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OpEdNews Op Eds    H3'ed 5/20/15

Deception, Thy Middle Name is Divert

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(Image by Alwatan, a daily Arabic newspaper)   Details   DMCA
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The New York Times' Jerusalem bureau slavishly responds to unfolding Israeli stories as though the computers there are set on robotic control to: "Divert, Divert."

The most recent Times "Divert, Divert" example came in an overlong Times examination of what Pope Frances said in a Vatican private exchange with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Divert is the operative word through which Israel keeps the world from focusing either on positive Palestinian stores, or on Israel's treatment of Palestinians under its military control.

It does so with the dutiful assistance of publications like the New York Times.

The picture above shows two Israeli soldiers arresting a Palestinian child in East Jerusalem. That photo is not from The New York Times. It is from a daily Arabic newspaper Alwatan, published in Oman.

The most recent New York Times diversion story carries the ludicrously misleading headline: "Vatican Seeks to Quiet Uproar Over Pope's 'Angel of Peace' Remark."

What prompted this so-called "uproar"? The Times reports further:

"Did the pope tell Mr. Abbas 'You are an angel of peace,' as many news outlets, including the main Italian news agency ANSA, The Associated Press and The New York Times, reported?

"That phrasing pleased Palestinians but infuriated some Israelis and Jewish leaders around the world.

"Or was the pope encouraging Mr. Abbas with the words, 'May you be an angel of peace,' as other major Italian news media, like La Repubblica and La Stampa, reported, a formulation that suggested more exhortation than commendation, and sounded better to pro-Israeli ears.

"It all seemed to boil down to the difference between the verb 'sei,' Italian for 'you are,' and 'sia,' which means 'may you be.' Pro-Israeli advocates were quick to pick up on the discrepancies, but Vatican officials did little to clarify the matter."

Little done by the Vatican to clarify? Not true.

In a statement issued by Vatican spokesman the Rev. Frederico Lombardi. the Times informs its readers, still pushing its Israeli narrative, that Father Lombardi engages in what the Times called "some of his own diplomatic ambiguity."

The reader is expected to believe the following words from Father Lombardi are ambiguous?

"The pope had presented Mr. Abbas with a gift often given to visiting presidents: a bronze medal that represents an angel of peace. In the statement, he said that the word angel refers to a 'messenger.'

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James Wall served as a Contributing Editor of The Christian Century magazine, based in Chicago, Illinois, from 1999 through 2017. From 1972 through 1999, he was editor and publisher of the Christian Century magazine. Many sources have influenced (more...)
 

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