Wednesday, March 26, 2014

"When There is Peace, I Will Raise an Israeli Flag on the Roof of My House" (in Syria!)

"... On August 5, 2013, the news from Nahariya, Israel, was that Across Forbidden Border, Doctors in Israel Quietly Tend to Syria’s Wounded. The piece tells of skilled Israeli physicians treating a small number of gravely wounded Syrians whose relatives manage to transport them to the border.Then, on January 29, 2014, the news from Nahariya was that Despite Decades of Enmity, Israel Quietly Aids Syrian Civilians.” The piece tells of skilled Israeli physicians treating a small number of gravely wounded Syrians whose relatives manage to transport them to the border.It’s odd for any news organization to repeat a story; the January redux piece is not an update and makes no reference to its August incarnation. Is it because the doctors are so “Quietly” doing their work (as the titles suggest) that the Times felt the need to reprise? Lest we miss the point? (And what is the point the Times editors feel requires such urgent reiteration?)  A close read of the parallel dispatches reveal them something other than journalism. The thrust of the stories, penned by Jerusalem correspondent Isabel Kershner, is that, because Israel and Syria are “technically” still at war (in the author’s overriding penchant for euphemism), it is both surprising and notably benevolent that Israel doctors would help enemy neighbors in need. ..."

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