Fairness and Accuracy in Reporting get it in one:
The New York Times’ David Kirkpatrick filed a report today (4/29/11) on one apparent problem with the move towards democracy in Egypt–the country might pursue policies more in line with what the Egyptian public supports. The most important news here is that Egypt… doesn’t want to maintain a blockade on its border with Gaza. In the Times,… this news… is filtered through the perspective of Israel– thus… the headline:
In Shift, Egypt Warms to Iran and Hamas, Israel’s Foes
And then there is this … description of the crippling economic blockade that was enforced with the help of the Mubarak regime:
“Israel had relied on Egypt’s help to police the border with Gaza, where arms and other contraband were smuggled to Hamas through tunnels.”
The blockade was about far more than that:… blocking access to food, medicine and construction material necessary to rebuild what Israel destroyed in the recent war. (See Extra!, “Gaza’s Ongoing Crisis Is Not News,” 8/10.)
The Israeli government would like… people to think blockading Gaza is just about weapons and tunnels… contraband; the New York Times is doing its part to help… that effort.