The Nakba narrative now dominates

The Palestinian ‘disaster’ framed much of the UK media’s coverage of Israel’s 60th

Anyone tuning into Jeremy Bowen’s documentary Birth of Israel, reviewed below, would instantly recognise the progress the revisionists and the Palestinians have made in framing the history of the Jewish state. No longer is it sufficient to record how Ben-Gurion and his generals repelled five Arab armies in the aftermath of the United Nations vote in favour of the Jewish state.

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Comment is free, but can be dangerous

The Guardian blog gives a prestigious platform to enemies of Israel and friends of the BNP

Among Britain’s newspapers, The Guardian enjoys the lead on the web, although it is closely pursued by rivals. Among the intriguing features of the Guardian site is the Comment is Free blog, open to all-comers, including its own staff, who think they have something sensible to say.

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Israel must explain a Reuters man’s death

The IDF’s inquiry into the death of a TV cameraman in Gaza must be open and thorough

Israel’s defence forces are again being accused by human-rights groups of alleged reckless or deliberate use of firepower in Gaza. The death of Reuters TV cameraman Fadel Shana, 23, during the violence which erupted on April 16 is rapidly becoming a cause célèbre.

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How one settler upset American academia

The New Yorker examines a battle over the tenure of an American-Palestinian professor

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Why The Economist writes down Israel

The weekly magazine runs a pessimistic report on the Jewish state to mark its 60th anniversary

The media likes anniversaries. They are fixed points in a fast moving news agenda which allow stocktaking. As we move towards May and Israel’s 60th birthday, Israel is certain to come into focus. The Economist was fast off the mark in last week’s issue with a densely written 16-page report, The next generation, which examines dilemmas facing the Jewish state.

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Wow. A non-sensational story on Charedim

The Independent offers a meaty feature on the Shas party

Mostly when the strictly Orthodox community makes it into the mainstream British press, it is for the exotic value. In the past, there has been an unhealthy interest in the small Neturei Karta sect because of its habit of inserting itself into appalling causes like Iranian Holocaust-denial and pro-Palestinian demonstrations in Trafalgar Square on Shabbat.

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Despite its free press, Israel bans Al-Jazeera

Israel prides itself on its independent and open media in a region not known for its freedom of expression. So it was somewhat against the grain when Deputy Foreign Minister Majalli Whbee announced that Jerusalem would be clamping down on the activities of the Qatari-based network Al-Jazeera within Israel.

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