Transcript [01:54] [music] [02:05] Welcome to Check by Honest Reporting. [02:07] I'm Ben Chertoff. [02:09] >> And I'm Joe Truseman. It's Wednesday, [02:11] October 21st and welcome to our first [02:13] show. Here's what we found on this [02:15] week's coverage. [02:16] >> So on the front page, hunger is back in [02:18] the headlines. Four outlets covered the [02:20] same uh world food program announcement. [02:24] We'll take a look at which failed [02:26] hardest and why. [02:29] And on the feed, the Palestinian olive [02:31] harvest has become a stage. [music] [02:32] Politicians, influencers, and foreign [02:35] press are showing up for the camera. The [02:37] language is sharpening and the coverage [02:39] is only lighting one side of the story. [02:41] In an open cases, Palestine Action US [02:44] was designated by the US Treasury in [02:46] August, designated a terror organization [02:48] in August. Honest Reporting's [02:50] investigative team followed the money [02:53] and the network behind [music] it, and [02:55] found a fun in Spanish custody, a [02:58] rebrand already underway in three recent [03:01] attacks in three countries. Michael [03:03] Star, head of our investigative team, is [03:05] with us to talk about that. [03:08] And we'll close with the honest mistake [03:10] or not. Two cases. One on a [03:13] shortorthhand for Gaza that the pictures [03:16] stopped matching years ago. The second [03:18] on a US paper of record instructing [03:20] readers on Israeli geography. [03:23] >> Okay, let's get into it. [03:28] So on Monday, the acting head of the UN [03:31] food world food program uh announced its [03:35] cutting food assistance to 500,000 [03:38] Palestinians [03:40] uh and Gaza and 200,000 [03:44] in the West Bank. The agency says it [03:47] needs $450 million to stave off a [03:51] shortfall. So hunger is back in the [03:53] headlines and let's get through four of [03:55] them. I want to lead with the one that [03:58] failed the hardest because it carries [03:59] the pattern that the other three repeat [04:02] in shorter form. So uh in NPR all things [04:07] considered Saturday night Joel Rose has [04:10] the acting head of the World Food [04:12] Programs Carl Scow on tape for just [04:15] under six minutes. So it's one guest, no [04:19] counterpoint. Scout speaks largely [04:21] unchallenged and here are five things [04:23] nobody says on tape and in order. So one [04:27] uh Rose asks directly why is the funding [04:31] failing short of the need and Scout [04:34] answers it's a massive operation that's [04:37] one entire answer and then Rose moves [04:39] on. So, in a nearly six-minute interview [04:41] on a $450 million gap, the words United [04:44] States donor retreat contribution [04:47] reduction never appear. And the US cut [04:50] WFP funding from $4.5 billion in 2024 to [04:54] roughly 2 billion in 2025. [04:57] So, either Rose doesn't know or does [05:01] know but doesn't say or Scal won't say. [05:04] So, either either way, any three of [05:06] those is a reporting failure. So then we [05:10] go on to two. Separate to the WFP cuts, [05:13] Scowl refers to the suspension of [05:16] commercial goods into Gaza as quote uh [05:19] some disagreement around taxation for [05:23] commercial goods. That's the exact [05:25] phrase, very vague. And three days [05:28] before this interview, Israel's civil [05:31] army coordinating body Kogat [05:34] uh publicly explained the suspension [05:37] specifics. [05:38] Hamas's ministry of educa of economy was [05:42] demanding uh 10,000 shekels per truck or [05:46] about 3,200 [05:48] US. Hamas security personnel arrested a [05:51] merchant's son for refusing to pay. And [05:54] the head of Gaza's own private truckers [05:56] union confirmed the demand on the [05:58] record. So that's not a disagreement [06:01] around taxation. That's a US designated [06:04] terror group levying extortionate tolls [06:07] on humanitarian trucks, which is why [06:09] Israel pulled the plug. Scout turns [06:11] Hamas extortion into a vague procedural [06:14] noun, and Rose does not push on it. So [06:18] number three, the acting head of the UN [06:21] food agency uh talks about hunger and [06:25] famine and yet doesn't say the word [06:28] kamas in the context of aid theft. Now I [06:31] the IDF published three document or [06:32] published documents showing that kamas [06:36] confiscated aid as a matter of policy [06:39] and the JNS and the times of Israel