CNN must admit that its recent hit piece blaming Israel for a journalist’s death – a blood libel – was based on sources who praised the murder of Israeli civilians and an expert whose bias has been documented.
Al Jazeera reporter Shireen Abu Akleh was killed while covering a shootout between Palestinian terrorists and Israeli security forces.
Israeli investigators did not get to examine her body, and the Palestinian Authority adamantly refuses to let the IDF inspect the bullet or cooperate with Israel in its investigation.
Notwithstanding these facts on the ground, CNN published a so-called investigation strongly suggesting Israel killed Abu Akleh, leading to accusations that the news outlet is promoting a modern-day “blood libel.”
“’They were shooting directly at the journalists’: New evidence suggests Shireen Abu Akleh was killed in targeted attack by Israeli forces,” CNN’s headline declares.
In reality, a closer look at CNN’s key sources for the piece raise serious questions about its journalistic standards and integrity.
Among the experts and witnesses CNN relies on is Jamal Huwail, who made the unsupported claim that Israeli forces “were shooting directly at the journalists.” Huwail can be found in videos on YouTube praising terrorists who killed Israeli civilians in cold blood.
In one interview, Huwail described Muhammad Abu Al-Kiyan as a “lone lion” after he murdered four Israelis in a Beersheba terror attack. In a separate interview, Huwail said that Diaa Hamarsheh, who killed five people in Bnei Brak, “brought light into the hearts of the Palestinians, and the hearts of every free human being who yearns for freedom.”
CNN also relied on Shatha Hanaysha, a 29-year-old Palestinian writer whom HonestReporting found “openly shares her extremist views on social media pages, including support for Palestinian terrorists who have carried out deadly attacks against Israeli civilians.” Posts include showering praise for Palestinian “martyrs” killed while attacking Israelis.
CNN also published the statements of Chris Cobb-Smith, whom the news outlet presented as an objective forensics expert analyzing the bullet holes at the scene where the journalist was killed.
In reality, Cobb is an advisor to the London-based Forensic Architecture, which HonestReporting noted has “produced numerous pseudo-scientific investigations into Israel that have reached provenly biased and misleading conclusions.”
The bottom line: CNN’s so-called journalism doesn’t add up. None of it warrants a libelous headline accusing Israel of deliberately killing Shireen Abu Akleh. It was truly a blood libel.
Tell CNN to start reporting the whole story and stop distorting the true nature of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
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Dear Sir or Madame, I am writing to condemn an article CNN published with the accusations that Israeli forces “were shooting directly at journalists.” If CNN seeks the truth, it should stop spreading distorted coverage of the Israel-Palestinian conflict. Admit that your article was based on biased, one-sided material and cover the issue fairly!
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3. Call CNN: 404-827-1700