In an era where most readers don’t make it past the headline, it is very easy to create an alternative reality – especially when the facts are hidden deep within the text and behind a paywall.
A March 15 headline that appeared in Haaretz’s English edition declared: “Israel to Deport Jewish-American Activist Who Reported Car Hitting Palestinian Girl in West Bank.”
Illustrative image of Haaretz’s English and Hebrew editions (Photo by Tamar Sternthal)
Any reader would reasonably understand from this headline that the activist was deported as a result of having witnessed and reported an accident. And indeed, according to the responses to that headline appearing on Haaretz’s X account, hundreds of readers from around the world understood exactly that way, wrongly believing that the activist reported an accident in which a Palestinian girl was injured, and as a result, she faced deportation.
However, the article itself contains no such claim. It states:
The woman was detained after a confrontation with the Jewish driver involved in the incident, Israel Police said. She is suspected of disturbing public order and damaging the driver’s vehicle.
Moreover, according to The Times of Israel:
One of the activists was subsequently deported from Israel after a hearing with the Population and Immigration Authority of the Interior Ministry, on claims that she violated the terms of her tourist visa.
In a hearing with a Border Control Officer of the Population and Immigration Authority, the activist was quizzed about her political beliefs, social media posts, and her activity with the Center for Jewish Nonviolence.
In other words, neither media outlet alleged that she was deported because she “reported an accident.”
Haaretz‘s Hebrew edition published a similar headline which stated: “Israel will deport to Egypt an American left-wing activist who witnessed a car hitting a girl in the West Bank.” But the Hebrew article at least carried a subheadline which clarified that “after the activist reported the accident, the Population and Immigration Authority decided to deport her, claiming she confronted the driver.” In English, even this little bit was omitted.
In response to communication from CAMERA, editors at Haaretz‘s English edition amended the article’s subheadline to state:
Police say she clashed with the driver who allegedly ran over a five-year-old girl and disrupted public order
For the Hebrew version of this article, see CAMERA Hebrew. See also “Haaretz, Lost in Translation.”