Skip to content
  • Image
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Youtube
  • Podcasts
  • Email
  • Contact
  • Home
  • Opinion
  • News
  • Features
  • Comment
  • Store
The Arab Daily News

The Arab Daily News

Original news, features, opinions from Chicago to Jerusalem

  • About
    • About
    • Our Writers
    • Subscribe to Ray’s Columns
    • Book Store
    • Contact
    • Submit Book Reviews, Press Releases
    • Advertise
    • Privacy Corrections Policy
    • Profile on Ray Hanania
    • Submit Press Release
  • Features
    • Food
    • Book Review
    • Humor
    • Movies
    • Travel
  • Arab Stores Targeted
  • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Community Network Page
    • Arab Heritage America resources
    • Directory
      • Groups & Organizations
      • Mosques, Churches
      • Restaurants
      • 2008 & 2014 Arab Media Directories
    • National Arab Heritage Month
    • Video: Chicago Arab History
    • Video: Photo Array of Chicago Arabs
    • Overview of Arabs in America
    • Hanania standup comedy
    • Arabs on the Titanic
    • Obituaries
  • Podcasts
    • Ray Hanania on Politics Podcast
    • Arab News Ray Hanania Radio
    • Arab Radio Podcast intro
    • Radio Baladi Detroit
  • Hanania on Tiktok
  • Free eNewsletter
    • eNewsletter SignUp
    • View past eNewsletters
  • Toggle search form
  • Piotr Hofmanski, president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague
    International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin Civil Rights
  • Orand First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    Arab Democrats endorse Rafferty and Bonnar in Orland Fire District race American Arabs
  • Paul Vallas addressing the Arab American Democratic Club on Feb. 12, 2023
    AADC releases its endorsements for the April 4, 2023 non-partisan elections American Arabs
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12 American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC’s Humanitarian Mission to Lebanon American Arabs
  • Glory to God int he Lowest by Author Rev. Donald Wagner
    Book Review: Glory to God in the Lowest: journeys to an unholy land American Arabs
  • Popular Ziyad Brand Green Za'ater. Photo courtesy of Ziyad Brothers
    Appeal of Mediterranean foods continue to rise among consumers Culture
  • Suzan Atallah seeks election to Palos Park School District 118 Activism
  • Shadin Maali has been named Emgage’s new Senior Director of Growth and Operations
    Emgage hires former Illinois Congressional aide to help expand their reach Activism
  • The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) announced Dr. Manal Fakhoury has been elected to the position of Chair of the National Board of Directors, and that attorneys Spojmie Nasiri of California and John Floyd of Texas have joined the organization’s National Board.
    CAIR Announces Dr. Manal Fakhoury as New Board Chair, New Board Members Spojmie Nasiri and John Floyd American Arabs
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC: Honor Dr. King Day with Civility, Unity, and Action American Arabs
  • Citgo Gas Station and Quik Mart at 3759 W. Chicago Ave in Chicago ordered closed by Mayor Lori Lightfoot because a street gang member with an AK-47 killed someone in front of the store. Only Arab and Muslim stores are being closed by the Mayor
    When Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot targeted Arab businesses in 2021 and 2022 Activism
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast Arab News
  • State Rep. Cyril Nichols interviewed on live Arab American radio in Detroit with host Ray Hanania Friday Dec. 9, 2022
    Nichols discusses need to improve Arab-Black relations in Chicagoland American Arabs
  • Voting sticker issued to voters in Cook County elections in 2016. Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania
    Gov. Pritzker Announces Six Appointments to Boards and Commissions — no Arabs included American Arabs

Jerusalem Post columnist twists the facts

Posted on October 14, 2015January 25, 2016 By rayhanania 1 Comment on Jerusalem Post columnist twists the facts
SHARE ...
          
 
  

  • Tweet

Loading

Lahav Harkov, the Knesset reporter for the Jerusalem Post, took to Twitter to publish lies in response to my criticism of her opinion column, published in the New York Post.

