"Squeezing Out Christians and Muslims" - Irish Times Blames Israel

Honest Reporting
Media Critiques
07 October '10

While West Bank Jewish settlements remains a contentious issue in negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, the Irish Times is exploiting the issue to make unfounded claims that the settlements are to blame for Palestinian infighting. In an article titled, "Israeli Settlements Squeezing Out Christians and Muslims," the paper even goes so far as to claim that Israel's policies are specifically aimed at increasing hostilities between the two groups.

Quoting a Palestinian named George Rishmawi, an official at the Palestinian Centre for Rapprochement, Irish Times reporter Michael Jansen writes:

“Christians are part of the Palestinian social fabric . . . and of Islamic culture. Palestinians do not differentiate between Muslims and Christians – who are less than 2 per cent of the population,” says Mr Rishmawi.

But Israel makes a key distinction designed to cause animosities.

“It grants West Bank Christians permits to travel to Jerusalem for Christian holidays . . . It is not the same for Muslims. For them it is difficult to get permits. This makes Muslims angry at Christians,” Mr Rishmawi adds.

It is absurd to suggest that Israel is deliberately sowing discord among the Palestinians by granting access to holy sites to Christians. Amazingly, it is Jansen, not his Palestinian source - whose words appear in quotes - who says the policies are "designed" to harm relations.

(Read full critique)

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