The White House has prematurely taken sides in the growing hubbub over photo and video footage ostensibly showing Israeli soldiers mindlessly raiding a funeral procession for recently killed Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
The hubbub began Friday afternoon as the following headline began trending on Twitter:
As always, Twitter is a bag of garbage. pic.twitter.com/mpl8dJFNii
— Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) May 13, 2022
But as noted above by conservative commentator Ben Shapiro, the then-emerging narrative of evil Israeli Police officers “attacking” mourning funeralgoers was “garbage.”
The narrative was nevertheless buoyed by establishment media-shared photo and video footage such as the following:
The closest video of the #Israeli police suppressing the funeral procession of Shireen Abu Aqleh as the coffin was leaving the French hospital towards the cemetery pic.twitter.com/TaOsvCUUCd
— Rushdi Abualouf (@Rushdibbc) May 13, 2022
Israeli police moved in on a crowd of mourners at the funeral of Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, beating demonstrators with batons and causing pallbearers to briefly drop the casket. https://t.co/BNjeSIIxrP pic.twitter.com/SYluj1TUbG
— The Associated Press (@AP) May 13, 2022
The problem is that the photo and video footage only told one side of the story — the side, not surprisingly, that the Biden administration appears to have glommed onto.
During her final briefing Friday afternoon, White House press secretary Jen Psaki described the Israeli Police’s actions as an “intrusion into what should have been a peaceful procession.”
“I would first that we have all seen those images; they’re obviously deeply disturbing. We — this is a day where we should all be marking, including everyone there, the memory of a remarkable journalist who lost her life,” she said.
“We know that there is — with the disturbing footage from the funeral procession today in Jerusalem, we regret the intrusion into what should have been a peaceful procession. We’ve urged respect for the funeral procession, the mourners, and the family at this sensitive time.”
During a separate briefing later that afternoon, President Joe Biden called for an investigation.
“My question is: Do you condemn the police force in Israel for their actions at the funeral of the Palestinian-American journalist?” an unnamed reporter asked him.
“I don’t know all the detail, but I know it has to be investigated. I don’t know all the detail,” the president replied.
Listen:
An investigation has indeed been ongoing, and thus far it’s looking bad … but not for the Israeli Police.
According to a statement from the Israeli Police, they had no other option but to intervene because a mob of rioters showed up at the hospital where Akleh’s body was located and literally tried to steal it against her family’s wishes.
“[A]bout 300 rioters arrived at Saint Joseph hospital in Jerusalem and prevented the family members from loading the coffin onto the hearse to travel to the cemetery — as had been planned and coordinated with the family in advance. Instead, the mob threatened the driver of the hearse and then proceeded to carry the coffin on an unplanned procession to the cemetery by foot,” the statement reads.
“This went against the wishes of the Abu-Akleh family and the security coordinations that had been planned to safeguard the large number of mourners. The Israel Police instructed that the coffin be returned to the hearse, as did the EU ambassador and Shireen Abu-Akleh’s own family, but the mob refused.”
“Israeli Police intervened to disperse the mob and prevent them from taking the coffin, so that the funeral could proceed as planned in accordance with the wishes of the family. During the riot that was instigated by the mob, glass bottles and other objects were thrown, resulting in the injury of both mourners and Police officers,” the statement concludes.
The Israeli Police issued a new statement about the events at Shireen Abu Akleh’s funeral pic.twitter.com/VNW0YYuvZU
— Barak Ravid (@BarakRavid) May 13, 2022
There’s also photo and video footage backing this narrative:
Rioters hiding near and under the coffin after throwing stones and other objects at Israel Police officers in Jerusalem pic.twitter.com/SpnxM0uLre
— Israel Police (@israelpolice) May 13, 2022
This is not the first time, nor will it likely be the last, that the administration has prematurely rushed to conclusions without waiting to hear the full story.
Recall how the administration notoriously condemned its own Border Patrol agents last year after photos emerged ostensibly showing them cruelly whipping migrants.
