A clandestine undertaking on behalf of Israel, the Jets and the Jews.

 
Yet Another Times Distortion

A front page article in today's New York Times cites a new poll taken by the Jaffee Institute for Strategic Studies as showing that "56 percent of those polled said they would support a unilateral withdrawal from all settlements as part of a peace accord, up from 48 percent last year." (emphasis on "all" added)

This is a gross distortion of the actual poll findings, according to which "the number of those supporting the idea of separation from the Palestinians by withdrawing unilaterally even if that meant abandoning settlements increased from 48 percent in 2002 to 56 percent in 2003." In contrast to the Times article, nowhere does the actual poll state that Israelis support abandoning all settlements, and given that even former Labor leader Amram Mitzna insists that Israel will keep the major settlement blocs, it is absurd to believe that a majority of Israelis would give up "consensus" settlements such as Maale Adumim.

This latest egregious example of the Times' difficulties with the truth falsely leads readers to believe that all of the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria are on the fringes of Israeli society, and undermines potential support for the residents and communities in those areas. Many who are otherwise sympathetic toward the notion that Jews can live in Judea and Samaria will not want to oppose destruction of settlements if they believe that a majority of Israelis support such a move.
posted on 6/10/2003