What a surprise. Guardian continues in its long tradition of infantilzing Palestinians - by Adam Levick

We’re not at all optimistic that the Guardian will head our advice and begin viewing Palestinian decisions as an important factor in analysing the conflict, in part because the ideology the media group is institutionally wedded to demands a narrative in which Palestinians exist solely as passive victims of Israel, the only party that matters.

Adam Levick..
UK Media Watch..
26 May '19..

In the context of the long Guardian history of anti-Israel venom, the following passage in a piece by their Jerusalem correspondent Oliver Holmes is hardly among the most egregious examples. Yet, it’s an apt illustration of one of their consistent patterns of bias: myopic coverage that focuses almost entirely on Israel whilst erasing Palestinians.

The article “Donald Trump’s peace conference will fail, Palestinian say”, May 20, notes Palestinians’ rejection of the US sponsored “Peace to Prosperity” workshop to be held in Bahrain next month, and includes the following background:

Expectations for a successful agreement are low. The Palestinians, citing Trump’s pro-Israel bias, have pre-emptively rejected US mediation and it is not clear if a delegation will attend. Meanwhile, Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, has expressed open disdain for peace efforts and categorically ruled out a Palestinian state.

First, whilst it’s at least arguable that Netanyanu has effectively ruled out a Palestinian state, the claim by Holmes that he has expressed “open disdain for peace efforts” is extremely misleading. Though Netanyahu was a long critic of the Oslo Peace Process, his skepticism didn’t prevent him, during his first stint as prime minister, from agreeing to significant Oslo-related territorial withdrawals – The Wye River Memorandum and the Hebron Protocols.

Further, during the Obama Administration, Netanyahu not only consistently agreed to engage in US sponsored talks without preconditions, but also implemented an unprecedented 10 month settlement freeze to induce Mahmoud Abbas to come to the table. Despite this Israeli concession, Abbas still refused to participate in talks for the first nine months of the 10 month freeze, “leaving virtually no time for substantive progress before the freeze expired”.

When US peace efforts resumed several years later, after John Kerry became Secretary of State, Abbas again demanded preconditions before he agreed to talks – the release of over 100 pre-Oslo prisoners – all of whom were convicted of violent terror offences. Though Netanyahu agreed to this Palestinian demand, talks broke down in 2014.

(Continue to Full Post)

Updates throughout the day at http://calevbenyefuneh.blogspot.com. If you enjoy "Love of the Land", please be a subscriber. Just put your email address in the "Subscribe" box on the upper right-hand corner of the page.Twitter updates at LoveoftheLand as well as our Love of the Land page at Facebook which has additional pieces of interest besides that which is posted on the blog. Also check-out This Ongoing War by Frimet and Arnold Roth. An excellent blog, very important work. 

.