Debunking Al-Dura

Debunking Al-Dura

November 20, 2007

By: Mike Fegelman

Dear HonestReporting Canada subscriber:

Dubbed as Palestinian street theatre and the new face of Pallywood, the saga of Mohammed al-Dura continues in a Paris courtroom and illustrates the devastating power that images can have.

Still celebrated as a ?martyr? in the Arab streets and referenced by Osama Bin Laden following the 9/11 terror attacks, the image of Mohammed Al-Dura resonates as both infamous and iconic, and one of the worst modern blood libels waged against Israel.

Yet despite the overwhelming evidence that Israel was not responsible for firing the bullets that hit al-Dura, and incredulity as to the credibility of the footage taken from the scene by France 2, this vicious slander continues unabated.

National Post Exposes "L’affaire Al-Dura"

To their credit, the National Post and columnist David Frum were the first and only Canadian news media to address ?L?affaire Al-Dura?. Frum’s column explores the trial of Phillipe Karsenty (founder of the French online media watchdog, Media Ratings, who accused France 2 of staging the Al-Dura ?killing?) vs. Charles Enderlin (France 2 journalist who subsequently accused Karsenty of defamation).

According to Frum: "I want to tell you about a forgery. The forgers intended to incite hatred against Jews and the state of Israel and to a great extent, they have succeeded. The forgery is a 55-second film clip that purports to show the shooting death of a 12-year-old boy at a Gaza crossroads after a Palestinian irregular attack on an Israeli blockhouse. The clip was broadcast on France’s TV 2 on Sept. 30, 2000, and narrated by one of France’s best known television journalists, Charles Enderlin… Yet evidence has been gathering for years that the al-Dura shooting was entirely staged:

1. The 55-seconds are not a continuous sequence, but are made up of six distinct pieces, crudely spliced together.
2. There is no shot of the boy actually being hit, nor is there any sign of blood. Nor does the father make any move toward his son.
3. The crowd in the background cries out that the boy is dead before he falls over. Although the boy was supposed to have been hit in the stomach, his hands are shown covering his eyes.
4. Video of the incident taken by other photographers shows passersby walking unconcernedly between the crouching al-Duras and the Israeli post from which the bullets were supposedly fired.
5. Although TV2 claims to have 27 minutes of raw footage of the shooting, it has persistently refused to make the footage available to the public. Even now, with the matter in litigation, TV2 has failed to provide the courts with the raw material from which its broadcast clip was assembled."

Canadian Media Disseminated Dubious Dura Footage:

Like the broader international media, Canadian reporters and news organizations gave substantial news coverage to the Al-Dura affair seven years ago.

While some media outlets gave prominence to the story and featured original news coverage, content and commentary, other media outlets replicated wire stories, photos, and opinion pieces, spreading this forgery to a Canadian audience from coast-to-coast.

HonestReporting.com, in association with Take-A-Pen, has been reporting directly from the Paris courtroom featuring interviews and analysis from some of the leading experts on the dubious Dura footage. Watch exclusive reaction from some of these experts at the Paris courtroom by clicking below:

On Feb. 27, 2008 a French appellate court is set to rule on whether to uphold or overturn a French court?s ruling of slander against Karsenty. With respect to the outcome, HonestReporting Canada will continue to be on the frontlines keeping you updated.

How You Can Make a Difference:

1.     Commend the National Post for being the only Canadian media outlet to acknowledge the trial and to educate its readers about this modern blood libel. To contact the Post send letters to: letters@nationalpost.com

Pointers for contacting the media: To be considered for publication, letters should include sender’s name and contact information for verification purposes. Contact us at action@honestreporting.ca to tell us you took action.

Or send a cheque to:

HonestReporting Canada
PO Box 6, Station Q,
Toronto, Ontario M4T 2L7

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