have [06:41] reported that kamas is making roughly [06:43] $500 million from humanitarian aid and [06:47] using it to pay operatives. Gazin [06:50] residents on the record described the [06:52] aid racket, the black markets, the tax [06:54] deliveries, the man-made part of the [06:56] man-made famine is the piece that Scow [06:58] and Rose both leave off. Four, [07:02] Rose's introduction says it's been more [07:05] than a year since the famine was [07:08] declared, which is technically true. The [07:10] UN's watchdog organization, IPC, [07:13] declared famine in August 2025. That [07:16] same body officially declared the famine [07:18] over just four months later on December [07:21] 19th, 2025. Now, Rose doesn't mention [07:23] that the audience is left with the false [07:25] impression of continuous famine and [07:28] fragile improvement post ceasefire. [07:32] Five Scout talks about WFP as if WFP is [07:36] the only food operation in Gaza and Rose [07:39] lets him. The other UN partners handle [07:42] water sanitation non-food logistics. [07:45] Israel is Israeli coordinated supply [07:48] chains move hundreds of trucks when the [07:50] system works. Other NOS's exist [07:54] they are not mentioned. So add it up on [07:57] tape. Uh like on so rather on tape 6 [08:02] minutes, no US cut, no kamas tax named, [08:06] no kamas aid theft name, no end of [08:08] famine declaration, no nonWFP [08:12] operations. The pattern is the halo. The [08:14] UN is a voice of authority and truth and [08:17] it's allowed to go unchallenged. And [08:19] while Israel is not accused in any of [08:21] this, it's left as the implied cause [08:25] because of the elimination of every [08:27] other actor. Now, let's look at um the [08:30] other three outlets and or some of the [08:32] out. I don't know if we're going to get [08:33] to all three. Same pattern, less [08:35] airtime. [08:37] So, the uh AP um [08:42] sorry, just a second. So, the AP [08:45] published um [08:51] Uh [08:53] the same omission, same print format. Um [08:57] seem to have lost the AP thing here. So [08:59] we'll go straight to Al Jazzer, our [09:01] favorite. Half a million Palestinians [09:03] lose food aid. The verb is lose. Al [09:06] Jazzer also bundled the WFP cut inside a [09:09] package with Israeli air strikes and the [09:11] quote unquote settler Pog Grums as if [09:14] the three are one story with one actor. [09:18] And then Reuters that on Monday uh is [09:21] the one that got closest to balance. [09:23] Reuters names Hamas uh Hamas's [09:26] territorial control and even hands a [09:29] quote to the Kamasrun government media [09:32] office. [09:34] But Reuters does also not choose to name [09:37] uh the US cut and does not name the [09:40] kamas aid theft. So one thing on one [09:45] more thing rather is on the pictures. [09:47] Reuters embedded this photo of children [09:49] holding shiny metal pots in a soup line. [09:52] And if you've watched any coverage of [09:54] the story for the past three years, [09:56] you've seen this exact composition [09:58] before. And these are likely very staged [10:00] photos. And we don't know that for sure [10:02] for this one, obviously. But that has [10:05] been the case before where you see this [10:06] exact same composition done over and [10:09] over and over again. It's a visual key. [10:11] It's a prop and it's back on Q. [10:15] And so then the the ironic part is that [10:19] the AFP one wire same day 80 minutes [10:22] apart published these two stories. You [10:25] have the aid cut on one side and then on [10:28] the other side you have not too long [10:30] later a story about uh children in [10:33] starched white uniforms taking a [10:35] taekwond do lesson in central Gaza loud [10:39] there. Um [10:40] >> but it's you know not a lesson or not an [10:44] image of famine at all. So both are [10:47] real. both ran. The viewer who sees one [10:49] and not the other walks away with two [10:51] completely different Gazas. And here's [10:55] the thing. Gaza is not the only thing [10:57] affected. The WFP cuts are putting six [11:00] operations at risk. Aid efforts in [11:01] Afghanistan, the Democratic Republic of [11:03] Congo, Haiti, Sudan, South Sudan, and [11:06] Somalia. The only uh Gaza gets the [11:11] headlines. The WFP's own October 2025 [11:15] report shows Sudan with uh 25 million [11:17] people in acute hunger and a confirmed [11:20] famine right now. The Gaza slice is less [11:23] than 