Read this headline from the AP: "Jewish settlers take over homes in Arab part of Jerusalem". What does it mean to you? Now let's add that the article under the headline goes on and on about how there are Israelis who moved in to a building in East Jerusalem in place of the Arabs who used to live there. The article then talks about one Arab resident of the building who refused to leave since he had paid his rent for the next year. This Arab remains in his apartment but is "worried" about living under apartments that hold "settlers" as the article calls the new Jewish residents.
It takes until the next to last paragraph of a long article for the report to mention that the building in question was purchased nearly a year ago by a group of Jews from the previous Arab owners. As the leases on the apartments ended, the new owners did not renew them, but instead kept the building to occupy it themselves. In any city in the USA or the rest of the world, the purchase of a building by new owners who decide to live in the building would not be news. In Israel, however, the AP treats it as a major event. Indeed, it is the establishment of a new "illegal" settlement. And to read the AP story, one would think that the Israelis simply came to the building, ousted the residents and took it for themselves. Of course, that would be a lie, but that is also what the AP says.
Some day, someone ought to explain why the purchase of a building by Jews in Jerusalem is "illegal" according to the AP and most of the rest of the media. Imagine how we would all react if the media called the purchase of an apartment building in a mostly white suburb of Atlanta by a group of African Americans "illegal". How about the purchase by Russians of an apartment in Kiev in the Ukraine; is that an illegal Russian settlement? How about if a group of Mexican citizens purchase an apartment building in San Diego and move in. Is that illegal too? Of course not. And it is not illegal for to call the purchase of an apartment building in Jerusalem illegal because of the religion of the purchasers.
AP really should be ashamed.
It takes until the next to last paragraph of a long article for the report to mention that the building in question was purchased nearly a year ago by a group of Jews from the previous Arab owners. As the leases on the apartments ended, the new owners did not renew them, but instead kept the building to occupy it themselves. In any city in the USA or the rest of the world, the purchase of a building by new owners who decide to live in the building would not be news. In Israel, however, the AP treats it as a major event. Indeed, it is the establishment of a new "illegal" settlement. And to read the AP story, one would think that the Israelis simply came to the building, ousted the residents and took it for themselves. Of course, that would be a lie, but that is also what the AP says.
Some day, someone ought to explain why the purchase of a building by Jews in Jerusalem is "illegal" according to the AP and most of the rest of the media. Imagine how we would all react if the media called the purchase of an apartment building in a mostly white suburb of Atlanta by a group of African Americans "illegal". How about the purchase by Russians of an apartment in Kiev in the Ukraine; is that an illegal Russian settlement? How about if a group of Mexican citizens purchase an apartment building in San Diego and move in. Is that illegal too? Of course not. And it is not illegal for to call the purchase of an apartment building in Jerusalem illegal because of the religion of the purchasers.
AP really should be ashamed.
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