Palestinian ‘Stabbing Intifada’ Sugarcoated by LA Times

A complaint filed by the watchdog group CAMERA forced the LA Times to admit that Israeli civilians were injured in a stabbing attack by Palestinian terrorists in 2015.

By United with Israel Staff

A movie review by the LA Times on January 2 was called out by the watchdog group CAMERA (Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting in America) for ignoring the fact that 13-year-old Palestinian terrorist Ahmad Manasrah and his 15-year-old cousin Hassan attempted to murder at least two Israelis through stabbing them with 15 cm and 20 cm long blades respectively. The movie, “The Advocate” tells the story of a Jewish Israeli lawyer who represents “political prisoners,” a euphemism for terrorists.

On October 12, 2015, in Jerusalem, the terrorists nearly stabbed to death Naor Shalev Ben-Ezra, a 13-year-old Israeli boy. Israeli civilian Yosef Haim Tuito was also seriously injured in the attack. Rather than stating the facts of the case, the review said a Palestinian teen “chased people with a large, ornamental knife with the intention of scaring them but ended up being charged with attempted murder.”

The sugar-coated “Review: ‘Advocate’ Reveals A Rebel With a Lost Cause,” covers a documentary about Lea Tsemel who “tirelessly defended Palestinians who have turned to violence.” Yet, it criticizes Israel’s democratic court system by writing, “[I]f ‘Advocate’ does nothing else it underlines the ways the Israeli judicial system makes things difficult for Palestinian defendants.”

Israel’s High Court determined “beyond all reasonable doubt” that the terrorists in the case “desired to become martyrs and be killed in war for the cause of religion, by carrying out a stabbing attack against Jews in order to kill them.”

Video of the stabbings, posted by Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry October 15, 2015, clearly shows the Manasrah cousins knifing Jews.

Following CAMERA‘s complaint to the Times editor, the publication added to the post on January 8 that civilians were injured in the attack, according to the advocacy group.

The Stabbing Intifada

On October 3, 2015, Arab terrorists began a new system for murdering innocent Jews: rampant stabbings. Fueled by incitement on social media, the first attack was committed by a knife-wielding terrorist in Jerusalem.

Israel’s security forces have prevented thousands of stabbing attacks, while hundreds succeeded in killing or maiming innocent victims.

While Palestinian stabbings against Israelis citizens continue until today, the attacks were relentless in 2015-2016. According to Israeli Shin Bet Security Agency data, “2015 was the deadliest year for terrorism since 2008.”

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has repeatedly referred to stabbing attacks as a “justified, popular uprising,” praising the bravery of the terrorists.