There’s fake news, sloppy misreporting, and then there’s hasbara. I consider the mistake made by the AP News this week an example of hasbara that requires a correction. My letter was sent to the AP News Online Contact form. I hope it’s received and taken seriously.
May 8, 2019
AP News Headquarters
200 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10281
RE: Correction requested
Dear Managing Editor:
The story published May 6, 2019 titled “Israel’s Gaza blockade under scrutiny after latest violence” by Josef Federman, has a serious error which should be corrected in your print and electronic editions.
Federman writes: “Israel considers Hamas, which seeks Israel’s destruction, a terrorist group, while Hamas sees Israel as an illegal occupier.”
While he’s correct to assert that Israel considers Hamas a terrorist group, and also correct that Hamas considers Israel an illegal occupier, he misstates the facts when he claims that Hamas seeks Israel’s destruction.
Two years ago Hamas presented a new charter that clearly does not call for the destruction of Israel but considers the establishment of a fully sovereign and independent State of Palestine, with Jerusalem as its capital along the 1967 lines, with the right of return for the refugees to homes from which they were expelled.
By implication, the document accepts that there will be another state entity outside these borders, even if it does not mention Israel. This news was reported in The Guardian on May 1, 2017. Available at https://tinyurl.com/y3b6tprc
In this world of supposedly “fake news” and public skepticism about the quality of news reporting, the AP International Bureau would do a great public service if it would provide a correction to Federman’s story and then go further and report on this new Hamas charter.
Thank you.
Sincerely,
Lora Lucero
لماذا غزة؟ Why Gaza? 
Reblogged this on circusbuoy.
Good for you Lora. Yes, fake news keeping the status quo narrative propped up is the “tool of the times.” The same is going on for the current Venezuela debacle, and many other Middle East issues of the day.
My latest, sent today to my Congressman, Elijah Cummings:
What do you say about Israel’s murder of Palestinian civilians in Gaza? Nothing. Nor will you answer this note from me. Both Palestinians and your constituents who object to your dual loyalty, are ignored by you and our other elected representatives. This is disgraceful behavior, identical to the southern racists who ignored appeals 1/2 a century ago, demanding Justice for black Americans.
Once again, Israeli forces have pounded the imprisoned population of Gaza. Israeli airstrikes and snipers have killed and and maimed men, women, and children, destroyed homes and businesses, terrorized Gaza’s almost 2 million inhabitants.
Between Friday and Sunday, May 3rd through 5th, Israeli forces killed 27 Palestinians (some of the injured may die in coming days and months), injured over 150, destroyed a news agency, and damaged or destroyed 600 homes.
Among the dead were two infants, a 12-year-old child, and a pregnant woman; among the injured were at least 30 children, two journalists and three paramedics.
You, Mr. Cummings, who benefit from Zionist money and have a Zionist foundation named after you, you have nothing to say because you are owned by racists.
I have complained a couple times to AP. As often as not, they just repeat whatever the Israeli line is. The Baltimore Sun is so sloppy they will include an AP paragraph without specific attribution, so there’s no one to complain to and you just have to eat the fake news along with the real news. I just wish there was an actual boycott we could all support and not bother with these nitty little distortions.
Reblogged this on penelopap.