Landes Critiques Press Responses

The release of the Kuperwasser Committee Report has elicited a broad range of response. Among them, has been the (predictable) reaction of journalists who, either out of a defense of Enderlin and the reputation of the profession of journalists, have come out against the report. In the process, they have exposed to the public the full array of memes they deploy in the service of defending a lethal narrative problematized. I have been responding as best I can to the major examples of these various responses with fiskings at my blog, The Augean StablesBelow, I list the articles and my fisks of them, including some good articles to which I append commentary.

Barak Ravid, “Report on IDF shooting of Palestinian boy during intifada may cause Israel more damage than good,” Haaretz, May 20, 2013
Richard Landes, “The Israeli Who Can’t Stand Good News: Is it a pomo honor reflex to shrivel at the mention of Al Durah?” Augean Stables, May 20, 2013

Robert Tait, “Symbolic intifada death of boy did not happen, says Israel,” Daily Telegraph, May 20, 2013
Richard Landes, “On how not to do a story: Daily Telegraph’s Robert Tait fisked,” and The Al Durah Affair: What makes journalists behave so badly? Augean Stables, May 22, 2013,

Herb Keinon, “Analysis: Words vs. pictures in al-Dura affair,” Jerusalem Post, May 21, 2013
Richard Landes, “Answer to Herb Keinon: Whose interests are served by resurrecting the potent image of Muhammad al-Dura?Augean Stables, May 22, 2013

Vic Rosenthal, “Why was the IDF (and Karsenty) Abandoned in the Al Dura Affair?” The Jewish Press, May 22, 2013
Richard Landes, Answer to Vic Rosenthal’s Good Question about Al Durah, Augean Stables, May 23, 2013

Alana Goodman, “Vultures,” May 22, 2013
Richard Landes, “Lethal Journalists React to the Al Durah Report: Insights into the NGO-Journo Matrix,” Augean Stables, May 23, 2013

Shmuel Rosner, “The Skeptic’s Curse,” New York Times, May 23, 2013
Richard Landes, “Welcome, Refugee from rekaB Street: Shmuel Rosner’s Mea Culpa,” Augean Stables, May 23, 2013

Larry Derfner, “On the al-Dura affair: Israel officially drank the Kool Aid,” 972, May 22, 2013
Richard Landes, “Derfner’s Brand of Kool-Aid: You Gonna Believe me or your Lying Eyes?,” Augean Stables, May 24, 2013

Editorial, “Muhammad Al-Dura lives,” Saudi Gazette, May 26 – 16 Rajab 1434 H
Richard Landes, “How Dare You Deprive us of our Icon of Hatred? A Saudi Editorial on Al Durah,” Augean Stables, May 26, 2013.

Editorial, “Unsupported Accusations against French TV Correspondent over Coverage of Palestinian Teenager’s Shooting,” Reporters without Borders, May 22, 2013
Richard Landes, “Reporters Without Borders Comes to Enderlin’s Aid: The Smear Defense,” Augean Stables, May 26, 2013

Ali Gharib, “Press Advocates: Israeli Report On Al-Dura Affair ‘Absurd and Unacceptable’,” Open Zion, May 23, 2013
Richard Landes, “Al Durah (Lethal) Journalism Thrives at Open Zion: Al Durah Incited Hatred? Absurd!,” Augean Stables, May 26, 2013