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May 21, 2008 Victory for Truth in Al-Dura CaseThere are reports coming in from France that a French Court has overturned a libel verdict against Philippe Karsenty who has courageously challenged the veracity of French journalist's Charles Enderlin's filmed account of a battle that occurred in the Gaza Strip between Israeli troops and Palestinian terrorists. The Palestinian version was that Israeli troops had killed a young boy, Muhammad al-Dura who was seen on the film crouching behind his father. There was a break in the film and then an image of the boy slumped over was seen. Palestinians and their supporters claimed that the Israeli troops had killed al-Dura; the cause became a cause celebre in the Arab world and played a role in stoking terrorism against Israel. In the heat of the events, the Israeli government accepted responsibility. However, after more investigation of the matter-looking at the placement of the Israeli and Palestinians, it became clear that the Israelis were too quick in accepting blame. Extended analysis made it clearer that the young boy was most probably killed by the Palestinians during the battle. Karsenty had claimed that Enderlin and the Palestinian cameraman had faked the footage to place the blame on Israel. There were gaps in the film that was broadcast throughout the world, missing film that had been edited. Enderlin sued for libel and in the first round in France won. Karsenty appealed that verdict. The issue received a far more intensive analysis during the appeal. Today, that libel verdict was overturned. Enderlin's mendacity cost a lot of lives. Victory on appeal would seemingly corroborate claims that the Enderlin footage was, at best, not accurate and may indeed have been faked. French TV and Enderlin himself have refused to release the footage that was edited from their final version. This is a major victory for not only Karsenty for but for all those who believe that the media should be held accountable for accurately and honestly recording and reporting on the events of the day. We have seen the photofakery during the Hezbollah-Israel war we have seen the al-Dura case; we have seen many other examples that all too often the media (like the terrorists) play by their own rules. The French court just declared that sometimes the rules of law do triumph in the end. Update via Haviv Rettig of the Jerusalem Post: Enderlin is claiming that the appeals court has ruled that Karsenty failed to prove that the news was staged and/or false. He further stated that the case was nevertheless overturned because
Reportedly a source close to Enderlin explained that
Karsenty's claims are based on inconsistencies in the footage, including a publicly-available video-taped admission by Abu Rahma that there are untold secrets related to the case, the fact that only seven bullet holes are seen behind al-Dura despite Abu Rahma's repeated statements that the child survived 45 minutes of continuous shooting by Israeli forces directed at the boy, footage clearly showing pretend gun battles and faked ambulance runs at the junction that day, testimony of the IDF soldiers stationed at the junction who said they did not participate in any firefight that day, and the lack of footage of al-Dura's actual shooting. Despite France 2's playing down of the verdict, some analysts believe it is significant. According to Gross,
Karsenty's view:
What is important to keep in mind that only 55 seconds of the edited footage was shown to the world at the time the "incident" occurred. As part of the proceedings that found for Karsenty, France 2 was compelled to show an additional 18 minutes of the unedited footage. Detractors of France 2 and Enderlin believe there is even more footage that is being hidden. But apparently based on the additional 18 minutes of film, the court vindicated Karsenty, How many lives would have been saved had Enderlin and French 2 been honest and forthright? Tom Gross of NRO provides us with additional information:
If there is a Hall of Shame for journalism, France 2 and Enderlin have earned a place therein. |
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One small step for man. One giant leap for mankind.
Posted by: Ron Kean | May 21, 2008 11:04 AM
Lies are opportunistic. Truth must be persistent. It is an astonishing development that after all these years of transparent frauds like this that one would be publicly deflated. That this could occur in France (France!) is about as hopeful an event as one could hope for other than the election of a pro-American leader. Vive Sarko!
Posted by: megapotamus | May 21, 2008 11:24 AM
The issue is not so much winning the battle in France against the Media. It's winning it here in the US. Trying to get the obviously biased media to tell the truth with objectivety has so far been a losing battle, especially since no one has ever held them accountable for their actions. I'm not saying that the bloggers have not done a good job, but most of the journalists they have caught are still spewing out their obvious crap.
Posted by: Richard Daugherty | May 21, 2008 02:06 PM
"Enderlin's mendacity cost a lot of lives."
It was also Israel's stupidity of quickly taking the blame, instead of quickly blaming the Palestinians, that cost a lot of lives.
