CHRISTIANE AMANPOUR (in a broadcast on the day of the massacre, perhaps
even shortly after it took place, given that CNN considered it “Breaking
News”): On this day, these activists found their targets, and their
targets were journalists. This was a clear attack on the freedom of
expression, on the press, and on satire.
This is exactly how the Obama administration wants Americans to think about terrorism. Notice two words missing: Islamic terrorists.
Unbelievable: Christiane Amanpour to host series on history of Israel
In a move that's likely to offend Jews and Christians everywhere, ABC News has selected Christiane Amanpour to host a series on the history of Israel (Hat Tip: Captain.H).
To have a woman who has trashed both the Jews of Israel and the
Christians of the West – while simultaneously covering for Islamic
terrorists – give her perspective on the Holy Land is insulting and
offensive. As reported here, Amanpour trashed Christians in a series she created called God's Warriors:
When she covered a very conservative Christian ministry, stating that
the ministry had rules forbidding the wearing of short skirts and
prohibitions regarding dating, Amanpour purred that this made her think
of "totalitarian regimes." The pastor demurred, acknowledging that short
skirts distracted men, and then came the kicker: Amanpour responded,
"But, Ron, that's what the Taliban said. They kept women in their house,
because men couldn't be trusted around them." That’s Amanpour to the
core, equating a peaceful Christian ministry with a murderous group of
terrorists who slaughtered 3000 Americans.
And don’t get her started on Israel, as Andrea Levin of CAMERA noted:
But it's Israeli settlements, in the Amanpour script, that
are the great enemy of mankind and all those with any link to them,
however indirect, whether Christian or Jewish, secular or religious, are
part of a putatively evil nexus. This dark alliance is said to include
Jewish fundraisers stumping the U.S. for money ('defiance of
international law comes dressed in diamonds') and Jewish organizations
with an alleged stranglehold on Congress.
Throughout, Amanpour hammers the claim that Jewish settlements
violate international law and she seeks to paint this position as a
universally accepted view with a lopsided parade of like-minded
commentators. Yet apart from any judgement about the political
advisability of building or not building settlements, many legal
scholars argue these communities are, in fact, legal and do not violate
Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention as the detractors claim. Such
experts include Meir Shamgar, former Israeli Supreme Court Justice,
internationally renowned legal scholar Professor Julius Stone and Former
Under Secretary of State Eugene Rostow, among others. But not one
scholar of this viewpoint is given voice in a two-hour feature largely
devoted to decrying settlements and their residents.
Also consistent with Amanpour's propaganda-style use of images and
editing is her grossly misrepresenting American presidential views of
settlement legalities. A video clip shows former UN Ambassador William
Scranton saying: 'Substantial resettlement of the Israeli civilian
population in occupied territories, including East Jerusalem, is
illegal.' Amanpour then declares: "Ever since, American presidents both
Democrat and Republican have spoken from virtually the same script."
The next image is Ronald Reagan making a tangential comment framed as
agreeing with Scranton. But Reagan explicitly did not speak from the
same script. "As to the West Bank," he said in a February 1981 New York Times
story, "I believe the settlements there, I disagreed when the previous
[Carter] Administration referred to them as illegal, they're not
illegal."
… Numerous other falsehoods and distortions mar the production.
Amanpour declares bizarrely that "the 40-year tug of war over Jerusalem
began when Israel bulldozed the Arab neighborhood next to the Western
Wall and built a plaza where Jews now pray." Obviously, the modern
battle over Jerusalem 'began' 60 years ago when the Arabs attacked in
1948 to destroy the newborn state of Israel, seizing the eastern side of
Jerusalem, including the Jewish quarter of the old city. Every Jew was
expelled or killed and all synagogues destroyed. Thereafter for 19
years, no Jew could pray at the Western Wall and Christians had limited
access to their holy sites.
Amanpour has railed against Jewish settlements to this day.
This is rich. The man who has more corruption investigations against him than any Israeli politician in history told CNN's Christiane Amanpour (of all people) on Monday that he 'doesn't trust' Netanyahu on Iran.
Let's go to the videotape.
Here's the introduction to the interview. Let's go to the videotape.
Here's Christiane Amanpour interviewing former US Special Middle East envoy George Mitchell on Sunday. Mitchell can't understand why Obama's statement on the '49 armistice lines is so problematic.
Let's go to the videotape.
They should have made it clear, huh?
