I haven’t visited CAMERA in a long time, but I had reason to visit it today. I came across a fascinating example of how Palestinian propaganda gets spread around very effectively. In this case, the ugly comment attributed to an Israeli former IDF Chief of Staff was published in serious papers such as the NY Times, the Chicago Tribune and the International Herald. It was also published in academic books. I’ll let CAMERA tell the story:

A correction in the March 6, 2009 Chicago Tribune noted that UCSD’s Gary Fields relied on an “unverified” quote in his Feb. 22, 2004 Op-Ed, entitled “Build bridges, not walls.”

Stop right there. It took five years to publish the correction!

In that piece, Fields wrote of Israel’s security barrier:

More than a physical barrier imposed by the powerful upon the region’s stateless and dispossessed, the wall expresses a collective psychology of conquest articulated most succinctly by one of its leading proponents, Moshe Yaalon, the Israeli army chief of staff.

He insists that “the Palestinians must be made to understand in the deepest recesses of their consciousness that they are a defeated people.”

The correction in the Tribune notes:

In a Perspective piece by Gary Fields, professor of communications at the University of California, San Diego, that ran in Feb. 22, 2004, editions of the Chicago Tribune, an unverified quote was used and attributed to the Israeli army’s chief of staff, Moshe Yaalon. The op-ed quoted Yaalon as saying that “the Palestinians must be made to understand in the deepest recesses of their consciousness that they are a defeated people.” While cited frequently over the years, this quote does not appear in the Israeli newspaper article to which it has been attributed, and the writer of that article said Yaalon did not say this. Fields could not confirm the origin of the quote. A spokesman for Yaalon said Thursday that Yaalon was misquoted and did not say the sentence attributed to him. Since the exact origin of the quotation has not been found and verified, it should not have been used in the Tribune.

The correction ran after CAMERA brought the fabricated quote to the attention of editors.

Very good. You see how CAMERA stifles free speech right there, by pointing out that a university professor who had no trouble publishing an op-ed critical of Israel used a false quote to impress upon his readers how evil Israelis really are. Talk about the effectiveness of the “Israel Lobby.” It only took five years for those powerful, wily Jews to get an egregious quote to be removed from a newspaper with some stature. Yes, those stifling Jewish voices at CAMERA are really punishing Israel’s critics!

But this is just the tip of the iceberg. Where did Fields, the professor, get his information? CAMERA tells us:

Columbia University professor Rashid Khalidi used the Jan. 8, 2009 Op-Ed page of the New York Times to disseminate a false quote attributed to former Israeli chief of staff Moshe Ya’alon.

In claiming that Ya’alon said the Palestinians should feel they are a “defeated people,” Khalidi, the Edward Said Professor of Arab Studies at Columbia University and director of the school’s Middle East Institute, literally took a page from his own book. He uses the same fabricated quote in his 2004 book Resurrecting Empire, citing in the footnote an interview with Ari Shavit in Haaretz Magazine, August 30, 2002, as quoted in Arnaud de Borchgrave, “Road Map or Road Rage?” Washington Times, May 28, 2003. (Citing de Borchgrave in this way was a further deception by Khalidi: While de Borchgrave did indeed use the false quote, contrary to Khalidi he actually gave no source.)

Below is Shavit’s question and Ya’alon’s answer:

Shavit: “Do you have a definition of victory? Is it clear to you what Israel’s goal in this war is?

Ya’alon: “I defined it from the beginning of the confrontation: the very deep internalization by the Palestinians that terrorism and violence will not defeat us, will not make us fold. If that deep internalization does not exist at the end of the confrontation, we will have a strategic problem with an existential threat to Israel. If that [lesson] is not burned into the Palestinian and Arab consciousness, there will be no end to their demands of us.”

Ya’alon repeated in the same interview:

The facts that are being determined in this confrontation — in terms of what will be burned into the Palestinian consciousness — are fateful. If we end the confrontation in a way that makes it clear to every Palestinian that terrorism does not lead to agreements, that will improve our strategic position.

The 2004 book, though, was not the first time Khalidi used the hoax quote to attack Israel. He also referred to it in columns published the The Nation (May 22, 2003) and the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (June 1, 2003).

Well, well, well, an important, published professor at one of the country’s finest institutions, Columbia University, published a quote of a statement that was never made in op-eds, articles, a scholarly book and then in another newspaper article.

Needless to say, if you see something sourced in a book by a prominent professor from a prominent university, you might just assume that it’s true, especially if you’re not as educated in the field as the well-known professor.