10% of the WFP's recipients being [11:26] cut. But in four pieces about budget [11:28] shortfall, Sudan gets zero minutes of [11:31] coverage and Gaza got all the headlines. [11:35] Joe, if a sixinute NPR interview with [11:39] the WFP head covers Gaza in vivid detail [11:41] and doesn't say a word about Sudan, what [11:44] should we call that? [11:46] >> Right, Ben? Um, I think it's selective. [11:49] Uh, you know, it's Sudan. You know, has [11:51] 25 million people in acute hunger as you [11:53] were saying. Uh, you know, if you get [11:54] six minutes right with the head of the [11:56] World Food Program and never says a word [12:00] about it, you're not covering your [12:01] hunger. You're you're covering Gaza. So, [12:04] uh, when the only story is Gaza, the [12:07] listener only has one place to put the [12:09] blame. And of course, it's going to be, [12:12] you know, we all know who that is. So, I [12:14] think it's selective. Absolutely. [12:16] >> So, the donor who left the room is the [12:18] US. The food thief that created the [12:20] famine is Hamas. The famine itself is [12:22] declared over by the body that declared [12:24] it. 25 million people in Sudan are [12:26] hungrier than anyone in Gaza right now. [12:29] And NPR gives Carl Scow six minutes of [12:31] microphone and asked him almost nothing. [12:34] Um, yeah, that's not reporting. That's [12:36] that's amplification. [12:38] Okay, let's move on to olive harvests [12:42] and the feed. [12:48] >> All right, Ben, I I think this is going [12:49] to be my favorite part of the show and [12:52] uh the the the viewers will will [12:54] understand here in a moment. So, uh so [12:56] we have the harvest as a stage here. Uh [12:58] so the protect the harvest is a real [13:01] coalition and the farmers concerns are [13:04] real. The critique is about who is [13:06] standing in the frame with them and what [13:09] the lang what the language is that they [13:10] reach for. [13:13] So we're going to set up a clip here. So [13:16] uh we have of course as you see here [13:17] Brad Lander. Uh now he's the comp [13:20] troller of New York City, former mayoral [13:22] candidate, prominent Jewish Democrat. [13:25] He's in the West Bank this week as I'm [13:26] sure uh some of you have have seen [13:29] especially on social media. Uh so here's [13:31] what he said. [13:32] >> We're in the West Bank this week as part [13:34] of the protect the harvest effort. We're [13:36] helping Palestinian farmers harvest [13:38] olives rather than be ethnically [13:40] cleansed from their land. [13:43] >> Rather than being ethnically cleansed [13:46] from their land. That's some strong [13:49] language. Uh especially when it comes to [13:52] u mass atrocities. No. So Lander is uses [13:56] it on a story where Israel's own police [13:58] are arresting the attackers. The [14:01] coverage follows the frame. [14:03] >> Yeah. And that's not that's not the only [14:05] thing that has been going on here [14:07] because Landers was then or rather [14:09] Lander was then this morning detained [14:13] uh on a bus and posted that very sad [14:16] photograph of himself um and saying that [14:21] uh the occupation is a crime under [14:24] international law and harvesting olives [14:25] isn't a crime uh and that they were [14:28] arrested only for uh harvesting olives [14:32] uh which of of course is uh not not the [14:37] case as we know. I have a I'm going to [14:39] pull up in a second uh from the uh IDF. [14:43] They posted a statement um saying that [14:48] due to the security risks conducting an [14:51] uncoordinated harvest near an Israeli [14:53] community, they detained those that was [14:55] that were present and the landowner was [14:57] informed. [14:59] uh he was told to coordinate his harvest [15:01] and handed the contact to book a date. [15:03] Basically, call this number and you can [15:06] keep doing what you're doing. Um so, you [15:09] know, he says that harvesting olives is [15:12] not a crime. And he's right. Right. [15:15] Harvesting olives is not a crime. It's [15:17] not illegal. But uh bringing 90 [15:19] activists into an uncoordinated harvest [15:22] in a closed zone, that's the problem in [15:26] you know like coordinated areas the IDF [15:29] says only the harvesters go in. [15:32] >> Um I can keep going on this. [laughter] [15:36] No, but my question is so um what is a [15:40] you know I guess a politician from New [15:42] York right coming to the