‘Guardian’ runs anti-Hamas Wiesel ad but support for Israel still ebbs
By JERRY LEWIS
08/13/2014 05:45
Ad saying “Jews rejected child sacrifice 3,500 years ago... now it’s Hamas’s turn” was penned by Elie Wiesel and Rabbi Shmuley Boteach.
The traditionally anti-Israel Guardian newspaper angered many of its regular readers by publishing a full-page advertisement on Monday claiming that Hamas were child murderers.
In agreeing to accept the advert, already published in several US newspapers including The New York Times, USA Today and The Wall Street Journal, a spokesman for the Guardian said that its decision followed a “full discussion” within the paper.
It was made clear that acceptance of the text “does not equate to support or endorsement for the views expressed in that advertisement. The Guardian is fully committed to reporting from the Middle East and our coverage will continue to be independent and robust.” [It's dissemination of propaganda for cash. The Guardian, NYT, USA Today & The Wall Street Journal are disgraceful sell-outs that demonstrate the pointlessness of a money-driven press.]
Last week the Times declined to accept the advert, despite being owned by Rupert Murdoch, who counts the Wall Street Journal in his portfolio. A spokesman explained that in reserving the right to reject advertisements, they felt that the opinions being expressed were “too strong” and would “cause concern” among readers.
[...]
Under a large photograph of a masked Hamas operative wielding a weapon, the advertisement urged British Prime Minister David Cameron and other world leaders to condemn Hamas’s use of children as human shields and demanded that Hamas must reject “child sacrifice.”
Stop the War Coalition – an anti-war organization, who in conjunction with the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have organized mass protests against Israel’s actions in Gaza, took action against the advert before it even appeared. On their website they accused the authors of placing “a wildly inaccurate and inflammatory advert from the supporters of Israel branding Palestinians opposing Israel in Gaza as ‘child killers.’” To date the Guardian has received over 250 complaints while the Advertising Standards Authority said on Monday it had received seven complaints about the advert, understood to relate to issues of accuracy, harm and offence. The cost of a full page black and white advert is approximately £50,000. The paper recorded losses of around £30.6 million in 2013.
[...]
Boteach, in Sderot on a solidarity mission told the Post that the purpose of the advert was “to go on the offensive rather than the defensive.” The story was not Israel harming children – but of Hamas “serving up its children in the form of an ancient barbaric practice of child sacrifice to pursue its murderous goals.”
He said he was shocked at the Times’ decision not to run the advert, despite his offer to modify the text.
Asked why he subsequently chose the Guardian, Boteach said “I know the place, I lived there... and I greatly respect their promotion of freedom of the press and expression.”
EU-NATO IMPERIALISM ❌ 
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