But it turns out that even people who should have known better repeated the rancid accusation made against Ya’alon, either ignoring primary sources (shades of Walt & Mearsheimer), such as the very interview they are supposedly quoting, or accepting Khalidi’s claims as fact.

Numerous others have likewise relied on the fabrication to support their claims. Columnist H.D.S. Greenway used it in the Boston Globe (March 7, 2006); University of San Diego professor Gary Fields fooled the Chicago Tribune and its readers with it (Feb. 22, 2004); the Toronto Star’s editorial page editor emeritus, Haroon Siddiqui, cited it in his obituary for Yasir Arafat to paint a picture of Israeli perfidy (Nov. 14, 2004); Henry Siegman relied on it for a piece in the London Review of Books (see Israel’s Jewish Defamers); and Electronic Intifada co-founder Ali Abunimah regurgitated the quote on his publication (March 7, 2008).

Nice. Pretty effective, when you think about it, making the Israelis look like blood-thirsty brutal animals when in fact the Chief of Staff is saying something entirely different. Then this gets published in some of the country’s largest papers, ones that syndicate their stories, and boom! you suddenly have everything you need to depict Israel in the most negative terms.

By the way, this doesn’t just happen in newspapers. It happens in a variety of places where it is actually the Israeli supporters who are stifled and prevented from speaking. I invite you to read this post from not too long ago. It deals with, among other things, the day that the publisher of Ha’aretz apparently whispered in Condoleeza Rice’s ear that Israel should be “raped” by the US.

About the author

themiddle

5 Comments

  • TM: when CAMERA does the research and gets a correction like this, I agree with you, 100% — they are doing a public service. I would never argue this is an act of stifling. When they campaigned to divest from Boston’s NPR station, that was stifling. Do you not agree?

  • Xisnotx, as I pointed out from the very article you posted about the attempt to boycott this NPR station, CAMERA did not instigate or take part. They were used as a resource for information by the organizers. Read your own article and then read the About section at the CAMERA website.

    I started a new post because this merited a different discussion…

  • Modern Middle-East historians are rewriting history blotting Israel’s ancient history out of updated textbooks. So this research shows Israel history linked to five other ancient nations. Explore. Xerox. Pass the research around. E-mail me! Have a great day!
    -Lujack Skylark

    Historical connections are solidly made when we correlate Assyrian, Babylonian, Biblical, Cushite,Egyptian and Elamite cross references together showing where Israel’s history coincides with five other ancient nations.

    The people who love Israel, those who like ancient history or some who are curious could find this history interesting.

    The three key years are: 711 B.C., 653 B.C. and 586 B.C. These three dates help lock in the chronological order in this research as we close the gaps in this time period.

    The year 711 B.C. is the actual year Assyrian king Sennacherib attacked Jerusalem in his first year as we shall witness. His reign did not start in 705 B.C. Babylon’s king Merodach-Baladan wrote Israel’s king Hezekiah letters in 711 B.C. Cushite/Ethiopian king Tirhakah soldiers marched against Assyrian king Sennacherib and the Lord destroyed 185,000 Assyrian soldiers outside Jerusalem. Elamite king Shutruk-Nahhunte tried to secure Merodach-Baladan on Babylon’s throne but he failed. Merodach-Baladan who had fled Assyrian king Sargon II in his later years now reigns 711-709 B.C. flees for a second time to Elam.

    The year 653 B.C. The Assyrian king Ashur-Banipal destroys his brother king of Babylon Shamash-Shum-Ukin’s army. Elamite king Tammaritu II who joined Shamash-Shum-Ukin’s rebellion is also defeated. Egyptian king Psamtik I’s southern border with Cush is quiet since Cushite king Tanutamun died in 656 B.C. so Psamtik I in 653 B.C. declares independence from Assyria. The Assyrian king Ashur-Banipal sends no soldiers to fight Psamtik I. Egypt has won its freedom.

    The year 586 B.C. is when Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzer army storms Jerusalem and the Jews are now escorted to Babylon where they will remain until Cyrus the Persian wins victory over the Babylonians.

    Assyrian kings: Tiglath-Pilesar III 753-735 B.C. Shalmaneser V 734-729 B.C. Sargon II 728-712 B.C. Sennacherib 711-688 B.C. Esarhaddon 687-676 B.C. Ashur-Banipal 675-633 B.C. Ashur-Etil-ilani 632-629 B.C. & his brother Sin-Shum-Ishkun fight against general Sin-Shum-Lishir in a bloody civil war. Ashur-Eitil-ilani is slain by his brother Sin-Shum-Ishkun only having one year of peace 628-627 B.C. Sin-Shum-Ishkun then reigns over Assyria 626-612 B.C. Ashur-Uballit II 611-605 B.C.

