-Caveat Lector-
From
http://www.jta.org/page_print_story.asp?intarticleid=10683
}}}>Begin
BEHIND THE HEADLINES
Jews worry that ‘baseless´ report
on 9/11 could be a blow to Israel
By Matthew E. Berger
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20 (JTA) — American Jews have been complaining that
a four-part series on Fox News last week insinuated that Israeli
intelligence had foreknowledge of the Sept. 11 terror attacks but
didn´t tell American authorities.
Israeli officials have called the stories "totally baseless," and the
reports were not picked up by other media outlets. Still, some
American Jews are concerned the report will foster negative images of
Israel that they feared in the immediate aftermath of the attacks.
"In the conspiracy media world and the hate groups, its going to have
lots of legs," said Alex Safian, associate director of the Committee
for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America, or CAMERA.
The series, reported by Carl Cameron in Washington, alleges that
Israeli intelligence may have had foreknowledge of the Al Qaida
terrorist attacks because Israelis have been spying on the movements
of Arabs in the United
States.
"There is no indication that the Israelis were involved in the 9/11 attacks, but
investigators suspect that the Israelis may have gathered intelligence about the
attacks and not shared it," Cameron said in the first segme
nt of the series. "A highly placed investigator said there are ‘tie-ins.´ "
Israeli officials denied the spying charges, and said that most of the Israelis
rounded up after the Sept. 11 attacks were held for minor visa infractions and have
since been released.
Later parts of the series accuse an Israeli telecommunications company, Amdocs Ltd.,
of not protecting private call records and billing data, which Fox said could have
hindered the American investigation into the terroris
t attacks.
A second Israeli telecommunications firm, Comverse Infosys, is accused of illegal
moves in providing private phone information to the Israeli government.
Critics say the pieces offer no on-the-record sources and rely heavily on innuendo and
hypothesis.
Safian cites one example, in which Cameron says the U.S. government "looked at Amdocs"
when trying to determine the cause of leaks in a Los Angeles drug investigation of
suspects linked to Israeli organized crime.
What the reporter fails to mention, Safian says, is that someone unrelated to Amdocs
later pleaded guilty to leaking the information.
Other charges against Fox News — which Jewish groups felt generally has been fair in
its reportage on Israel — is that the station did not seek on-camera comments or
rebuttals from Israeli officials or the companies cited
, and that it recycled previously aired stories.
However, American Jewish and Israeli officials are baffled about what might have led
Fox or Cameron to pursue so controversial a story on the basis of evidence they regard
as so flimsy.
Jewish groups that have spoken to reporters following up on Cameron´s charges have
been told that American government sources have debunked the allegations. Virtually no
other American media organization has run a piece o
n the Fox allegations — a sign that the story lacks merit, Jewish leaders say.
A Fox News spokesman said, "We stand by the story," but would not go into further
detail.
American Jewish leaders and Israeli officials said they are holding conversations with
Fox News representatives, but refused to elaborate.
Jewish organizations have been receiving frantic calls from Jews concerned that the
reports may fuel anti-Semitism. In the first days after the Sept. 11 attacks, Jewish
organizations feared attempts to link the attacks, a
nd Al Qaida´s hatred of the United States, to U.S. support for Israel.
While such linkage has been successfully refuted, those fears have been reawakened by
the Fox report.
Fox "comes to the conclusion that if maybe" the Israelis "spied, they had the
information and didn´t share it," said Abraham Foxman, national director of the
Anti-Defamation League. "That´s insidious. It almost said the I
sraelis were responsible for what happened."
Foxman said the report falls just "one step below" Arab claims that Israel was
responsible for the terrorist attacks. So far, there is no evidence that Arab
countries or groups are incorporating the report into their anti
-Israel propaganda.
Most Jewish organizations have chosen not to issue formal statements about the Fox
News report for fear that it would give the allegations undue exposure.
"When a serious news outlet decides to run with a story that is factually incorrect, I
think that more public damage is ultimately going to be done to the reputation of that
news outlet than the target of the story," said
Mark Regev, spokesman for the Israeli embassy in Washington.
Print This Story
Back to top ^
End<{{{
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Forwarded as information only; no endorsement to be presumed
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. section 107, this material
is distributed without charge or profit to those who have
expressed a prior interest in receiving this type of information
for non-profit research and educational purposes only.
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
The only real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking
new landscapes but in having new eyes. -Marcel Proust
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe
simply because it has been handed down for many generations. Do not
believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do
not believe in anything simply because it is written in Holy Scriptures. Do not
believe in anything merely on the authority of Teachers, elders or wise men.
Believe only after careful observation and analysis, when you find that it
agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all.
Then accept it and live up to it."
The Buddha on Belief, from the Kalama Sutta
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
A merely fallen enemy may rise again, but the reconciled
one is truly vanquished. -Johann Christoph Schiller,
German Writer (1759-1805)
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
It is preoccupation with possessions, more than anything else, that
prevents us from living freely and nobly. -Bertrand Russell
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Everyone has the right...to seek, receive and impart
information and ideas through any media and regardless
of frontiers."
Universal Declaration of Human Rights
+ + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + + +
"Always do sober what you said you'd do drunk. That will
teach you to keep your mouth shut."
--- Ernest Hemingway
<A HREF="http://www.ctrl.org/";>www.ctrl.org</A>
DECLARATION & DISCLAIMER
==========
CTRL is a discussion & informational exchange list. Proselytizing propagandic
screeds are unwelcomed. Substance—not soap-boxing—please! These are
sordid matters and 'conspiracy theory'—with its many half-truths, mis-
directions and outright frauds—is used politically by different groups with
major and minor effects spread throughout the spectrum of time and thought.
That being said, CTRLgives no endorsement to the validity of posts, and
always suggests to readers; be wary of what you read. CTRL gives no
credence to Holocaust denial and nazi's need not apply.
Let us please be civil and as always, Caveat Lector.
========================================================================
Archives Available at:
http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html
<A HREF="http://peach.ease.lsoft.com/archives/ctrl.html";>Archives of
[EMAIL PROTECTED]</A>
http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/
<A HREF="http:[EMAIL PROTECTED]/";>ctrl</A>
========================================================================
To subscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SUBSCRIBE CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
To UNsubscribe to Conspiracy Theory Research List[CTRL] send email:
SIGNOFF CTRL [to:] [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Om
