Subscribe to our daily e-mail newsletter

E-mail:

Israel News Feed Or subscribe to our RSS feed | What is RSS?
Israel News from Jerusalem Newswire
Nations United Against Israel

Sky News prepares the way


By Stan Goodenough
March 03, 2009

As US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton prepared to fly to Jerusalem Monday, Sky News launched a campaign transparently timed to provoke the atmosphere between her and Israel's leaders.

Under the inflammatory headline "Ethnic cleansing fears in East Jerusalem," the British news service provided Palestinian Arabs with a platform from which to accuse Israel of preparing to carry out yet more human rights abuses and crimes.

And Sky reporter Dominic Waghorn shamelessly gave substance to the allegations.

According to Waghorn, as many as 1000 Palestinian Arabs have suddenly been threatened with eviction from 88 homes beneath the Old City of Jerusalem, in the neighborhood known as Silwan - site of the ancient City of David.

Israel plans to uproot these people to make way for an archeological park, Waghorn claimed.

It just so happened that home owner [sic] Omar Abu Rajab had "invited" Sky into his house, which he claimed is built on land that has been in his family "for generations."

"We are very worried," he said. "We are wondering, will they come for us to destroy our house on this day or the next. We can't sleep. And what shall we do if they throw us out? Where will go? Our seven children, me and my wife."

He spoke mournfully as Sky's camera zoomed in on the face of a large-eyed boy sitting at his side.

An outraged Waghorn went for Israeli Yakir Segev, the head of eastern Jerusalem affairs in the Jerusalem Municipality Authority.

Brushing aside Segev's assertion that "all of these [threatened] houses were built without permits," Waghorn demanded to know what right Israel had to remove people who "have lived here for generations."

Waghorn didn't say "allegedly lived here for generations" or "who say they have lived here for generations."

For him, it was factual because an Arab "victim" said it was so.

The "journalist" appeared to hope that this latest Israeli outrage would goad American President Barack Obama into turning the screws on Israel.

The "mounting controversy," he said, could do "terminal damage" to the peace process. By threatening the evictions, "the Israelis are testing the new Obama administration's commitment to peace."

Contacted by Jerusalem Newswire, Segev revealed that there was nothing new in this plan to demolish the illegally-built homes. The area in question had been zoned a green area from the very start of Israel's administration of its capital. Even so, the eviction question is being dealt with through the Israeli court system on a case by case basis. It had already been underway for years and would likely take more years before rulings had been passed down to be acted upon.

The timing of the Sky News report appeared to Segev to be mischievous - politically motivated - said Segev.

The medium's agenda was quite apparent.

Hopefully, the "Palestinians" would "urge" the new US Secretary of State "to tackle the issue on her first tour of the region this week," concluded Sky.

It could have added: "With our considerable help."

Like the article?
Help spread the word:
Jnewswire updates
Never miss another story
  • Inbox already too full?
    Subscribe to our
    RSS feed instead!