(CAMERA) Andrea Levin - The murders of the Fogel family posed a dilemma for the New York Times, fixated as it is on a story line in which Israel, and especially Israeli settlers, bear central responsibility for ongoing tensions with the Arabs. The first major account of the carnage appeared on March 13 - on page 16 with no photo. A day later, updates on the story appeared on page 4, as the focus turned to Israel's announcement of renewed construction in several settlements. Two photos ran that day of the Fogel funerals, with the caption: "About 20,000 attended the funerals for the Fogels, whose deaths outraged settlers." Did the Times think only "settlers" were outraged over slitting the throats of children in their beds? Israel's leading columnist, Nahum Barnea, who's not a settler, wrote: "The murder in Itamar is so shocking, so horrible, that it makes the debate over settlements irrelevant....The difference between Tel Aviv and Itamar is erased."
2011-03-29 00:00:00Full ArticleBACK Visit the Daily Alert Archive