Moreover, the missile did not destroy the hospital but appears to have landed in the parking lot. Finally, the actual death toll remains in dispute.
While the caption on the photo above acknowledged that it is not the picture of the hospital, it created a powerful image with the headline. The more important question is why the New York Times would simply repeat the accusation from Hamas on the origin of the missile when there are thousands of missiles going back and forth between Israel and Gaza.
The New York Times not only immediately declared Israel as the source but said that hundreds were killed. The BBC completed an investigation with the assistance of experts, who said that the evidence was not consistent with an Israeli missile strike and further suggested that the death toll was lower than widely reported.
Likewise, Foreign Policy magazine is still showing a misleading picture of a huge crater that turns out to be from an entirely different location. Actual drone footage does not show the type of large crater that would have been left by an Israeli missile in the parking lot. The Wall Street Journal showed this crater in the parking lot:
While the New York Times can claim that it later covered the countervailing findings of Israeli and American intelligence, that is not the case with Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D., Mich.). Last night, after the Biden Administration released its own findings that the missile came from Palestine, Tlaib led a mass protest while denouncing Israel for the strike:“People think it’s okay to bomb a hospital where children, you know, what’s so hard sometimes is watching those videos and and the people telling the kids, ‘Don’t cry.’ And like, let them cry!”And they’re shaking [INAUDIBLE] they keep telling them not to cry in Arabic. And they can cry, I can cry, we all can cry. If we’re not crying, something is wrong! And so I’m telling you right now, President Biden, not all of America’s with you on this one. And you need to wake up and understand that! We are literally watching people commit your genocide and killing a vast majority just like this. And we still stand by and say nothing. We will remember this. But all of you, you need to know, I swear to God [INAUDIBLE] You are on the right side of history! You are! You’re doing everything possible to save lives! What is wrong with that? Stop it!”
Tlaib wrote on social media that “Israel just bombed the Baptist Hospital killing 500 Palestinians (doctors, children, patients) just like that” on X.
Of course, NY Times, Tlaib, and others can count on the free speech community will continue to support their own ability to speak even when they are accused of spreading disinformation.
This controversy shows, again, how selective the media has been in its calls for bans and censorship. That includes various journalistic and scientific figures banned for expressing skepticism over pandemic claims from the origins of the virus to the efficacy of certain treatments. For example, when many people raised the possibility that the virus may have been released from the nearby Chinese virology lab (rather than the “wet market” theory), they were denounced as virtually a lunatic fringe. Even objections to the bias of authors of a report dismissing the lab theory were ridiculed. The New York Times reporter covering the area called it “racist” and implausible. Now, even W.H.O. admits that the lab theory is possible and Biden officials are admitting that it is indeed plausible.
Fortunately for the reporters of the New York Times and Democratic members like Tlaib, free speech values should protect their right to continue to post these views despite their truth or veracity. One can only hope that they might want to consider showing others the same consideration.
Tlaib is taking what the Democrats did against Donald Trump and is using this new book of tricks to go after Jews. The Democrats concocted a lie that they used as a blood libel against Trump, that he somehow called the Neo Nazis at Charlottesville “very fine people” when in fact he did not. Tlaib is doing the same thing with this hospital rocket strike to smear Jews and Israel.
Prof.. Turley, your final words ‘One can only hope that they might want to consider showing others the same consideration.’ is the crux of the matter… Besides being TOO ARROGANT and FULL OF THEMSELVES.. those who behave like these Woke Folks must be too CLUELESS, CLASSLESS & WEAK to apologize when they support established LIES… whilst they insist that everyone else tow Their Line… ..hard to believe we have so many unevolved persons who support this nonsense.. rather reminiscent of the horrible Joseph McCarthyism slander & libel years…..
According to highly placed sources in the Biden administration, the U.S. State Department has warned Hamas to immediately cease misgendering the hostages captured in its recent terror attacks.
The sources say that the Administration views the misgendering as violations of internal law and far outside civilized norms. Hamas’ failure to comply with the Administration’s demands will be met with the harshest possible consequences.
Free speech should be absolute. I fail to understand those that believe free speech is only speech that they personally agree with.
Turley,
I’m a little amazed at your ‘Of course they are counting on the Free speech… ‘ statement.