West Bank to [15:46] talk about this issue and there's a word [15:50] that comes up in my head right [15:51] especially now during you know this [15:53] midterms in the United States elections [15:56] uh it seems like it's an opportunity [15:58] here at least for him I think uh but [16:01] with no real meaning for his his his uh [16:06] his constituents right in the United [16:09] States. So what the heck is he doing in [16:11] the West Bank and I I I I don't get it. [16:15] I mean I do get it, but I still don't [16:16] get it. That's that's that's what I'm [16:18] getting from her. [16:19] >> He's up for election this year. He is [16:21] the nominee. So this is definitely a [16:23] campaign ad for him among other things. [16:26] I mean this is a set piece for him. But [16:28] I want to touch on one more thing. He [16:30] says occupation is a crime under [16:32] international law and that is entirely a [16:35] legal opinion. Uh it's not it's it's [16:39] that he stated as fact. You know the [16:41] Oslo Accords which the PLL signed uh [16:45] says that Israel holds security across [16:46] much of the West Bank until a final [16:48] status deal. So you can argue that for [16:50] sure but that's an argument. It's it's [16:53] not a fact. Um, and uh, you know, he was [16:57] out the same day. He he was out with a [17:00] warning. Uh, he was released. Uh, and he [17:03] says apparently because of his public [17:05] profile. And I think that's the point. [17:07] His profile is why he was there. And I I [17:11] like I can't help but go back every time [17:14] I see stuff like this to the Matty [17:16] Freriedman point that he's made like so [17:18] many times. He's made it on on our the [17:21] honest take podcast that we do where he [17:23] says that like he makes the point that [17:25] if news coverage is supposed to be a [17:28] rational reflection of what's going on [17:30] in the world then um the fact that there [17:35] are is so much coverage and so much [17:37] focus now on an olive harvest in the [17:39] West Bank is is insane. you know, [17:42] there's there and and it's also a very [17:46] easy thing to cover [17:48] >> because you can drive an hour from uh [17:51] you know, from Tel Aviv or Jerusalem, [17:52] get all this great footage of the IDF [17:54] detaining you and be in Tel Aviv having [17:57] Kumus by nightfall. [18:00] >> Exactly. And he knows that. That's the [18:02] thing. He knows it. So, all of this is [18:03] deliberate. [18:05] >> Absolutely. [18:07] So 90 activists, a closed zone, and a [18:10] congressional nominee with a phone. [18:12] That's that's not a harvest. That's a [18:14] set. Let's move on to uh open cases [18:18] where we are going to bring in um [18:22] Michael Star who's the head of our [18:24] honest reporting investigative team. Uh [18:27] he is uh with us right now along with uh [18:32] Sharon Levy and Ben M. Freeman. They [18:33] looked into Palestine Action US and the [18:37] network behind it. The organization was [18:40] uh designated by the US Treasury as uh a [18:43] terrorist organization in August, which [18:45] is when the investigation started. So [18:48] Mike, I'll let you take it from here. [18:51] >> Thank you guys for having me. First of [18:53] all, Palestine Action is a UKbased uh [18:57] terrorist organization that uses [18:59] vandalism, sabotage, and other acts of [19:02] violence to pressure companies and [19:05] universities and other organizations to [19:07] completely cut ties with Israel and as I [19:11] said before, terrorism. And it's been [19:14] designated for a while by the UK as [19:17] such. And in August, the US Treasury [19:20] also uh leveled sanctions on Palestine [19:23] Action as a terrorist organization. And [19:25] this is interesting because Palestine [19:27] Action uh has spawned many franchises uh [19:31] including in the United States. So [19:32] there's Palestine Action US. So when [19:35] whenever there's an organization getting [19:38] designated as a terrorist organization, [19:40] whenever there's sanctions, uh we start [19:42] to ask the questions, well, who who is [19:44] behind this? Who funds it? Who feeds it? [19:47] what other groups are involved? What is [19:48] the broader network behind this [19:50] organization? Especially when there's a [19:52] chaotic uh decentralized organization [19:56] like Palestine Action. So the the [19:59] central figure behind uh the founding uh [20:03] of Palestine Action US is