    (Sennacherib’s reign actually began in Judah’s king Hezekiah’s 14th year 711 B.C. Jerusalem was his first priority. Merodach-Baladan wrote Hezekiah letters (Isaiah 39:1) hoping the Hebrews might form a military alliance with him some historians believe to fight the Assyrians. From Sennacherib’s reign backwards and forward Assyrian chronology is formulated.)

    Babylonian kings: Merodach-Baladan 728-716 B.C. Sargon has control over Babylon 716-712 B.C. Merodach-Baladan fights Assyrian king Sennacherib 711-709 B.C. The Assyrians win victory and Sennacherib appoints Bel-Ibni to govern north Babylon 709-706 B.C. Ashur-Nadin-Shum 706-700 B.C. Sennacherib’s son taken prisoner by Elamite king Hallutush-Inshushinak 707-700 B.C. who appoints Nergal-Ushezib as Babylonian king in 700 B.C. Nergal-Ushezib is taken captive by the Assyrians.Babylonian king Mushezib-Marduk 700-695 B.C. unites forces with Elamite king Humban-Nimena 700-694B.C. against Assyrian king Sennacherib who destroys their army, yet the Babylonian chronicles state Humban-Nimena won the war stating Humban-Nimena died a natural death. Sennacherib completely destroys Babylon 695-687 B.C. Its inhabitants return when the city is rebuilt. Esarhaddon reigns over both Assyria and Babylon 687-675 B.C. Esarhaddon rebuilds Babylon. Shamash-Shum-Ukin 675-653 B.C. Kandalanu 653-632 B.C. Sin-Shum-Ishkun 632-626 B.C. has control over Babylon. Came to power in Assyria in 626 B.C. Loses Babylon to Nabopolassar in 626 B.C. Nabopolassar 626-605 B.C. reigns over Babylon. Nebuchadnezzer 605-562 B.C. reigns over Babylon.

    Biblical Judean kings: Ahaz 741-725 B.C.(2 Kings 16:2) Hezekiah 725-696 B.C. (2 Kings 18:2) Manasseh 696-641 B.C. (2 Kings 21:1) Amon 641-639 B.C. (2 Kings 21:19) Josiah 639-608 B.C. (2 Kings 22:1) Jehoahaz 608 B.C. (2 Kings 23:31) Jehoiakim 608-597 B.C. (2 Kings 23:36) Jehoichin 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:8) Zedekiah 597-586 B.C. (2 Kings 24:18) Israel kings: Pekah 758-738 B.C. (2 Kings 15:27) Hoshea 738-729 B.C.

    Cushite kings: Piankhi 759-728 B.C. Shabaka 728-714 B.C. Shebitku 714-698 B.C. reigns over Egypt. Tirhakah 714-698 B.C. reigns over Ethiopia. (2 Kings 19:9) Tirhakah reigns over both Ethiopia and Egypt 698-672 B.C. Egyptian king Necho I 672-664 B.C. slain by Tanutamun who flees when the Assyrians invade Egypt, he resides in Ethiopia reigning there 664-656 B.C.

    Egyptian kings: Necho I 672-664 B.C. Psamtik I 664-610 B.C. Necho II 610-595 B.C. Psamtik II 595-589 B.C. Apries (Hophra) 589-570 B.C.

    Elamite kings: Humban-Nikash 750-725 B.C. Shutruk-Nahhunte II 725-707 B.C. Hallutush-Inshushinak 707-700 B.C. Kudur-Nahunte 700 B.C. Humban-Nimena 700-694 B.C. Humban-Haltash I 694-687 B.C. Humban-Haltash II 687-681 B.C. Urtaki 681-669 B.C. Tempt-Humban-Inshushinak 669-659 B.C. Elamite king Ummanigash 659-657 B.C. set upon the Elamite throne by Assyrian king Ashur-Banipal betrayed the Assyrian leader.Ummanigash is dethroned by Elamite king Tammaritu I 657-654 B.C. of Hidalu. Tammaritu I also becomes anti-Assyrian. He prepares to go to war against Ashur-banipal and prince Indabibi 655-654 B.C. defeats Tammaritu I’s army before it reaches the Assyrians. Elamite king Tammaritu II 654-653 B.C. slays Indabibi and rebels against the Assyrians and he is captured. Humban-Haltash III 653-649 B.C. Egyptian king Psamtik I in 653 B.C. declares independence from Assyria. Egypt is free from Assyrian rule. The Assyrians completely destroy Elam in Humban-Haltash’s III reign in 649 B.C.

