The propaganda value of a Ahmed al-Khatib for NTB

Front page news in Aftenposten today ("killed because he had a toy gun") is that the parents of a twelve-year old Arab boy, Ahmed al-Khatib. have decided to put his organs up for donation, also for needy Israelis, presumably Jews.  (Norwegian media are generally not aware of the fact that a large number of Israelis are not Jews).  Ahmed was tragically shot and killed by Israeli soldiers who thought his toy gun was real.

The report was filed by NTB to Aftenposten.  There are versions of the same story in Ha'aretz ("Family of boy killed by IDF donates his organs for peace"), WAFA ( "Family of Child Killed by IOF Contributes his Parts to Israeli and Palestinian Patients"), and various other agencies.

As expected, you don't have to read many other versions to note that the NTB edition positions its article to achieve a certain political effect, namely hatred of Jews Israel:

• The reason for Ahmed's death.  By all accounts, the Israeli soldiers were being shot and pelted with stones in Jenin, and returned fire.  There are differing accounts as to whether Ahmed was throwing stones, and WAFA (predictably) writes that the allegation that Ahmed had a toy gun was "defeated" because his father said his son didn't have toys.  Unless you're willing to believe WAFA's account that an Israeli soldier deliberately aimed and shot a non-combatant child, the only reasonable explanation is that Ahmed was tragically killed in the fog of a battle.  One could argue endlessly what the root cause of the gunfire was - the terrorists who initiated it, the IDF soldiers who provoked it by entering the camp, the terrorist act that caused the camp entry, etc.; but Ahmed did not die simply because he had a toy gun. 
• Donation of organs.  I have to give Ahmed's parents a lot of credit for a) giving up his son's organs for donation to begin with, and b) doing so without restrictions.  I sincerely hope this gesture makes an impression on both sides of this conflict.  But let's be clear here: according to WAFA, the donations do not target Israeli Jews in particular; the point is that they can be donated to anyone - Jew, Arab, or presumably a member of any other ethnic group who needs them - without restriction.  It is perhaps a sad commentary on the conflict that this even is news. 
• The hospital and care.  Ahmed was picked up by a Red Crescent ambulance and at first treated in a Palestinian hospital.  When the doctors there realized it was serious, Ahmed was transferred to Rambam Hospital, in Haifa.  NTB seems to assume that all its readers know the names of Israeli hospitals, because the agency never mentions that little point.  In fact, such transfers are routine - Israeli hospitals provide care to Palestinian patients all the time, at no charge.  And the fact that it happened so quickly in this case should amply prove that.

The three sources I have for this news item are all either critical or outright hostile to Israel's policy toward the Palestinians.  There is probably even more to this story than we have.  But if you can get past the inflammatory choice of words by WAFA, it actually presents a more complete version of events than NTB's.  And WAFA makes no pretense about being an objective news source. 

NTB has no decency.  They don't care about facts, and like Charles Enderlin, certainly don't give a flying fuck about children who die in this conflict.  All they care about is their own political (or worse) agenda. 

The Norwegian press - who own and fund NTB - may think my charge is overblown, but isn't it time they took it seriously?  Shouldn't there be some kind of inquiry, analysis into the extent to which NTB is actually giving them news as opposed to spin? 

Comments

[Joanne]

Yeah, I have to admit that I had very mixed feelings about the donation of organs by the Arab boy's family. I felt that it was a propaganda coup more than anything else. I might be wrong, but even if it is a sweet thing to do, it left a bad aftertaste.

[Rasha]

Do you have to turn everything in a sick twisted way? Dont worry we have enough propaganda surrounding us ie Arabs and dont worry the western media supports you but people in the west are changing they r becoming more aware of the sick israeli gov. all thanks to our beloved friends the orthodox jews who carry the true faith and send a message accross the world showing how corrupt your gov is.
so you see its our orthodox jewish friends they r the ones against you.