So Much For That Pro-Israel Media Bias

A couple of weeks ago there was a report in the Israeli media that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had said: "Two of Israel's enemies are the New York Times and Haaretz," or words to that effect. As I recall, the PM's office came out with a strong denial.

I do not for one moment believe that Israel's PM would like to gag the press. On the contrary, he, and all thinking Israelis, are very proud of our country's vigorous democratic freedom of the press. And yet, if PM Netanyahu did say (or think) such a thing, today's Hebrew edition of Haaretz (Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012) certainly provides food for thought.

On the front page, in the boldest and largest print on the page, the main news item concerns the trials and tribulations of a woman at Malpensa Airport in Milan when she went through security checks prior to boarding an El Al flight to Tel Aviv. Really? Does the editor of the newspaper find that the Iranian atomic threat to world peace is less important? That the dreadful events in Syria don't even rate a front page mention? Aren't even the Republican primaries in the USA important to Israelis? Apparently less so than the security concerns of El Al, and the inconvenience caused to an Arab woman. And apparently less so than the opportunity to besmirch Israel.

But putting aside the poor lack of judgment of the editor, I'd like to face some of the issues the article raised. Here we have an Arab resident of Nazareth, Israel; herself the editor of a women's magazine in that town, who was displeased at the apparent discrimination against Arabs by security staff at the airport. The newspaper reports that she was hassled; that she objected to the questioning and that she ultimately chose not to fly with El Al as a gesture of her displeasure.

Ever since Arab terrorists started hijacking and blowing up civilian aircraft some 40 years ago, the security mechanism of Israeli airlines, including El Al, have kept the skies safe for all travelers on those airlines. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for travelers on other airlines. (9/11 anybody?)

We all suffer when we fly. Have you been through an airport anywhere in the world lately? Arrived at the airport three hours ahead of take-off, then waited endlessly in line to be questioned and to have your bags searched? Taken off your shoes, belt and more? Lost your cellphone, laptop, camera, keys, or credit cards at security? Flying is stressful, a hassle, and it's all thanks to the terrorists. It inconveniences us all.

A thought: I wonder if the Nazareth journalist has ever written about Arab terrorism and the inconvenience (to say the least) it causes? I wonder if she has ever written about Arab women at Israeli border crossing points who appear to be pregnant and "need to get to hospital quickly", whose "pregnancy" is simply the result of bombs strapped to their bodies, to be used to murder Israeli civilians? Or perhaps about Red Crescent ambulances at the crossings, carrying "critically ill" patients, while the ambulance has false floors, underneath of which are explosives meant to be left in Israel?

The crashing silence of moderate Arabs on these and similar issues is deafening. What a pity we hear their whining (thanks to Haaretz and others), but not much more.

Racial discrimination is never justifiable. Neither is Arab or Islamic terrorism.

Jonathan Danilowitz is a Contributing Writer who lives in Israel