New York Times Whitewashes Palestinian Terrorism--Again

I’m much more worried about being bombed than grazing my head!
Ruqaya Izzidien joking in tunnel between Gaza and Egypt

But it's all in good fun, of course.

That explains how Izzidien can joke about using underground tunnels between Gaza and Egypt for "illegal smuggling" without ever mentioning the topic illegal weapons for Palestinian terrorists to fire rockets at Israeli civilians:

Gazans have always considered the tunnels a legitimate trade and passenger route, one that is necessary for survival in light of the blockade. The Israeli government views the tunnels as an illegal smuggling route and often targets them in airstrikes, which usually trap and kill workers.
Despite the frequent Israeli bombings and, during the era of President Hosni Mubarak in Egypt, deliberate flooding and even electrocutions, the tunnel workers are unfazed by — or perhaps desensitized to — the prospect of a collapse. As I briefly stepped out into Gaza, the tunnel’s owner laughed when my guide told him that I was worried about an airstrike.

Right on cue, an Israeli F-16 roared over our heads, and the owner looked up at the plane with a huge grin and mockingly beckoned its pilots to bomb where I stood. He pointed at me and shouted skyward, “She’s over here!”

Everyone exploded with laughter, and as I turned back and crouched into the tunnel to return to Egypt, the owner called out to me, “Watch your head!”

Oh that witty Izzidien!


In Izzidien's article about those tunnels:

• No mention of Gazan tunnels being used for smuggling weapons
• No mention of why there is a blockade
• No mention of the 15,274 rockets fired from Gaza at Israeli civilians since 2001

As CiF Watch notes, Ruqaya Izzidien is an old hand at whitewashing terrorism.

No wonder Jodi Rudoren, The New York Times new Jerusalem bureau chief, is star-struck with Izzidien's work, and tweets:

Very cool NYT piece on crossing into Gaza via Rafah tunnels by Ruqaya Izzidien, who I'm looking fwd to mtg next trip

Rudoren of course is the one who wrote about that article dripping with sympathy for those poor Palestinian Arabs on a hunger strike in Israeli prisons without once mentioning they were terrorists who murdered Israeli civilians.

CAMERA noted Rudoren's incredible pro-Palestinian bias in her lopsided article on the Palestinian hunger strike, which had:

• No quotes by Israelis explaining the rationale behind administrative detention (or anything else)
• No explanation by Rudoren (or anyone else) discussing Israeli rationale behind administrative detention
• No reference whatsoever to those Palestinian terrorist attacks

I have no doubt when they get together, Izzidien and Rudoren will have plenty to giggle over.

Technorati Tag: Israel and Media Bias.