Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 10:48 AM GMT

If the three are released unharmed, will you admit you were wrong again?

- roGER

Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 2:40 PM GMT

That isn't the point. They may well be released unharmed. It's the lack of condemnation that I find alarming.

DY

Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 3:26 PM GMT

I should elaborate. I think the writer of the article has gone out of his way to avoid any interpretation that would reflect badly on Palestinians or Gazans. When I think of some of the negative nonsense I've read about Iraq's chances, I can't help be struck by the lack of such negative interpretation. It's more about what's not there than what is.

Take this:

It is not an unusual event and is unlikely to lead to them being harmed, says an expert....

Isn't it worrying that the kidnap of innocent people is not an unusual event? If this were in Iraq, there would be at least a paragraph of gloom about how bad this was for future chances of investment, how it reflected badly on Bush and Blair's hopes for peace etc.

Or this:

The kidnapping comes just one week after two other Westerners were abducted in the "chaotic" territory.

Why is "chaotic" put in quotes? From the sounds of things, Gaza clearly IS chaotic.

"I suspect this latest group will be released unharmed - it will be a big change to the situation if anything happened to them.

That's a rather casual way to talk about murder. I know it's a direct quote, but still it's rather tame.

What's missing? Well if they wanted to, they could have posed the question of how on earth this territory is going to pull itself out of poverty if this is how they treat foreigners. They could have tracked down a family member who would have something nasty to say about Palestinians. (When British soldiers get killed in Iraq, they will hunt for a family member who might say that Tony Blair has blood on his hands etc.) They could question the naivety of the young activist who spent her life in an organisation that blamed Gazans misery on the 'IOF' only to be abducted by some of the very people she was trying to help. They don't ask why the area isn't more stable now that Gazans have got what they long desired.

I guess I'm just sensitive to bias. Recall the BBC reporter who admitted crying at Yasser Arafat's funeral

See here


DY

Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 4:10 PM GMT

David, why are you so obsessed with the Israel issue? You are always talking about it. You also talk about being one-sided but look at you.

Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 4:44 PM GMT

Are you bothered that they have been abducted?

If I have one thing in common with these neo-fascist, kidnapping, murdering thugs, it would seem to be our mutual detestation of these 'useful idiots'.

Thursday, 29 December 2005 - 6:52 PM GMT

The short answer is that I'm interested in the Israel/Palestine situation because I think that misplaced western sympathy is getting people killed.

DY