OPINION:
The New York Times, in a story about the terrorist attack against Israel, called out Hamas members as “terrorists”; also as “gunmen”; also as “militant[s].”
That’s called The New York Times shuffle. Which is it, anyway?
Here’s a clue: They’re freaking terrorists. No need to equivocate. No need to go wishy-washy.
No need to get all scholarly and intellectual and hold philosophical debates about the deeper significance of an Israeli enemy that has been very open about desiring to obliterate Jews from the face of the earth. There’s nothing to discuss. Hamas hates the Jewish people and wants to disintegrate the nation of Israel.
In a headline, The New York Times wrote, “Hamas Leaves Trail of Terror in Israel.” Beneath, the newspaper wrote, “As Israeli soldiers regain control of areas near Gaza that came under attack, they are finding evidence seen in videos and photos and confirmed by witness accounts of the massacre of civilians by Hamas terrorists.”
Prior, the last two words — according to a screenshot of the archived story provided to The Washington Times — read “Hamas gunmen.” Somewhere along the editing line, and probably after receiving much backlash, “gunmen” was changed to “terrorists.”
But read more into the story and a few paragraphs down, it’s back to “Hamas gunmen.” Click on the hyperlink of “Hamas gunmen” and it leads to a just-updated section titled, “Israel-Gaza War” that explains the formation of a unity government within the Jewish state — and that writes this: “Israel warplanes struck Hamas targets in Gaza for a fifth day as more evidence emerged of the militant group’s atrocities.”
Once more for those in the back of the room: They’re called terrorists. Not gunmen. Not members of a militant group. Ter-ror-ists.
Not this, either — which The New York Times wrote just a few more paragraphs down the “Israel-Gaza War” website page: “Israelis and Palestinians braced for a possible escalation of the war with Hamas and more harrowing details emerged of atrocities carried out by Palestinian assailants.”
Not assailants.
Terrorists.
And more from The New York Times, same section: “The deal … came as the devastation of the Hamas incursion over the weekend was becoming clear.”
Not an incursion.
A terrorist attack.
Why is this so difficult?
The New York Times is hardly the only leftist-leaning media outlet to tread softly when it comes to calling a terrorist a terrorist — and conversely, pushing a narrative for the need to brand MAGA and tea party types in America as terrorist types.
But it does have one of the largest circulations of newspapers in America, and it has been called out for antisemitism in the past.
“Times Apologizes for Publishing Anti-Semitic Cartoon,” The New York Times reported on itself in April of 2019.
“Times Disciplines Editor and Cancels Cartoon Contract Over Anti-Semitic Drawings,” The New York Times reported on itself in May of 2019.
A failure to call Hamas a terrorist group filled with terrorists, and to instead sub in words such as gunmen and militants, is not just an oversight. It’s a clear message of the paper’s reluctance to choose sides in the long-running terrorist attacks against Israel, committed by Palestinian terrorists who hate Jews.
It’s a clear failure to recognize the truths of the antisemitism and utter hatred of some against the Jewish people.
It’s a clear refusal to call out evil as evil — and as such, is a dangerous furtherance of a sort of tolerance for evil that only emboldens the terror groups and terrorists more.
The New York Times has a right to publish what it wants; it’s a privately owned newspaper and America is a free market.
But words matter.
And when the terrorists are attacking and unleashing terrorism that leaves women, children and babies killed and brutalized and raped and beheaded and abducted and held hostage — perhaps it’s more to truth to call them terrorists, not gunmen; terrorist attacks, not incursions; a terror group, not a militant organization.
• Cheryl Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com or on Twitter, @ckchumley. Listen to her podcast “Bold and Blunt” by clicking HERE. And never miss her column; subscribe to her newsletter and podcast by clicking HERE. Her latest book, “Lockdown: The Socialist Plan To Take Away Your Freedom,” is available by clicking HERE or clicking HERE or CLICKING HERE.
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