting's relentless efforts.

I know of few more dynamic, truly effective organizations in the Jewish world today than HonestReporting.

Gary Bauer
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HonestReporting is one of the world's most important organizations defending Israel. It serves on the front lines against media bias everywhere. HonestReporting and its 140,000 subscribers is the largest watchdog protecting Israel from imbalanced reporting in mainstream media. The security of Israel is directly connected to American support, so the success of HonestReporting is a priority to me and everyone who cares about our only democratic ally in the Middle East.

Bob Diener
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HonestReporting is the champion of accurate reporting of the Arab-Israeli conflict. With so many reporters tilting their stories for political objectives or due to intimidation and pressure by non-democratic regimes, HonestReporting is exposing such bias against Israel and is the watchdog attempting to keep them honest. HonestReporting is a respected, reliable source that is at the forefront of stopping the attempt by many in the Arab world to re-write history.

http://www.honestreporting.com/a/endorse.asp

[breakaleg]

3. It's about time!

[Poppyseedman]

4. Interesting that Annan framed the issue as

"urges Israel to stop killing Palestinians" and "demanded Palestinian militants stop firing rockets into Israel"

I guess those rockets don't kill people

[lumpy]

5. If Israel would do the right thing,

get the hell out and leave the Palestinian people in peace and free of Irael's chains, maybe rockets and rocks wouldn't be coming their way.

[pelsar]

9. tried that...

its called gaza.....gave the palestenains their own border with Egypt as well with no israelis in sight or sound or video....they made good use of the opportunity to launch missles and attacks across the border

guess your little thesis is wrong...got any others?

[IntiRaymi]

6. I bet more people get killed by cars than by Qassams in Israel.

I even bet that the comparison is a question of orders of magnitude.

Step 1: Make a mountain out of a molehill.
Step 2: Kill palestinians.

Repeat as necessary. Of course, the precious few voices that do point out the stupidity in all this will be drowned out by the agitators of israeli paranoia.

[pelsar]

10. bet you dont know...

that every day (morning/night) alarms sound in sederot and the area about incoming missles.....and people then wait to hear the explosion (or not, depending upon where it lands)

guess thats ok by you.....whats a few alarms during the day....they're just being paranoid anyway

[Englander]

16. Statistics from 'Israel Road Safety';

To no great surprise, the fatalities as a result of car accidents are significantly higher than
any caused by home-made rockets...

http://www.israelroadsafety.org/Fatalities_Cur_05.html

[furman]

21. Your statement would not resonate well with Israeli voters

...and probably not anywhere else if the population were being attacked by rocket fire.

[Englander]

11. No, they don't, on the whole.

They certainly haven't killed hundreds, as the Israeli forces have. Or 30+ children in one month
alone, as the Israeli forces did in Gaza last month.

[pelsar]

14. maybe they should stop....

trying to kill israelis....it doesnt seem to be working out very well....of course if its just a numbers game then its pretty easy to see how the Brits and the Americans terrorized the germans during WWII, the brits the argentians during the falkland massacres etc....

but thats if we only use a single standard...should we, what do you guys think?

[Andromeda]

7. Mr. Annan is a wimpy little termite

with no guts and no brains. He should go into a different line of work and stop pretending to be a diplomat.

[Tom Joad]

8. Thanks for the intellectual debate.

[Englander]

15. One of the better efforts, I thought. n/t

[Tom Joad]

17. I would call it a "saglism", after the master of such tripe.

[Englander]

30. A poor imitiation, I'd say.

Too many words, too few obscene obscenities to be a true 'saglism', shurely?

[Englander]

12. Neocon nonsense.

*Again*.

[Englander]

13. Good luck with that! n/t