Fri. 15 Apr. 2011 @ 11.32 - No reference to Gilad Shalit in news coverage in Times, Guardian, BBC,Financial Times, Telegraph andIndependent, amid claims that 'Hamas had been credited with eliminating the threat of kidnapping in Gaza until [Arrigoni's] abduction.' Today's coverage of the murder in Gaza of Italian pro-Palestinian activist Vittorio Arrigoni by Salafist extremists whitewashes Hamas' long history of promoting abductions. Arrigoni, who had been living and blogging in Gaza since 2008 and was active with the International Solidarity Movement, was kidnapped yesterday by a group calling itself, 'The Brigade of the Gallant Companion of the Prophet Mohammed bin Muslima.' He is reported to have been beaten and hanged by his captors, who described him as a journalist: 'who came to our country for nothing but to corrupt people - from Italy, the state of infidelity, whose armies are still in the Muslim countries.' A recent tweet from ISM reads: 'While we mourn #Vittorio, let's remember that he died resisting the #Israel #Occupation. It continues...' Wed. 13 Apr. 2011 @ 15.52 - BBC correspondent describes new Israeli missile-defence system as a weapon, before juxtaposing it with coverage of civilian deaths in Gaza. The BBC News website carries a two and a half minute video report by Jon Donnison, the BBC's Gaza correspondent, on the lull in violence between Israel and Hamas. 'Uneasy truce brings peace to Gaza' opens with footage of Hamas militants firing rockets from a cemetery, before cutting to Israel's new 'Iron Dome' system, which is designed to intercept and destroy such projectiles before they strike civilian areas in Israel. Donnison's description and framing of the Iron Dome system is in stark contrast to The Guardian's coverage from Tuesday. Just Journalism noted that 'Israel warns Iron Dome still at experimental stage', by Conal Urquhart, emphasised the need for a defensive system in southern Israel: 'Since 2001 more than 8,600 rockets have hit southern Israel, killing 28 people and injuring hundreds more. The range of the rockets is increasing - from the 10km Qassams to the Grad rockets with a range of 40km - easily able to hit Beersheba. 800,000 Israelis are now within range.' Thurs.14 Apr. 2011 @ 14.03 - The Guardian has published an exclusive statement by three of the four members of the Goldstone report into the Gaza war, defending its initial findings and dismissing subsequent Israeli investigations as 'inadequate'. Following the recent retraction by chair of the report, Richard Goldstone, of a key conclusion that Israel intentionally targeted civilians, the three additional members of his team, Hina Jilani, Christine Chinkin and Desmond Travers, put their names to a statement published today on guardian.co.uk denouncing the about-face. The authors indirectly cite Goldstone'sWashington Post op-ed as having, 'misrepresented facts in an attempt to delegitimise the findings of this report and to cast doubts on its credibility'. Without addressing Justice Goldstone directly, they assert that 'aspersions cast on the findings of the report, nevertheless, cannot be left unchallenged.' The statement continues: 'We [...] find it necessary to dispel any impression that subsequent developments have rendered any part of the mission's report unsubstantiated, erroneous or inaccurate.' Thurs. 14 Apr. 2011 @ 13.20 - Times editorial and accompanying article heap praise on Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad and his state-building project. Today The Times features both an editorial and asubstantial article by Middle East correspondent James Hider, on the state-building successes of Salam Fayyad. Such coverage of the work of the Palestinian Prime Minister in the British press, and particularly in The Times, over the last several days is welcome as previously his reforms have been under-reported, as noted by Just Journalism in a Special Report published in May 2010. The standfirst of today's leading article, 'Palestine's Prospects', reads: 'Despite diplomatic torpor and misrule in Gaza, the government in Ramallah has built efficient institutions and reformed the economy.'
April 15, 2011 The Wire Hamas kidnap profile elided in Italian activist murder coverage
BBC Focus BBC casts Iron Dome as 'weapon' in Israel's 'vastly superior arsenal'
The Wire UN Gaza Report members reject Goldstone retraction in the Guardian
Towards Palestinian Statehood Times editorial praises Fayyad
Friday, 15 April 2011
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