    Cushite king Piankhi 759-728 B.C. 21st year invades Egypt in 738 B.C. at the same time Israel’s king Hoshea in 738 B.C. assassinated Pekah. (2 Kings 15:30) Judah’s king Ahaz 741-725 B.C. had joined a military alliance with Assyrian king Tiglath-Pileser III in 740 B.C. (2 Kings 16:7) Assyrian historians recorded Tiglath-Pileser III 753-735 B.C. had witnessed Hoshea 738-729 B.C. becoming the Israel king. Assyrian king Shalmaneser V 734-729 B.C. then came up against Hoshea. (2 Kings 17:3-4) Cushite king Piankhi controlled Egypt and Osorkon IV (So) 740-725 B.C. was his vassal reigning in Egypt’s delta. Hoshea wanted So to help him wage a war against Shalmaneser V. (2 Kings 17:3-4) Hoshea’s plot is discovered and the Assyrians put an end to Hoshea’s kingdom as most of the population is carried off to Assyria. Judah’s king Hezekiah 725-696 B.C. invites those who escaped out of Assyria’s hands to turn to the Lord. (2 Chronicles 30:6) Osorkon IV later brings Sargon II 728-712 B.C. horses as tribute.

    Assyrian king Sargon II 728-712 B.C. goes to war against Elamite king Humban-Nikash 750-725 B.C. and Babylon’s king Merodach-Baladan at Der in 727 B.C. The Elamites and Babylonians win victory. Sargon II then wars against the Egyptians and Ethiopians lead by Egyptian Cushite king Shabaka 728-714 B.C. Sargon II wins victory against Shabaka in 726 B.C. (Isaiah 20:1-5) Sargon II had skirmishes with Babylon’s king Merodach-Baladan 728-716 B.C. Merodach-Baladan becomes friends with Elamite king Shutruk-Nahunte 725-707 B.C. Sargon invades Babylon in 716 B.C. and Merodach-Baladan flees to Elam. Merodach-Baladan later in Assyrian king Sennacherib’s reign sent letters to Judah’s king Hezekiah 725-696 B.C. around 711 B.C. (2 Kings 20:12)

    Assyrian king Sennacherib 711-688 B.C. 1st year 711 B.C. he attacks Israel in Hezekiah 725-696 B.C. in Hezekiah’s 14th year in 711 B.C. (2 Kings 18:13) ETHIOPIAN king Tirhakah did not do much to help Judah’s king Hezekiah.Tirhakah‘s army was defeated at Eltekeh. (2 Kings 19:9-10)It was the Lord who slew 185,000 Assyrians. (2 Kings 19:35) Elamite king Shutruk-Nahunte II 725-707 B.C. generals and staff officers are killed by Sennacherib’s army trying to place Merodach-Baladan back on the Babylonian throne 711-709 B.C. Merodach-Baladan flees again to Elam. Elamite king Hallutush-Inshushinak 707-700 B.C. makes poor judgement taking Sennacherib’s son Ashur-Nadin-Shum 706-700 B.C. as prisoner. Elamite kings: Hallutush-Inshushinak had fled his throne when he saw the Assyrian army coming. Kudur-Nahhunte briefly reigns over Elam in 700 B.C. Humban-Nimeana 700-694 B.C. army drove their chariots over dead soldiers to get away from the Assyrians. Humban-Nimeana suffers a stroke and the Assyrians win victory against the Elamites in Babylon. Elamite king Humban-Haltash I 694-687 B.C. tries restoring diplomatic relations with Assyria but he fails.

    Assyrian king Esarhaddon 687-676 B.C. goes to war against EGYPTIAN king Tirhakah 698-672 B.C. and the Assyrians win victory. Esarhaddon takes Judah king Manasseh 696-641 B.C. as prisoner. (2 Chronicles 33:11) Elamite king Humban-Haltash II 687-681 B.C. goes about robbing, raping and pillaging while on his way to attack Sippar while Esarhaddon was fighting other enemies. Tirhakah rebels when Assyrian troops leave Egypt. Esarhaddon and Elamite king Urtaki 681-669 B.C. live in peace. Esarhaddon dies enroute to do battle again against Tirhakah.

