HonestReporting is a rightiwing Zionist propaganda outlet that attacks anything in the media that even slightly undercuts the right-wing line about Israel. Perhaps its most laughable episode was the snowstorm story below:
"Take a look at the following photo caption from the Associated Press, and see if you can pick out the one word of bias:
'A Jewish man prays at the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in east Jerusalem's Old City, Tuesday Feb. 25, 2003. About 7 inches of snow has fallen in a rare snow storm that swept across Israel, closing major highways and schools and cutting power.'
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmp...168/3cx2x.html
The word is 'east' Jerusalem. The caption could just have easily read without that word: 'the Western Wall, Judaism's holiest site in Jerusalem's Old City.' By adding the word 'east' Jerusalem, AP subtly suggests that the Western Wall is part of disputed territory, open to negotiations to be given to Palestinians. Such politicizing has no place in a caption about a snowstorm. ... (The bias is subtle, but there nonetheless. And that makes it all the more insidious. HonestReporting encourages members to watch for such subtleties of language, and to complain where appropriate."
So even using the widespread term "East Jerusalem" in a story about the weather is unconscionable bias against Israel. The only insidious thing about this piece is that, of course, it is a lie: the status of "East Jerusalem" -- that's the term Israeli negotiators use -- has in fact been subject to extensive negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, and Israel's occupation of it has been condemned throughout the world, including by the U.S. government.
"HonestReporting" has nothing to do with criticizing bias, it's a cource for constant demands that the press behave as if it were under the totalitarian control of the Israeli right.
I'm not bothering with the second story but consider the first one. Notice that the only thing that makes these statements "facts" is that the come from the mouths of the IDF, allegedly quoting the children. If the IDF gave reporters access to the kids, why does "HonestReporting" attribute a quoted statement to "the boys," as if they said the same words in unison, instead of a particular boy, and name him?
Why do you suppose AFP didn't quote the details given to them by the army? Perhaps because they couldn't talk ot the kids or independently check them -- something "HonestReporting" doesn't even suggest is proper -- forcing AFP to, as they did, attribute the basic allegation to the IDF and spare readers lurid but unverifiable details? If so, the AFP did exactly the right thing, probably in accordance with accepted journalistic standards.
Let's consider the other side of the story. The IDF has two kids telling them they were palced at risk by a Gaza terrorist who threatened to harm them. If I were running the IDF, I'd get either the name or the description of the man, then announce that I'm placing the children in protective custody pending his arrest by PA security forces, and offer to provide assistance. If the PA does so, that's at least one less militant off the street and a propaganda coup for Israel. If they don't, an even bigger coup: I can hold a press conference with the kids in tow (maybe in disguise!) and correspondence with the PA announcing that the IDF is protecting Palestinian kids from Palestinian terrorists because the PA refuses to do this job itself, despite being given all the information it needs to do so. Quite a bit better than yet another unverifialbe story that just happens to reinforce the myth that the IDF only shoots civilians when terrorists force them into harm's way.