Israel – Investigative Journalism or Invented News

In Jerusalem Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the assassination attempt of Temple Mount rights activist Yehuda Glick.  The shooter pulled up on a motor scooter, confirmed his identity and shot him in the chest 4 times.   Glick remains in critical condition.    A Hamas terrorist slammed his car into a pedestrian walkway killing a 3 month old baby and a seminary student, injuring 7 others. 

Children of Arafat’s PLO are Fatah and Hamas.  The Palestinian Authority’s Fatah controls the West Bank areas of Israel, and is reported to be less violent than Hamas; which is the internationally recognized terrorist organization controlling Gaza. 

Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas appeared on PA television telling viewers to use all means necessary to prevent Jews from entering the Temple Mount – the holiest site in Judaism.   He proclaimed the Glick shooter and the murderer of the baby and student as heroes, fanning the flames of intifada.   His incitement to violence is reminiscent of Yasser Arafat’s propaganda against Ariel Sharon which instigated the “Second Intifada” murdering 1,200 Israelis in a 5 year terror campaign. 

Following the attack on Glick, the Temple Mount was temporarily closed on October 29th.   Mahmoud Abbas called it a declaration of war and King Abdullah II of Jordan threatened to revoke the Peace Treaty with Israel.  It will be reopened on October 30 with limited access to Muslims only, men over the age of 50 and women of all ages to prevent further violence and demonstrations.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said “I have not heard from the international community one word of condemnation for the inflammatory remarks of Mahmoud Abbas.  The international community needs to stop its hypocrisy and take action against inciters of violence.”   The Prime Minister has stepped up security throughout Jerusalem and ordered reinforcements in the holy places. 

An Atlantic magazine article by occasional recipient of White House leaks, author Jeff Goldberg, used un-named sources to point fingers at Prime Minister Netanyahu with juvenile repugnant name calling.   The anti Israel rant was gossip and speculation.   The writer claimed anonymous sources to be senior Obama Administration officials. 

The White House distanced itself. Alistair Baskey spokesman for the National Security Council said “…comments are inappropriate and counterproductive”.  UN Ambassador Susan Rice followed up “The relationship is not in crisis.”  Secretary of State John Kerry said comments were “disgraceful, and unacceptable”. 

Republican Senators John McCain and Lindsey Graham condemned.  “There is no excuse for Obama Administration officials to insult the Prime Minister of Israel, our closest ally in the Middle East.” 

This is invented news.   It is known that there is a bumpy path between the Obama Administration and the Prime Minister; it is neither a crisis nor news.  Yet this story headlined, while legitimate political discourse regarding the challenges facing Israel internally and in the world remain largely unreported. 

Anonymous sources in the Administration may have dropped repugnant comments about the Israeli Prime Minister.  It created sound bites and fury, but it was hardly professional investigative journalism.  Walter Cronkite, where are you?