Absolutely, they have the right to say anything that they want, while they must also recognize that not all speech is protected and that being free from prosecution over their speech, there can and will be blow back.
Tlaib may not go to jail for her posts… but that doesn’t mean she couldn’t be expelled from Congress.
-G
“At least 100 Israelis have been arrested for social media posts supporting Palestinians in Gaza and 70 remain in detention, according to a legal advocacy group in the country.”
https://forward.com/fast-forward/565699/dozens-of-arrested-for-posts-defending-gaza/
Will JT discuss this anti-free-speech act?
Or how about this illegal act:
“Israeli police chief says there’s a ‘zero tolerance’ police for anti-war protests, threatening to send them to Gaza in buses.”
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20231019-israel-police-anti-war-protesters-will-be-sent-to-gaza/
“The Israeli government has granted approval for emergency regulations, enabling it to temporarily suspend the operations of foreign news channels, including Al Jazeera, due to its reporting of the ongoing war against Gaza.”
middleeastmonitor.com/20231020-israels-seeks-emergency-law-to-silence-media-coverage-of-gaza-war/
These are not the acts of a healthy democracy.
Israel and Europe don’t have the same free speech standards. Stop pretending they do. If you won’t stand up for ours, how can you expect anyone to care about others?
Oh yes, and control of the media and information in a war is something healthy democracies do all the time.
In November 1947, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution partitioning Palestine into two states, one Jewish and one Arab, with Jerusalem under a UN administration. The Arab world rejected the plan, arguing that it was unfair and violated the UN Charter. Jewish militias launched attacks against Palestinian villages, forcing thousands to flee. The situation escalated into a full-blown war in 1948, with the end of the British Mandate and the departure of British forces, the declaration of independence of the State of Israel and the entry of neighbouring Arab armies. The newly established Israeli forces launched a major offensive. The result of the war was the permanent displacement of more than half of the Palestinian population.
The neighborhood bully he just lives to survive
He’s criticized and condemned for being alive
He’s not supposed to fight back, he’s supposed to have thick skin
He’s supposed to lay down and die when his door is kicked in
He’s the neighborhood bully.
The neighborhood bully been driven out of every land
He’s wandered the earth an exiled man
Seen his family scattered, his people hounded and torn
He’s always on trial for just being born
He’s the neighborhood bully.
WHY DO U HATE JEWS?
Suppose Israel no longer exists. Jews have created an encampment in the Andes (JIA). Then what?
That’s easy.
Chanting “death to JIA” and “from the river to the sea,” Iran’s mullahs send terrorists to wipe out the encampment.
When you are driven by a genocidal ideology, you go where the targets are.
The U.N. then wrings its hands over JIA’s asymmetric response. “How dare they use rocks, when the attackers only used pebbles.”
Genocidal sympathizers in the U.S. demand “justice” for the oppressed Andeans.
And some Leftist politician declares: “Don’t worry JIA. We’ve got your back. No, this time, seriously.”
When you apologize for that genocidal ideology, you betray its victims.
Sam, I think you’re onto something there. It’s the ancient human disease. The world cannot abide that the Jews survived 1,900 years without a homeland, and remained an intact people group – something no other nation has done. That Jews still exist as a distinct nationality drives people nuts without their even knowing why. Hating Jews seems to be deeply woven into human nature. Why else would there be Gays for Palestine (where gays would get killed, versus in Israel where gay pride parades are legal and well attended), or why else aren’t women’s rights groups protesting that Hamas brutally raped and tortured Israeli women?
“I think you’re onto something there.”
Thanks. But it’s actually history that’s “onto something here.”
Antisemitism is inherent in Islam. Starting with Medina in the 7th century, Muslims have been persecuting Jews — giving them a “choice:” Convert, flee (if you can), be murdered.
The Hamas/Iranian butchers of innocent Israelis repeated that history of barbarism. Unless the root cause is eradicated, that history will repeat itself — again, and again, . . .
Sam, antisemitism is an inherent part of Islam, which is why 100% of Muslim majority nations and theocracies are antisemitic. Moderate Muslims simply ignore this aspect of the Koran, and all the sword verses, which is problematic, as it is supposed to be the literal word of Allah.