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November 18, 2010 The Wire Guardian peddles baseless 'new Berlin wall' claim Thurs. 18 Nov. 2010 @ 10.09 - UPDATED @ 11:16 a.m.: Middle East correspondent gives undue prominence to unsubstantiated claims about Ghajar pullout. Harriet Sherwood's coverage of Israel's plan to pull out of land deemed by the UN as occupied Lebanese territory offers a unique twist on events. 'The battle to prevent a 'new Berlin wall' on the Israel/Lebanon border' - accompanied by a picture of cement blocks in Ghajar - leads: "At the end of a dusty track, through an Israeli checkpoint and beyond a slalom of concrete blocks, Ahmed Khatib stood on land claimed by three countries, where he fears a new Berlin wall will soon be built." She then showcases comment from Ghajar villagers incensed by the alleged plan and threatening to 'resist' it by all means: "Civilised Europe destroyed the Berlin wall," said Ahmed Khatib, the deputy director of the village council. "Now it will be rebuilt in Ghajar." "Other residents echoed this fear, pledging to resist any attempt to construct a physical barrier along the "blue line" drawn by the UN 10 years ago to mark the border between Lebanon and Israel. "We will stop it by all means," said Shahada Khatib, 26, who travels daily from his home in the north of the village to his job in a bakery in the Israeli town of Kiryat Shimona. "We are ready to sacrifice our souls for that." So what is The Guardian Middle East correspondent's source for the claim that any such barrier will be erected by the Israelis? It certainly is not the Israeli government, whom she herself quotes, categorically denying the idea... Read more >> UPDATE @ 12:00 p.m.: Just Journalism has contacted Harriet Sherwood asking her why her rendering of the quotation alleging the building of a 'Berlin wall' differs from that of Independent correspondent Donald Macintyre. In her article, Sherwood said: "Civilised Europe destroyed the Berlin wall," said Ahmed Khatib, the deputy director of the village council. "Now it will be rebuilt in Ghajar." Whereas Macintyre rendered the same quote: "scores of residents gathered outside the local council office as municipal official Ahmad Khatib declared: "A civilised Europe destroyed the Berlin wall. Now the UN is building the Berlin wall in Ghajar."" In the Independent's version of Khatib's statement, the UN, rather than Israel, is implicated. UPDATE @ 1:31 p.m.: Just Journalism has contacted UNIFIL about both The Guardian and The Independent's news coverage of the Israeli withdrawal from Ghajar and pointedly asked if the organisation had any plan to erect a separation barrier or wall of any kind in the northern part of the town soon to be vacated by the IDF. In a phone call, UNIFIL Chief of Public Information Neeraj Singh said: At this stage, we at UNIFIL are positioned as peacekeeping forces in the northern part of [Ghajar] in accordance with UN Security Council Resolution 1701, which basically requires that Israel should withdraw from the northern part of the village. UNIFIL has been engaged with both the parties [Israel and Lebanon] based on a proposal we made to them back in 2008. What we've been talking about is not about whether Israel should withdraw or not, it's how to address in the best manner the humanitarian concerns of the people of Ghajar. This is an issue stemming from our proposal and all discussions we're having. It's something that must remain between UNIFIL and the parties -- we are not in a position at this stage to discuss any of the details. That would be counterproductive. Special Report London Review of Books 'shan't be responding' to report On Monday, Just Journalism published, 'London Review of Books: Ten years of anti-Israel prejudice', a comprehensive study of Israel-related essays and reviews published in the most widely circulated literary magazine in Europe. The findings show a starkly one-sided and fringe approach to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, funded by the British taxpayer for a decade. This in spite of the high profile awarded to Jewish and Jewish Israeli contributors, who authored more than half of the 92 articles published on the subject. Only one article, however, presented a mainstream Jewish or Israeli perspective. Click here for the full report in PDF format, here to read it as a web page. An advance copy of the report was submitted to London Review of Books Editor Mary-Kay Wilmers on Tuesday, 9 November 2010 but she has declined to comment. Senior editor at the London Review of Books Paul Myerscough told UK correspondent at the Jerusalem Post Jonny Paul, "Many thanks for offering us the opportunity, but we shan't be responding." The Arts Council also gave statements to the Jerusalem Post and the Jewish News when approached by journalists covering the report. Largest circulating Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot focused its coverage on the role of Jewish and Israeli in denigrating Israeli in the London Review of Books, with UK correspondent Yaniv Halily shocasing quotes from articles by Israelis Yitzhak Laor and Ilan Pappe, the latter of which said, "Killing Palestinians comes naturally" to Israelis. Special Event and invite you to a panel discussion on 'How to Stop the De-legitimisation of Israel' sponsored by Click here for more information.