quite [20:06] interesting. He's uh James Fergie [20:09] Chambers. He goes by by Fergie. Uh he's [20:12] an heir to the Cox Enterprise fortune. [20:16] And this is one of the largest privately [20:17] held US media uh corporations, [20:21] conglomerates in uh uh that's available. [20:25] And uh Chambers detached from his [20:27] enterprise. He in a deal supposedly [20:30] worth hundreds of millions. Uh, of [20:32] course, at the same time, he's also a [20:34] self-identified uh Marxist Leninist. Uh, [20:37] no contradiction in in billionaire or [20:40] millionaire rather Marxist Leninist, but [20:44] uh that's an aside is is a sort of [20:47] person uh who who chanced death to [20:49] America uh while enjoying the high life. [20:54] Um and what's what's interesting is that [20:57] Cox with a few of his friends many of [20:59] which which were also involved with [21:02] Palestine Action US when that was [21:04] founded uh in 2023 also around the same [21:08] time founded uh and excuse me if I I [21:11] butcher the pronunciation but the [21:13] Babachski uh collective and this is kind [21:16] of a funding organization [21:18] uh for other organizations that are [21:21] anti-imperialist Marxist and everything [21:24] through that uh that vein. And one of [21:28] the things that they've they've been [21:29] funding quite uh quite nobly are news [21:32] outlets. Um for example, Mondo Weiss in [21:36] in October got uh 2023 got you know [21:39] 20,000 uh dollars and this this was not [21:42] the the only grant that was given you [21:44] know $350,000 [21:46] uh dollars to Atlanta Community Press [21:48] Collective. Um, now Chambers was [21:52] arrested in July in Spain. Uh, you know, [21:55] he's facing a US extradition warrant [21:58] supposedly for or allegedly for funding [22:01] uh millions of dollars to uh Hamas. So, [22:05] he's facing charges for uh material [22:08] support uh for terrorism. That case is [22:11] is still ongoing. But if if we go back [22:14] we look at Babachki the collective uh [22:17] and again people who are involved with [22:19] Palestine action uh US you know how how [22:23] they're operating is we're saying that [22:25] well one they're giving money to Mondo [22:26] Weiss and Mondo Weiss is is not just [22:29] quoting or covering Palestine action in [22:32] news there's there's published pieces uh [22:35] by lineed with with Palestine Action and [22:38] later a uh kind of spin-off evolution [22:41] group uh that became name uh uh unity of [22:44] fields as it is known. Um so they're [22:48] they're publishing uh whole statements [22:52] by Palestine Action. Now granted, [22:55] Palestine Action wasn't a terrorist [22:58] organization at the time. Uh but they [23:01] still have these statements up and [23:02] there's a question, well [23:05] at what point does this become material [23:06] support uh for terrorism? [23:10] And there's other news outlets that that [23:12] exist in in this uh network there are [23:14] not just you know funded by uh Babachki [23:18] but seem to have been spun whole cloth [23:21] uh by Chambers and and his his friends. [23:25] Um, you know, there there's Vox UMA uh [23:28] which is so supposed to be this [23:30] anti-imperialist [23:32] um uh Islamic uh news outlet, [23:37] independent outlet uh which is part of [23:39] this network and and you have uh Shabir [23:42] Risby who's who's kind of like the [23:44] political director. He's also a Press TV [23:46] contributor and uh it's it's they're [23:50] republishing a lot of Press TV uh [23:53] content and you see kind of like this [23:55] Iranian regime connection that was uh [23:58] expanded on by uh the Jewish uh the [24:02] Jewish onlineer uh recently I believe it [24:04] was uh in a in a new report in which [24:08] which they kind of detailed uh that they [24:10] have several uh people involved with [24:14] sovereign media which is another outlet [24:16] that uh um that Chambers and his network [24:20] has has funded and has been involved in [24:22] the founding of and in which also this [24:25] founder for sovereign media spent years [24:28] at Iran's uh press TV and uh is also [24:32] republishing uh press TV content uh [24:36] constantly is acting sort of as like [24:37] this this funnel for uh Iranian regime [24:40] propaganda. Um so we see the these [24:45] outlets the the issue is is not just [24:47] that uh you know Chambers and his [24:50] network they're involved with the these [24:53] very