Posted by: Berry | May 21, 2008 02:11 PM
I am pleased to see this, and yet I wonder how many media outlets will report on it. You can bet it will not recieve the same level of coverage that the original "story" did.
As such, I am affraid the damage has been done. In the Old City of Jerusalem it is still not uncommon to see photos of the "dead" Al-Dura boy accompanied by anti-Israel slogans.
The trend goes on: inaccurate reporting, contrived stories, Israel raked over the coals, and then once the truth comes out (thuogh it rarely does) it is mostly ignored.
Posted by: MattheJerusalem | May 21, 2008 02:28 PM
Vive Sarko, huh, Megapotamus?
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/05/20/politics/animal/main4110659.shtml
Yes, it's true, Sarko IS talking to Hamas members. He has also refused to allow Hezbollah to be added to the EU's FTO list, which addition, by Hezbollah's own admission, would cripple the organisation.
Sarkozy is THE most anti-American French leader ever.
Posted by: Zbigniew Mazurak | May 21, 2008 02:53 PM
I suspect it is going to always be impossible to declare victory in the battle for public opinion. Not because one can't prove the duplicity of the media and Palestinians but because it just doesn't matter. Even if it is proven beyond dispute that it was faked the inevitable fallback position will be that none of it would have happened except for Israel's occupation. There is no way to persuade or win over the Palestinians because they aren't interested in peace or accommodation - just war and conquest. It will always be the Israelis fault till there are no Israelis.
Posted by: Darryl Boyd | May 21, 2008 09:46 PM
i often wonder, who will the Palestinians hate after the Jews are gone? Or will they somehow miraculously become a peaceful people?
Posted by: DaveT | May 22, 2008 12:20 AM
The answer to Dave is clear. The "Palestinians" were thrown out of Jordan, so they fought each other in Lebanon. They were thrown out of Libya and ultimately killed each other in Gaza. The way to live peacefully with Palestinians is to eradicate them as one would do with rats carrying a plague. How can this be justified? They justify it with their own stated intentions. We are just too stupid to take them up on their word. Al Qeada declared war on the U.S. - Clinton didn't take it serious. Israeli is held on a short moral leash while the Palestinians are glorified as 'freedom fighters.' The only time their was law and order in the Middle East was when it was ruled by colonial powers.
Posted by: FRS | May 22, 2008 12:14 PM
One of the most important observations that can be made about Karsenty's victory is that both the New York Times and The Guardian have chosen not to mention the court decision. Omission is one of the most powerful lies available. Instead of writing to the blogs where people are in agreement, the readers here might wish to inform these publications that you are aware of their mendacious omission. I do not know how to reach The Guardian, but the New York Times can be reached at letters@nytimes.com; editorial@nytimes.com; publisher@nytimes.com; president@nytimes.com
Posted by: jerry | May 25, 2008 03:30 PM
I believe al Dura was killed by israel. This is a common think for AIPAC to interfere with the French court. AIPAC has too much influence in France.
Posted by: Yaakov Sullivan | May 27, 2008 04:03 AM
Dear liers !
1: The court decision is no approval of claims in the 18 minutes of fact-denying, Goebble-like, propaganda-fiction in the video "Pallywood" from Richard Landes.
2: The court decision is about freedom of expression. Freedom to deny what ever, including Holocaust denial (actually what Richard Landes video should be compared with).
3: It is a good decision as freedom of expression is the basis for a free democratic world with a credible press.
4: People like Richard Landes (Holocaust deniers and such) can relax now, as they can go on offend media, and whole people (Palestinians, Kurds, Tibetans, WestSaharians, Gipsys, holocaust-survivors, etc.) without fear of any legal consequences.
5: Richard Landes is good at fabricating lies and propaganda. His extremists zionist allyes at 2. draft are expert at media and film. They actually do not want to discuss media, they want to confuse media and people by obscuring facts about Israels crimes agains humanity (ascerted by Amnesty and HRW) with the uso of propaganda. But as facts gets more accessible as internet expands, they will have less chance of success.
A few facts for Landes&Co to remember:
- Zionism = racism (An ideology about putting up a nation on other peoples land, and only for jews)
- Israel = colonizer
- Israel = Thief
Jews who lost their homes and lands and shops and industries (almost only in europe - not in middleast) got much of it back. But only after the nazi-ideology became history.
Do palestinians have to wait until zionism is history to get back their land, homes, industries?
To get justice?
Posted by: SOKRATES | June 1, 2008 02:40 AM