By Ray Hanania

Ray Hanania covering Chicago City Hall (1976-1992)
Ray Hanania
covering Chicago
City Hall
(1976-1992)

I have been attacked by a lot of fanatics on both sides of the fence. Arab extremists and Israeli extremists, and rightwing American fanatics, too. They all have one thing in common, they hate.

So when I read a column recently by Lahav Harkov, the Jerusalem Post’s Knesset correspondent, I cited it in my Creators Syndicate column as an example of the viciousness by Israelis who work with American newspapers with a history anti-Arab racism to twist the facts and deceive their readers by presenting an unjournalistic imbalance of facts.

Ziyad Taste of the Middle East

Click here for my Creators Syndicate column.

My column focused on the wildly imbalanced coverage of the escalating violence between Israelis and Palestinians. The mainstream American news media is focused mainly on violence by Palestinians against Israelis — many ugly and vicious attacks that are unjustified for sure. But the same media, including Harkov and the New York Post, ignore the equally vicious attacks and violence by Israeli soldiers, the armed Israelis settlers and extremist Israelis against Palestinian civilians.

I wrote:

Most never print Palestinian victim names. Front Page Magazine complains that the mainstream news media is not blaming Palestinians enough for the terrorism. Only The Houston Chronicle and The New York Times mention the victim by name, in passing, as a part of a story on the rising violence.

Neither does a particularly vicious op-ed in the notoriously anti-Arab newspaper, the New York Post, written by the Jerusalem Post’s Senior Knesset Correspondent Lahav Harkov.

It’s another example of how the Israeli and mainstream American news media partner up. It’s not enough to write with bias in the Israeli press, as Harkov does. The New York Post gives him a platform to twist facts in America, too.

Very little detail is published about the killing of Palestinians, like Noor Hassan. She was 5 months pregnant and her daughter was killed with her. Several of her children were injured when Israel bombed her home.

The Israelis have make a big case that knife-wielding Palestinians are the danger, and the media has bought it. But firing a missile at a pregnant woman in her home might be worse. It’s something the media excuses, because the missile was fired by Israel.

This is how the American news media stokes the flames of violence. Israelis are accepting of the violence, as Harkov explains, calling it “daily life.” But that’s only because the media has sided with them and they downplay or ignore Israeli terrorism against Palestinians.

The attacks are gruesome on both sides.

Harkov wrote in the anti-Arab New York Post column:

“As I write, in addition to the countless rock-throwing and firebombing incidents in the West Bank, this week there have been 13 stabbing or shooting attacks, with four killed and dozens injured — though today there seems to be a new attack every hour.

“At the same time, Israelis are nothing if not defiant. I’ll be damned if a bunch of anti-Semites keep me from going to work, or to pray at the Western Wall, or to the movies or anywhere else. Allowing my life to be seriously disrupted would be, as the cliché goes, letting the terrorists win.”

 

Headline on Harkov's column int he anti-Arab New York Post
Headline on Harkov’s column int he anti-Arab New York Post

Click here for Harkov’s column in the New York Post.

Of course, Harkov ignored all of the incidents of Israeli attacks against and killings of Palestinian civilians. There is a long list of them, some of which I published in the Creators Syndicate column.

And on Twitter, she lies in her writings:

Ex-JPost columnist @rayhanania says its “particularly vicious” 4 Israelis 2 not want 2b stabbed in hit piece on this http://nypost.com/2015/10/08/in-israel-were-defying-terror-by-living-our-lives/ …

Lahav Harkov on Twitter 10-14-15
Lahav Harkov on Twitter 10-14-15

Not even Close Lahav. I did not write that your column is “particularly vicious” for Israelis to not want to be stabbed as you falsely claim and twist in typical hateful style. I wrote that your column was particularly vicious, because you intentionally closed your eyes and never mentioned the violence by Israelis against Palestinian civilians. You pretend that the violence is just by Palestinians against Israelis, and that’s just not true. It’s a lie.