physical acts of of uh violence [24:56] through Palestine Action US. Uh but you [24:59] also have these radical outlets that are [25:02] uh perveying the the rhetoric and the [25:06] the spirit of uh of this terrorist [25:10] organization. uh and the the ideology [25:13] that that fuels it. [25:17] >> So, um [25:22] I was going to [25:23] >> You want to jump in? [25:24] >> No, I was This is all very interesting [25:26] actually. I just we I wrote about this [25:28] issue just a a little while ago, just a [25:30] few days ago. Uh and I'm afraid we're [25:32] seeing kind of like a pattern here of of [25:34] of violence, right? Uh this is turning [25:37] from going from like activism to well [25:39] yeah to violence against people and I'm [25:41] afraid we're just going to see more of [25:43] it. Right. So um it's it's a concerning [25:46] pattern but but nevertheless uh you know [25:48] Michael we appreciate you coming on. [25:51] Appreciate the information. Um it's very [25:53] informative. Uh but let's move on to to [25:56] the honest mistake. Uh or on purpose. Uh [25:59] over to you Ben. [26:00] >> Yeah. Okay. So we'll move on to honest [26:02] mistake or not. Um, we have a bunch of [26:09] stories today to talk about. There are [26:12] two cases. Uh, the verdict is binary, [26:15] honest mistake, or are these on purpose? [26:18] So, we'll do one stamp per case. Uh, and [26:22] start with uh, Alazer [26:25] uh, and this is something that we have [26:27] been hearing for a long time in March of [26:29] 2021. [26:31] uh calling Gaza and also in June of 2022 [26:35] calling Gaza an openair prison uh TRT [26:40] World ran a video um that uh calling it [26:46] the world's largest concentration camp [26:48] and the honest reporting piece that we [26:51] worked on uh pulled uh two uh before and [26:55] after photos from uh a from Alazer NRT's [27:00] own archive. universities, waterfronts, [27:02] markets. And the astounding part is uh [27:07] that the outlets chose to frame the the [27:10] the photos that the outlets chose to [27:12] frame also published from Gaza are [27:14] pictures that like don't match it at [27:17] all, especially don't match what uh the [27:20] the open air prison um uh description. [27:24] So, uh it's not just pre2023, too. hear [27:29] a few things in Gaza right now that are [27:31] certainly not consistent with calling it [27:34] an openair prison. So from Imshen on X, [27:38] which is an advocacy account, it's it's [27:40] not a news outlet, I'll tell you [27:42] upfront, but still we have uh videos [27:46] like this of all these new [27:48] establishments that are opening up. the [27:50] lava cafe. I I don't know, [27:54] Joe. Is this Does this look like a uh [27:58] Does this look like an open air prison [28:00] to you? Is this an open air [28:02] concentration camp from what we know [28:04] about concentration camps, [28:06] [clears throat] [28:06] >> right? Uh so I'm very familiar with [28:08] these videos. I'm familiar with what I [28:11] has has published. It's very good stuff. [28:13] Uh it's great evidence. It's it's raw [28:15] evidence. So I I you know a lot of this [28:17] I think it's uh it's being framed on [28:19] purpose. So outlets like Alaz, TRT, [28:22] there's so many more. Um they [28:24] deliberately convey Gaza as an open air [28:27] prison, right? Um they've been doing [28:29] this years before the war. They continue [28:32] to do it now. And it it's they do it [28:34] because it feeds a narrative. All right. [28:36] So regardless of the facts on the [28:38] ground, regardless of the video we just [28:39] looked at, right, we just watched and [28:41] there's so many more videos than just [28:42] that. That's just one sample. So, uh, [28:45] it's absolutely on purpose. It's [28:47] completely deliberate. [28:48] >> We'll give that we'll give that an on [28:50] purpose. I have to agree with you there [28:52] entirely. Uh, you know, word word choice [28:55] is an editorial choice and that [28:58] shorthand has been repeated for years [29:00] and years and years. And now, anytime [29:02] anybody talks about Gaza before the war, [29:04] it was an open air prison. And and now [29:06] it was, you know, and then after the [29:08] war, it was look at all this beautiful [29:10] Gaza that was destroyed. So, pick one. [29:13] Um, [laughter] you know, Joe, what what [29:16] what case did you uh did you bring us [29:18] this week? [29:19] >> Right. Right. Right. So, uh