Can We Hear the Recording Please?

In his zeal to defend Israel, the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies’ (FDD) Cliff May cites a colleague’s contentions that the activists taking part in the “Freedom Flotilla” were obviously Islamic radicals bent on massacring Jews. From his weekly round-up of the very best in Likudnik commentary:

FDD’s Ben Weinthal notes:

According to media reports, activists invoked on their way to Gaza the Islamic battle cry, “Jews, remember Khyabar [sic], the army of Mohammed is returning.” The reference is to a Muslim massacre and expulsion of Jews in seventh-century Arabia.

The reader is then encouraged to “Read more” with a link that goes to a May 30 Jerusalem Post article which quotes Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon and the Foreign Ministry as the basis for this assertion:

Also Sunday, Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon criticized the effort, saying anti-Semitic chants voiced by the activists on board earlier in the day showed the ‘real motivation’ for the campaign, which he termed an ‘armada of hate.’

According to a Foreign Ministry press release, participants on the flotilla were recorded shouting ‘Khaybar Khaybar ya yahud, Jaish Muhammad saya’ud,’ which means ‘Jews, remember Khyabar [sic], the army of Mohammed is returning.’ This cry relates to an event in the seventh century when Muslims massacred and expelled Jews from the town of Khaybar, in modern-day Saudi Arabia.

‘Israel condemns the anti-Semitic chants that were publicized this morning,’ Ayalon said. ‘This amply demonstrates that many are not against a particular policy of the Israeli government, but have very real and dangerous hatred for Jews and the Jewish State.’

So, from FDD, we get “media reports” that are based entirely on assertions by a government ministry without the slightest effort to confirm those assertions from any independent source. This, of course, begs many questions, such as of the source of the recording, how it was obtained by the Foreign Ministry, and how many of the flotilla’s participants allegedly took part in the chants, if indeed that’s what took place.

As a former reporter for the New York Times, May should be a bit more conscientious about what he and his colleagues assert as fact. Especially when Khaybar is spelled “Khyabar,” twice.

Author: Jim Lobe

Visit Lobelog.com for the latest news analysis and commentary from Inter Press News Service's Washington bureau chief Jim Lobe.

9 thoughts on “Can We Hear the Recording Please?”

  1. Boyko said “Oh, you want the recording? Here you go:” which does not answer the questions raised by Lobe, namely “This, of course, begs many questions, such as of the source of the recording, how it was obtained by the Foreign Ministry, and how many of the flotilla’s participants allegedly took part in the chants, if indeed that’s what took place”.

    Not even worth a ‘nice try’ tag. Your comprehension level is truly abysmal. I guess you really need to go on the Hasbara for beginners class.

  2. If there's been anything positive to come of this, it is that America's traitors have come out of the woodwork like so many cockroaches scurrying away from the light of day. Makes it that much easier to exact retribution when the time is right.

  3. Where the youtube came from.
    "Israel's army has been using confiscated videos to justify its deadly raid against a Gaza-bound aid flotilla, and the Foreign Press Association wants it to stop.

    The organization, which represents hundreds of journalists in Israel and the Palestinian territories, says the military seized video and equipment from dozens of reporters on board the main ship.

    The FPA demanded Thursday that the military stop using the captured material without permission and identify the source of the video already released. The material appeared Wednesday on the army's YouTube site labeled as "captured."

    The FPA says [the military is now selectively ]using footage to bolster its claims that commandos opened fire only after being attacked.

    Edited fotages,cut and paste.
    http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100603/ap_on_re_mi_e

  4. As a former reporter for the New York Times, May should be a bit more conscientious about what he and his colleagues assert as fact.

    Good grief, why? After all, the "Paper of Record" isn't exactly renowned for its honesty or accuracy (does anybody remember Judith Miller and Jayson Blair, to name just two recent example of many in that rag's history?).

    Jim, I think you forgot to put "sarcasm" tags around that sentence.

  5. We will never hear or see the full and unedited tape.Remember whatisrael says is the only truth and all must believe it or else.

  6. Israel is now claiming that the Gaza Freedom Flotilla ship Mavi Marmara was carrying heavy weapons destined for Hamas, and a video is being circulated in an email message that is going viral in the US Jewish community. Does anyone have more information about this?
    Here is the IDF video: http://www.flix.co.il/tapuz/showVideo.asp?m=34239

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