    Assyrian king Ashur-Banipal 675-633 B.C. defeats Tirhakah in 672 B.C. Tirhakah flees Memphis. Necho I 672-664 B.C. is placed upon the Egyptian throne. (Egyptian priest Manetho stated Necho I had an 8 year reign.) Elamite king Urtaki 681-669 B.C. receives grain from Ashur-Banipal during a famine striking Elam.Urtaki is ungrateful. Urtaki sees the Assyrians are having trouble with Egypt. Urtaki attacks Babylon in 669 B.C. The Assyrian army chases Urtaki and the Elamite king collapsed and died. Cushite king Tanutamun rebels against Assyria by invading Egypt’s delta slaying Necho I and Ashur-Banipal places Psamtik I 664-610 B.C. on the Egyptian throne as Tanutamun flees to Ethiopia reigning there 664-656 B.C. Ashur-Banipal sends soldiers to the King of Lydia and they defeat the Cimmerians in 663 B.C. Psamtik I expels Assyrian garrisons in Egypt’s delta 660-653 B.C. starting stirring up unrest while Ashur-Banipal is fighting Elamite king Tempt-Humban-Inshushinak and Psamtik I drives them completely out when the same year Babylon’s king Shamash-Shum-Ukin’s government falls in 653 B.C. Psamtik I declares Egypt totally independent in 653 B.C. Ashur-Banipal learns the King of Lydia had betrayed him by supporting Psamtik I and Ashur-Banipal lets the Cimmerians take over Lydia in 652 B.C.

    Elamite king Tempt-Humban-Inshushinak 669-659 B.C. relatives do not want war. They flee to Ashur-Banipal’s royal court. Tempt-Humban-Inshushinak suffers a stroke in the 10th year he reigns. War erupts. An Assyrian soldier cuts off his head. Elamite king Ummanigash 659-657 B.C. betrays Assyrian king Ashur-banipal who set him upon the Elamite throne. Ummanigash joins Babylon’s king Shamash-Shum-Ukin rebellion against Assyria.Ummanigash is dethroned by Tammaritu I king of Hidalu 657-654 B.C. who is also anti-Assyrian and prepares to go to war against Ashur-banipal. Prince Indabibi 655-654 B.C. is pro-Assyrian in this Elamite civil war and he crushes Tammaritu I’s forces before they reach the Assyrians. Elamite king Tammaritu II 654-653 B.C. slays Indabibi. Tammaritu II rebels and he is hauled away to Assyria.

    Assyrian king Ashur-Banipal’s brother Shamash-Shum-Ukin reigning over Babylon since 675-653 B.C. betrays him. Three Elamite kings had joined Shamash-Shum-Ukin’s army. The Assyrians take over Babylon in 653 B.C. Ashur-Banipal appoints Kandalanu as governor who reigns over Babylon 653-632 B.C. Egyptian king Psamtik I declares Egypt independent in 653 B.C. The Assyrians don’t respond and Egypt is free from Assyrian rule.

    Assyrian king Ashur-Banipal defeats Elamite king Humban-Haltash III 653-649 B.C. The Assyrians destroy the Elamite nation. Ashur-Banipal is the Biblical Asnapper. He set the Elamite natives to colonize the cities of Samaria. (Ezra 4:9-10) Ashur-Banipal also let Judah’s king Manasseh return to Israel. Ashur-Banipal goes to war against the Arabs 649-646 B.C. The years 645-633 B.C. Ashur-Banipal’s records are silent.

    Assyrian kings Ashur-Etil-ilani and Sin-Shum-Ishkun 632-629 B.C. fight a bloody civil war against Assyrian general Sin-Shum-Lishir which weakens Assyria. Ashur-Etil-ilani wins victory.Ashur-Etil-ilani is slain by his brother Sin-Shum-Ishkun having only one year of peace 628-627 B.C. Sin-Shum-Ishkun 626-612 B.C. fights Babylonian king Nabopolassar and the Babylonians and Cyaxares win victory. Sin-Shum-Ishkun dies in his burning palace. Assyrian general Ashur-Ballit II 611-605 B.C. army is saved at Charchemish when Egyptian troops lead by Necho II 610-595 B.C. join forces together.

    Necho II was on his way to help the Assyrians when Judah’s king Josiah 639-608 B.C. tried stopping him and Josiah was slain. (2 Chronicles 35:20-26) Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzer 605-562 B.C. destroys the Assyrian nation in 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzer 8th year he took Jehoichin captive in 597 B.C. (2 Kings 24:12) Nebuchadnezzer took over Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Zedekiah’s 11th year. (2 Kings 25:1-2) Egyptian king Psamtik II 595-589 B.C. fights the Nubians at the fourth cataract. Egyptian king Apries (Hophra) 589-570 B.C. sends troops to help Israel’s king Zedekiah 597-586 B.C. but Hophra’s troops flee Nebuchadnezzer’s forces. (Jeremiah 44:30) Hophra is killed by one of his generals.

    Knowledge will become abundant in the days we live. (Daniel 12:3-4)

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