AFP Corrects: Misgav Am Not A Settlement
CAMERA prompts correction of Agence France Presse photo captions which misidentified the northern Israeli kibbutz of Misgav Am as a "settlement."
Agence France-Presse (AFP)
Media Corrections
Accuracy and accountability are among the most important tenets of journalism. In combination, they mean media organizations are expected to publish or broadcast forthright corrections after sharing inaccurate information. The following corrections are among the many prompted by CAMERA’s communication with reporters and editors.
AFP’s Captions On Palestinian Teen Casualty Omit Reported Shooting
Numerous Agence France Presse captions about 17-year-old Palestinian Muhammad Zakarneh, fatally wounded by Israeli fire, omit the key information that according to the Israeli army, the teen had fired upon Israeli soldiers.
Haaretz Clarifies on Death of Palestinian-American Omar As’ad
Haaretz is the second media outlet to correct in recent days after publishing the unfounded claim that elderly Palestinian-American Omar As'ad died while in Israeli military custody. In fact, the timing of his death is unclear, with no evidence that he died while in IDF custody.
Improved AFP Coverage Identifies Perpetrator of Fatal Shooting As Palestinian
While both AP and Reuters carried headlines and first paragraphs identifying the assailant in today's fatal shooting attack in Jerusalem as Palestinian, AFP had concealed that basic information.
AFP Corrects: Egypt Also Borders Gaza
AFP corrects after erroneously reporting that Gaza "is fenced in on three sides by Israel." In fact, Egypt sits on one of the three land borders.
AFP Whitewashes ‘Distinct’ Beita Riots, Ignores Burning Swastika
Far from "distinct," the Beita riots, marked by the use of explosives and burning tires, closely mirror Gaza's "night confusion" units which have been operating intermittently for three years in an effort to make life unbearable for Israelis living nearby.
Osama Dueij’s Death Is News; His Hamas Affiliation Less So
The death today of Osama Dueij, fatally wounded during violent clashes at the Israel-Gaza border, made big news. His status as a fighter belonging to Hamas' military wing, a designated terror group, made less news.
AFP Clarifies On Israel’s Family Unification Law
CAMERA prompts improved AFP coverage of the family unification law, which prevents West Bank or Gaza Palestinians married to Israeli citizens from obtaining citizenship. AFP clarifies that the law applies to all Israeli citizens, not just Israeli Arabs. AP declined to clarify.
AFP Deletes Erroneous Claim That UN Considers Israeli Occupation ‘Illegal’
While the United Nations would consider annexation "inadmissible," and regards settlements as "illegal," none of the post-war resolutions found Israel's capture of the West Bank and subsequent occupation to be "illegal."
AFP’s Fantastical Coverage: From the Holy Day of Yad Vashem to Bat Yam’s Storied Mossad Retirees
Last week, AFP's Israel-related coverage took on a turn towards the fantastical. First, there was the embarrassing misidentification of Yad Vashem as Judaism's holiest day. Then, the wire service bizarrely maintained that the Israeli city of Bat Yam is known for its retired Mossad agents,