yeah, let's [29:21] talk about the second case. So, um so [29:23] the Washington uh Post reported on [29:25] Monday that Israeli police arrested 10 [29:27] people for attacks on Palestinian olive [29:30] pickers. One of the quoted sources is [29:32] Israel's own police commissioner Daniel [29:33] Levy. Uh so, here's the stadium. Here's [29:36] the statement verbatim. [29:39] The law in Judea and Samaria applies to [29:41] everyone regardless of identity or [29:44] affiliation. Okay, good. Here's what the [29:47] Washington Post added in parenthesis in [29:50] the next sentence. Judea and Samaria are [29:53] biblical names for the West Bank used by [29:55] the Israeli government. All right, three [29:59] things that the parenthetical does. One, [30:02] it calls it biblical. Jude and Samaria [30:04] is the Israeli government's legal uh [30:06] administrative name and the name the [30:08] land has carried for 3,000 years. [30:10] Calling it biblical reduces a legal and [30:12] historical des uh designation to [30:14] religious uh anarch anacronism. Two, it [30:19] says that the term is used by the [30:20] Israeli government framing Israeli usage [30:22] as factional while ates history books, [30:27] the Oslo era legal documents use the [30:29] same term. Three, the move the post does [30:33] not mention the West Bank is itself a [30:36] term that came from Jordan [30:38] >> when it occupied the territory in 1948. [30:40] So one name gets flagged for the reader [30:44] and the other doesn't. Also worth saying [30:47] out loud is that Israel's own police are [30:49] arresting the attackers in the story. [30:51] The critique is not on the news, right? [30:54] The critique is on the parenthetical. So [30:58] man cold a US paper of records [31:02] >> in entirely you know th this is this has [31:05] to be on on purpose and the the use of [31:08] language here is is so deep. Um you know [31:12] Judea and Samaria is is in the UN [31:15] partition plan from 1947 where they call [31:18] it the hill country of uh of Samaria and [31:22] Judea. So like you know this is this is [31:25] very intentional language choice. Uh I [31:28] am going to say entirely that this was [31:32] on purpose. Uh [31:35] >> there we go. On purpose. We need a sound [31:37] effect for that. [31:38] >> Yeah. Like a like a stamp or something. [31:40] Right. [31:40] >> Exactly. Exactly. [laughter] [31:43] >> Very good. I think you know Go ahead. Go [31:45] ahead. [31:46] >> Yeah. No, I was gonna say Joe, what do [31:47] you think about that? Uh [31:50] yeah, it's too damn I mean I I I pretty [31:53] much agree with you honestly. Um this [31:55] has always been an issue and I don't [31:57] know. I I just don't like it. But yes, I [31:58] like the part that you know this is a [32:00] term that came from Jordan. All right, [32:02] come on. So um Judea Samar is, as I [32:06] said, it's been a a term that's been [32:07] used for many years. So anyway, that [32:10] that's my that's what I think. Uh it's a [32:12] it's there's a lot of problems [32:14] unfortunately that uh that we're all [32:16] dealing with. [32:17] I agree there. Okay, it is uh we are [32:20] right on time to wrap this up. I'm [32:22] actually kind of impressed with us. Uh [32:24] so uh let us uh go through the end here [32:28] which is uh sorry I'm trying to catch up [32:30] on my on my script here. So uh yeah [32:33] that's checked for this week. Okay. So [32:35] if you want us in your feed every [32:36] Wednesday follow Checked on uh Apple [32:40] podcast and on Spotify and uh subscribe [32:45] on YouTube. You can also subscribe uh to [32:49] all of our uh socials at uh [32:54] HonestR Reporting on Instagram, uh [32:57] Facebook, Tik Tok, and X. Um and if you [33:02] have 20 seconds, please do leave us a [33:04] review on Apple. That is the one thing [33:07] that makes sure that the show gets in [33:09] front of people who haven't heard it [33:11] before. [33:13] >> Perfect. Perfect. Uh you're you're [33:15] absolutely right. Uh and please continue [33:17] to watch. Uh we'll be on next week, of [33:19] course, and we we'll continue to talk [33:21] about the these important issues. [33:23] >> And if there's a piece of coverage that [33:25] you want us to rule on or reply to the [33:28] pinned post when this goes up, uh so we [33:31] read them and some of them end up in [33:34] honest mistake. I'm Ben Chertoff [33:38] >> and I'm Joe Trezman. We'll check back [33:39] next Wednesday.
