In recent months there have been multiple encounters between activists and settlers in the West Bank that the major news outlets in Israel have chosen to cover. I was appalled by the unabashed lies that both Yedioth Ahronoth and the Jerusalem Post published last Saturday regarding the settler attack on Ta’ayush activists in the West Bank village of Safa.

Last Saturday Ta’ayush activists accompanied Palestinian farmers in Safa, where there is a history of assaults by settlers from the fanatic settlement of Bat Ayin. While farming, 15-20 masked settlers came down from the settlement onto Palestinian land and assaulted Ta’ayush activists and Palestinian farmers. They threw stones, hit and slapped, grabbed and destroyed a camera and flipped over Ezra Nawi’s car. The army and border police arrived and herded the Ta’ayush members with sticks, using excessive force and ultimately arresting five members for violating a closed military zone order. Nothing happened to the settlers – yet another instance in which they are not held accountable for the assaults or damage they inflict.

As the events were unfolding, I informed Haaretz about the situation. I have often been quoted in Haaretz about Ta’ayush activities in the West Bank. When they do decide to publish an item on the web site, they obviously put their own spin on it. They certainly do not adopt my language and tone (I say “we were attacked by settlers” and they report “settlers, leftists clash”), but at least they do not compromise the facts.

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Yedioth Ahronoth and Jerusalem Post, on the other hand, have no problem making up complete fabrications.

This is how Yedioth chose to portray the same story:

“Stones were thrown during the clashes, but no injuries were reported, and quiet was restored. An initial police investigation revealed that the incident took place when a group of some 20 leftists and Palestinians convened in the area, and were spotted by Bat Ayin residents who arrived at the same location.”

The only stones that were thrown were by settlers, and we were not “spotted” by Bat Ayin residents, but rather targeted for attack without having committed any provocation.

It then goes on: “At one point the area was declared a closed military zone and settlers left the area. Three Palestinians and two leftists were detained for remaining in the area illegally.”

Actually, the settlers fled under the nose of the army and border police well before the area was declared a closed military zone and the five Israeli Ta’ayush activists detained were beaten with sticks and subjected to police brutality. Two Palestinian residents of Safa aged 14 were detained on claims that they threw stones, butt not a single stone was thrown at a single settler.

The Jerusalem Post account is just as false, but arguably more ludicrous.
“Palestinians and Left-wing activists demonstrating near Bat Ayin on Saturday scuffled with settlers from the area.”

The Ta’ayush activists were not “demonstrating” but rather simply escorting farmers on their own land, where they have been earning their livelihood long before Bat Ayin was constructed next door. The Jerusalem Post must have confused us with protestors of the separation barrier in Ni’lin, which is the image in the photo they selected to accompany the piece.

I guess I knew it happens, but when you actually experience such a blatant construction of lies and disregard for journalistic integrity, it is hard to grasp. I guess it is similar to how so many Israelis know there is settler violence, but can’t possibly understand how it feels to actually witness it, or bear the brunt of it. Such false reporting makes it all the more abundantly clear how crucial it is for Israelis to observe facts on the ground with their own eyes.