But the evidence later showed that they hadn’t been whipping the migrants — they’d been whipping their horse reins to try and control them.
“According to a sixth generation Rancher, Kerr Wardlaw, the Border Patrol Agents were using something called split reins in order to have more control their horse. Wardlaw said that agents also use the tail end of the reins to help with quickly move the horse from left to right,” as reported at the time by El Paso news station KTSM.
“Wardlaw explained that the agents who appeared to be swinging their reins in the air were actually using their reins as a tool, to quickly move the rear end of the horse from left to right. He said that the agents were using non-lethal force by using their horses as tools.”
Yet to this day, the administration refuses to apologize for smearing their own Border Patrol agents.
Doocy asks defiant Psaki when Biden will apologize to border patrol for ‘whipping’ migrants claim https://t.co/zLc9rvj2hL pic.twitter.com/Pt9wZoze4d
— Conservative News (@BIZPACReview) April 19, 2022
Likewise, it seems highly unlikely that the administration will ever apologize for smearing Israeli Police over the funeral debacle that happened Friday …
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Writers and editors can be contacted at writers@bizpcreview.com with feedback, tips, or corrections.
V. Saxena is a staff writer with a decade of experience as a professional writer, and a lifetime of experience as an avid news junkie. He holds a degree in computer technology from Purdue University. Saxena also contributes to BizPac Review.
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grumpa biden and the whole misadministration need to get the ENTIRE story straight
B4 beginning their running off at the mouth reaction to ANYTHING
You would almost think they were with the media instead of the White House.
The Democrats stand with all that is corrupt, evil and wrong. When will America learn that the Democrat party is the party of lies, deprivation and death. Republicans are far from perfect but we stand a little closer to God than the people of this administration. Vote Republican or kiss America good bye.
Don’t Mess with God’s Israel. They are His people and He will fight for them. But sadly America will someday turn on her. ” On that day, when all the nations of the earth are gathered against her, I will make Jerusalem an immovable rock for all the nations. All who try to move it will injure themselves.” Zechariah 12:3
AMEN to that, Flavia. Too bad most sheeple think the. Bible is just a book of tale. It speaks of what is now happening
I’ve got a nickname for Joey. Jump the gun Joey. How many times is it now? I can think of Rittenhouse, border agent whipping and now this. Me thinks his stupidity is showing.
Let’s go Brandon and take Psaki with you.
Biden cannot engage his brain before putting his mouth in gear. It’s only “news” if that ever happens. But shame on Psaki for trashing Israeli police. How do Americans continue to support these Israel-hating Democrats? Mindless stupidity I guess.
A historically bad administration. Can only imagine how history reports the sad characters of the Cabinet, the communication staff and the president himself whos a hugh embarrassment to the world and US Citizens.
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The PLO et al., were going to use her as a demonstration tool against the family wishes! As if that mattered to the Muslim et al.!
This administrations bias against Israel is obvious
Again, I am not allowed to vote on this comment. Anyone keeping score?
I couldn’t even vote on yours. What gives? To the two or three above this one, I liked, but they didn’t like it.
Once again Biden, like his boss before him, Obama, jumps on a story with no facts attached to attack and badmouth Americans, police, and/or Israel.
Thoughtful diligence is not a hallmark of the Democratic Party.
This may seem cold, but anyone in a combat zone should expect to get to get killed. Examination of the pictures after her death showed she had a combat vest, she knew the danger just like Ernie Pyle. Anyone can get a bulletproof vest and stencil “press” on it. That soldier isnot going to ask if it’s legitamate, he could be killed if it isn’t. I’ve watched numerous combat reporters do dumb things; e.g. the TV reporter wearing a red shirt, but no combat vest, with his back toward the combat zone in Lebanon. He was lucky there wasn’t a sniper out there. Remember, the sniper has a range of over a mile.
I’m told that I’ve already voted for these last two comments, even though I had not ever seen them before…… Hmmmm…… Am I being censored again? Why me?
You don’t seem to be the only one. Really?