Perennial Doubt Placed on Israeli Inquiries

"Israel: No Penalty in Journalist’s Death," A13 (World Briefing), 8/14/08
By Associated Press

The Israeli Army inquiry into the unfortunate death of a Reuters cameraman has been closed following its finding that the tank crew which had opened fire had acted according to procedure. Operating in an active Gaza battle zone, the tank crew mistakenly suspected that the cameraman's tripod was part of an anti-tank missile.

The article sows doubt in the army's findings, disclosing that the cameraman was "standing by his jeep, which was marked with press signs," while failing to mention that the cameraman was also standing at a distance about a mile away from the tank crew, probably making it difficult if not impossible to identify the press markings.

Given its brevity, the piece also fails to relate, among other key facts, that three IDF soldiers were killed in Gaza earlier in the day in a grenade attack on a tank.

This article appears to be emblematic of the journalistic and NGO trend to reduce any official Israeli statements, documents, or inquiries to the status of being unverified, less-than-true, or simply baseless. On the other hand, unverified Palestinian rumors and propaganda, such as the 2002 "Jenin Massacre," are often automatically trusted and thrust to an "official" status without any independent confirmation or the scientific rigor of an official governmental inquiry.

This appalling trend must be monitored and halted.