Unconvincing Inconclusiveness

"In Village, Palestinians Face Gas With Rocks"; By Isabel Kershner; A6

The beginning of a report about a confrontation between the IDF and Palestinians in the village of Nilin casts Israeli soldiers as hunters stalking prey: "Camouflaged among the olive trees...they were waiting for the village youths to arrive."

The offensive characterization is followed by counterclaims from the IDF and Palestinian protesters regarding the latter's adherence to non-violence. The reader is eager to discover who the journalist will expose as the liar through her investigation.

In the meantime, Isabel Kershner presents a skeptical account of the purpose and success of the security barrier, despite evidence that testifies to its effectiveness in preventing suicide bombings. She offers one of her classic he said, she said accounts:

"Israel started building the separation barrier in 2002, saying that it was necessary to prevent Palestinian suicide bombers from reaching Israeli cities...The [Palestinian] villagers and their supporters are convinced that this barrier is not about security, but about the Israeli occupation and appetite for land." 

Returning to the issue of who initiates the confrontation between the IDF and Palestinians, IK concludes weakly and anti-climactically on what she observed:

"The crowd quickly dispersed; it was hard to determine whether the protesters started throwing stones or whether the Israeli forces waiting for them opened fire first." 

IK's inconclusiveness is unconvincing.