Dave Zirin's Blood Libel at the Nation exposed

Dave Zirin's story at the Nation didn't ring true. It didn't check out on any level. And now we know why. An expose printed this evening on  the Elder of Ziyon blog has shown the tremendous strength of citizen journalists and their role in keeping the mainstream media accountable.  We should all be deeply indebted to both the formidable Elder and his friend Bob Knot for their role in exposing Dave Zirin's lies.

Must read at the Elder of Ziyon.  The lies about the "Palestinian footballers" 

Bob Knot in the comments has a tour de force of investigative journalism that destroys the recent libel claiming that Israeli troops fired on the feet of "Palestinian football players" and exposes the people using that incident to disqualify Israel from FIFA as liars...
 
The Nation, Mondoweiss, and others based their libel and calls for FIFA to kick out Israel on the latest Ma’an article because racism and violence have no place in football. Thumbs up for that, Israelis believe the same; let’s find out more about these two young, innocent, “footballers”, their club, and what does their “training” entail?

Right now. Go to the Elder of Ziyon's website. 
Read the expose that blows Dave Zirin's column out of the water. Remember: Dave Zirin is a "journalist". He gets paid for his sloppy writing and his even sloppier research.
Then click on the donation button in the top right column.of the Elder's website. 

This is precisely why people blog.  Social media allows us to bypass the gatekeepers of the mainstream media.  Bloggers help get the truth out.

Help the Elder go from strength to strength.

Next. Write. Tweet. Fax the Nation. Demand a retraction.  Don't stop until you get one.
Write. Tweet. Fax the FIFA. Link to the truth. Expose the lies.

Anti-Israel activist David Zirin sports a new blood libel

From the Olympic charter: "The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play."

Anti-Israel activist David Zirin is leading the vanguard to deprive Israelis of their human rights by asking international bodies to discriminate against Israelis based on their national origin. He is hardly an impartial party.

A recent article by Zirin published in the Nation comes darned close to blood libel, continuing the egregious and anti-Semitic meme of Israel shooting Palestinian children for sport. Never mind in this case that the two "children" in question were older teen aged boys who may have been planting a bomb at the time.

He writes " This is only the latest instance of the targeting of Palestinian soccer players by the Israeli army and security forces"

No, David. They were not targeted because they were "soccer players". They were targeted because they were seen allegedly planting a bomb.

This article describing the arrests is in Haaretz and was written Amira Haas, another "journalist" not exactly known for her objectivity. Yet it comes closer to the objective truth than Zirin's propaganda leaden missive.

Two Palestinians have been hospitalized in Jerusalem since Friday after they were shot and arrested by Border Police forces amid claims they were going to throw a bomb. The two Palestinians are under guard in Hadassah University Hospital, Ein Karem, have been operated on for their gunshot wounds, and will remain there until their treatment is finished. They deny the claims made against them, and contend that the Border Patrol forces shot them, sent attack dogs to chase them, beat them with their rifle butts, and punched and kicked them.

Attorney Tarek Barghout, from Palestinian Authority prisoners’ ministry, visited the two men in the hospital twice. One of them, Barghout says, was hit by many bullets and had a bite wound on his arm. The lawyer told Haaretz that the two suspects told him they bought cigarettes at a nearby store and were shot as soon as they lit a match. Immediately after, they were attacked by dogs. They claim the Border Police troops beat them, then dragged them to the base – 300 meters from where they were attacked. They claim they were beaten inside the base as well.

Adam Jamous, 17, and Jawahar Halbiyeh, 19, are residents of Abu Dis, a town east of Jerusalem. Last Thursday evening they were en route to visit a friend in a neighborhood close to a Border Police base. An Abu Dis resident told Haaretz that before midnight, residents heard a lot of gunfire and saw dogs attacking the two men when they looked out the window.

Dave Zinin does not get the men’s names correct. He asserts Jawhar and Adam were "on their way home from a training session in the Faisal al-Husseini Stadium" because having them buying cigarettes doesn’t add to the illusion of their wholesome victimhood. And he just can’t bear to have them treated in the world renowned Hadassah Hospital and instead puts them  in a Jordanian hospital. Dave- Would a Jordanian hospital have Hebrew writing on the sheets ? Would a Jordanian hospital use sheets adorned with Jewish stars?

Haas continues

In response to inquiries, a Border Police spokesman said, "During operational activity, a group of individuals was seen just seconds before throwing bombs at security forces. When they saw the Border Policemen, the group attempted to run away and tried again to throw bombs at the policemen. The policemen initiated the protocol for opening fire in order to neutralize the threat. The suspects were apprehended, and a bomb was found on them, which has been deactivated."

A Hadassah spokesman said the two "were admitted on Friday morning and are being held in the orthopedics unit. Their condition is stable. They were operated on, and are receiving all necessary treatment."

 Dave Zirin loses all credibility as a journalist with this current piece. Will there be a retraction? I'm not holding my breath.