Here are Jake Tapper and peace processor Aaron Miller talking about Obama's speech.
Let's go to the videotape.
I think Aaron David Miller has it right when he says that Netanyahu and Obama have 'no relationship.' I also think he's right that the 'Palestinians' have spooked a lot of people with the September US business.
And finally we have this from Jordanian King Abdullah.
Let's go to the videotape.
Notice how he says that the Middle East 'peace process' is hopeless. No kidding.
Video: Interview with Secretary of State Hillary Clinton
Here's the full interview that ABC's Christiane Amanpour did with Hillary Clinton. I already mentioned the part dealing with Israel here. But this interview doesn't include the part about Israel. It's about Egypt and Bahrain and Arab democracy generally.
Christiane Amanpour interviews Hosni Mubarak; Son Gamal is in Egypt
ABC News' Christiane Amanpour interviewed Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak on Thursday. Here's a brief summary of the interview with Amanpour and Diane Sawyer discussing it.
Let's go to the videotape.
The full interview will air as part of a one-hour special at 11:35 pm US Eastern time on Thursday night (that's 6:35 am Friday morning here in Israel). And you will note that Amanpour says that Gamal Mubarak is in the palace.
Here's another video with Amanpour. Let's go to the videotape.
Here's Amanpour on the streets of Cairo earlier in the day. Let's go to the videotape.
Finally, here's Wednesday night's report, which some of you may have missed.
Likud faction chairman Zev Elkin has blasted opposition leader Tzipi Livni for her performance with Christiane Amanpour on ABC's This Week on Sunday.
“This is yet another example of Livni displaying her inability to be statesmanlike at a time when Israel requires unity,” Likud faction chairman Ze’ev Elkin said.
“The opposition leader should be joining the government in defending the country on diplomatic issues, as Netanyahu did during Operation Cast Lead and the Second Lebanon War. I am not surprised by the behavior of Livni, who has over and over again broken her promise to put the good of the country ahead of her party and her personal goals.”
In the interview, Livni reiterated her mantra that “a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians is in [the] Israeli interest, it’s not a favor to President Obama.”
...
Livni told Amanpour that “my views about the peace process and the need to achieve peace are different from this coalition.”
The opposition leader said she believed it was a mistake for Israel to reject the US request for a 90-day freeze on settlement building activity.
“In choosing between building more buildings or making peace, I prefer to make peace,” she said.
Livni said she offered to form a coalition with Netanyahu’s Likud Party on several occasions.
“I offered Netanyahu in the past, more than once, to have a different coalition that can not only speak about the idea of two states for two peoples, but also translate it into peace treaty with the Palestinians. He decided to have this coalition, unfortunately,” Livni said.
What a disingenuous traitor. The reason Kadima isn't in the coalition is that Livni can't accept anything less than equal standing with Netanyahu. Just like the Arabs still think they won the war, Livni still thinks she won the election. It would have been better to have no 'representative' of Israel on that show than to have had Livni. But then Amanpour knew that when she invited her.
Christiane Amanpour does something that is worthy of the BBC or al-Jazeera - but not of an American television network: Amanpour holds a 'debate' between Israeli opposition leader Tzipi Livni and 'Palestinian President' Salam Fayyad.
The difference between Livni and Fayyad is about the equivalent of the distance between your thumb and your pointer finger. There is essentially no difference. Livni does not represent the majority of Israelis. It would have been nice if Amanpour had actually gotten an interlocutor who agrees with the policy of the Israeli government, but Amanpour is not Jake Tapper. Unfortunately.
Let's go to the videotape.
Here's the second part of the debate. Let's go to the videotape.
For the record, Livni is happy to have a different coalition, provided that she is Prime Minister at least half the time. She doesn't mention that in public.
Some balance. It would be nice if someone who actually represented Israelis and the Israeli government were in Livni's chair in this 'debate.'
I am an Orthodox Jew - some would even call me 'ultra-Orthodox.' Born in Boston, I was a corporate and securities attorney in New York City for seven years before making aliya to Israel in 1991 (I don't look it but I really am that old :-). I have been happily married to the same woman for thirty-five years, and we have eight children (bli ayin hara) ranging in age from 13 to 33 years and nine grandchildren. Four of our children are married! Before I started blogging I was a heavy contributor on a number of email lists and ran an email list called the Matzav from 2000-2004. You can contact me at: IsraelMatzav at gmail dot com
