The Facts Can't Be the Facts Because They're Not the Right Facts

The Facts Can't Be the Facts Because They're Not the Right Facts

AKUS, a reader and commenter here on Ruminations, has a column at CiFWatch called The Brainwashing of Britain. Reading it and its comments sent me to the Guardian version of Tom Gross` recent Wall Street Journal report from the West Bank. From time to time CiF publishes such pieces, to convince its editors that they are, in fact, open-minded and balanced purveyors of fine punditry. This one is a report Gross wrote which claims that there are some dramatically positive new developments on the West Bank, some of them the result of Netanyahu's policies.

Not a thesis that can be accepted by many readers of CiF, who reject it categorically for not fitting the facts they feel comfortable with. No matter that the whole point of the column is to say that there are changes in those facts.

FifeBen:

I find that very hard to believe.

PeteSaman:

This first appeared in the WSJ and shows the"quality" journalism Rupert Murdoch claims his publications have. There are absoultely no facts to back up the claims made by Mr Gross. Just because he's told the Palestinian stock market is the second best performing stock market in the world doesn't mean its true. Whats the current unemployment rate in the West Bank and Gaza. How does that compare to Israel? How much has the Palestinian economy contracted over the last 10 years? How many illegal settlers move into the West Bank every month? How much water and resources do they consume compared to the Palestinians? Without any real facts or context this whole article sounds like one big Gross exaggeration.

Gondwanaland:

An extraordinary piece.

Even Gaza sounds like it's overtaking the UK. Not that difficult i know.

But why is Tom Gross the only person reporting this burgeoning Shangri La?

And why is his report so at odds with the rest of the worlds reporters?

It would be nice to believe him, but i'd like another take on the situation

.

Webbmark:

I think the UN would disagree with you about Gaza. Can ordinary citizens afford that food? Why is paper banned from Gaza? Why are Gaza's fishermen not allowed to fish and why are aid boats (that have had their cargo inspected) been subject to piracy in International waters?
Since Israel's assualt in January, Gaza's water resources are close to collapse.

As for Hebron, did you visit the street where settlers throw rubbish (and worse) down at Palestinian shopkeepers? Perhaps a trip to B'ilin or N'ilin were land is being stolen by Israel in violation of international law or to East Jerusalem where Palestinian houses are being demolished? No, it's all just great for Palestinians thrown out on the street.

By all means keep the status quo, but with that, Palestinians will ask for equal rights as Israeli citizens? Palestinians want to be able to control their own borders with Jordan and Egypt, not live in bantustans.

Stealthblong:

It would also be nice to know who those BMWs and Mercs belong to; who is booking all those tables in the restaurants; and the cinema tickets; who is buying those big villas you talk about...

...with so many Israelis having invited themselves into the West Bank, it is pertinent to ask. Maybe they are misappropriating all that money they get from the likes of John Hagee and other Christian Zionist organizations in the States to ethnically cleanse the place.

And so on and on and on. You get the idea.

Originally posted by Yaacov Lozowick's Ruminations