CAMERA Prompts IHT Correction on Erekat Falsehood

As noted on CAMERA’s blog Nov. 27, Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat wrongly stated in an Op-Ed in the International Herald Tribune that Israel’s military is the fifth largest in the world. CAMERA pointed out the error to editors, and as a result, a correction ran today. The error and correction follow:

Error (International Herald Tribune, Saeb Erekat, Op-Ed, 11/26/05): Israel is a nuclear power boasting the fifth-largest military in the world. . . .

Correction (1/3/06): An opinion article on Nov. 26 about the opening of the Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Egypt referred to the Israeli military as “the fifth largest military in the world.” While there are various ways to measure military strength, in terms of manpower alone and counting both active service members and reservists, Israel’s miltary ranks 18th globally, according to data in the latest edition of “The Military Balance,” a reference by the International Institute for Strategic Studies.


In the past, National Public Radio and the New York Times have corrected similar errors. This correction is particularly significant because Saeb Erekat’s falsehoods frequently go unchecked.

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