Forcing the NY Times to Print the Truth

Alex Margolin

As the  Palestinians shift the conflict with Israel to the international arena, Israel’s perspective on matters of diplomacy has been largely neglected. While there is no shortage of articles detailing Palestinian demands, little or nothing is being said about Israel’s legitimate efforts for peace and justice.

That’s why HonestReporting has taken the bold step of publishing a full page advertisement in the New York Times to highlight a speech by Israel’s UN Ambassador Ron Prosor, delivered before the UN General Assembly on November 24, 2014.

“The text of Ambassador Prosor’s speech is required reading for anyone who wants a clear expression of Israel’s case before the world,” said HonestReporting CEO Joe Hyams. “Unfortunately, if you want people to read it in the New York Times, you have to pay for an ad.”

The ad features extended highlights from Prosor’s speech, including facts about the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians that many at the UN and the media have downplayed or ignored entirely.

“Of the 300 million Arabs in the Middle East and North Africa, less than half of one percent are truly free – and they are all citizens of Israel,” Prosor proclaimed at the UN. “Our conflict has never been about the establishment of a Palestinian state. It has always been about the existence of the Jewish state.”

“We will never apologize for being a free and independent people in our sovereign state. And we will never apologize for defending ourselves,” Prosor said.

Prosor also drew attention to the 850,000 Jewish refugees of the first Israel-Arab war. “Why is it, that 67 years later, the displacement of the Jews has been completely forgotten by this institution while the displacement of the Palestinians is the subject of an annual debate?”

He also issued presented the international community with a stark choice on how to move forward:

You can work to end Palestinian incitement, or stand by as hatred and extremism take root for generations to come.

You can prematurely recognize a Palestinian state, or you can encourage the Palestinian Authority to break its pact with Hamas and return to direct negotiations.

The choice is yours. You can continue to steer the Palestinians off course or pave the way to real and lasting peace.

“Ambassador Prosor’s speech is a source of pride for those who understand the justice of Israel’s cause,” Mr. Hyams added. “And we’re proud to bring it to the readers of the New York Times.”

HonestReporting has long criticized the New York Times’ coverage of Israel. The paper won HR’s 2013 Dishonest Reporting Award. More recently, the Times came under fire for its coverage of the Gaza war, including the use of casualty figures. An in-depth study of Times’ coverage of Israel in the first months of 2014 revealed a high percentage of articles that expressed criticism of Israel or depicted Israeli actions in a negative light.

HonestReporting would like to thank Laura and Peter D. Weinstein for their generous support in enabling us to produce this advertisement.

Image: CC BY-NC-SA flickr/H.E. Mr. Sam K. Kutesa, HonestReporting.com

Alex Margolin, HonestReporting, January 5, 2015