Lahav’s column also represented the close, cozy relationship between the Israeli news media and the mainstream American newspaper, how easy it for an Israeli to distort facts not just in an Israeli newspaper but also in an American newspaper, granted this one notorious for its anti-Arab hatred.

In fact, I am against ALL of the violence on both sides. But Lahav’s writing clearly shows support for ignoring Israeli violence against Palestinian civilians. She completely fails to acknowledge it, which was the real point of my column criticizing her. And that is not just “particularly vicious” but it must be pure hate. It’s clearly not journalism. Maybe it was a “hit piece,” but only because it hit the nail on the head.

Harkov later challenges my existence, claiming I am not a real Palestinian because I was born in the United States of a Palestinian father and mother (whose homes and lands were taken by Israel’s government — my dad’s family was chased out of Jerusalem, where Harkov immigrated to after leaving New Jersey.)

Harkov represents a dark side of Israel. There are a lot of good Israelis who recognize that the violence is the result of extremist haters and killers who exist on both sides, Palestinian and Israeli. But, like many Israelis who are extremist, Harkov can’t get herself to recognize and acknowledge the truth that many Israelis are just as bad or even worse than the Palestinians she demonizes as “terrorists” and anti-Semites.

She has to lie. And she attacks me not by addressing the facts of what I wrote, but rather by distorting my views and then attacking the distorted views to make herself look like she is the victim of my column, which she calls a “hit piece.” It shows how she is not even near a real journalist at all.

Harkov receives a handful of pats on her back from other fanatics on her Twitter list who believe her twisted lies, but that’s all a part of the deception of extremists and haters. That’s how they justify their hate. They never see their own victims as human beings, just animals. They demonize in order to justify the violence that their side commits and it allows them to pretend it never happens.

Lahav represents the growing trend of Israelis turning to hatred and justifying of violence against civilians who are non-Jews. Israeli soldiers and settlers can attack and kill Palestinian civilians without ever having to worry about Lahav Harkov writing criticism of their war crimes.

And that’s her shame, not mine.

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
rayhanania
rayhanania
Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster at The Arab Daily News
RAY HANANIA — Op-Ed writer, author, radio host, podcaster

Ray Hanania is an award winning political and humor columnist who analyzes American and Middle East politics, and life in general. He is an author of several books.

Hanania covered Chicago Politics and Chicago City Hall from 1976 through 1992 at the Daily Southtown and the Chicago Sun-Times. He began writing in 1975 publishing The Middle Eastern Voice newspaper in Chicago (1975-1977). He later published “The National Arab American Times” newspaper (2004-2007).

Hanania writes weekly columns on Middle East and American Arab issues as Special US Correspondent for the Arab News ArabNews.com, at TheArabDailyNews.com, and at SuburbanChicagoland.com. He has published weekly columns in the Jerusalem Post newspaper, YNetNews.com, Newsday, the Orlando Sentinel, Houston Chronical, and Arlington Heights Daily Herald.

Hanania is the recipient of four (4) Chicago Headline Club “Peter Lisagor Awards” for Column writing. In November 2006, he was named “Best Ethnic American Columnist” by the New American Media. In 2009, Hanania received the prestigious Sigma Delta Chi Award for Writing from the Society of Professional Journalists. He is the recipient of the MT Mehdi Courage in Journalism Award. He was honored for his writing skills with two (2) Chicago Stick-o-Type awards from the Chicago Newspaper Guild. In 1990, Hanania was nominated by the Chicago Sun-Times editors for a Pulitzer Prize for his four-part series on the Palestinian Intifada.

His writings have also been honored by two national Awards from ADC for his writing, and from the National Arab American Journalists Association.

Hanania is the US Special Correspondent for the Arab News Newspaper, covering Middle East and Arab American issues. He writes for the Southwest News newspaper group writing on mainstream American issues.

Click here to send Ray Hanania email.

Follow RayHanania on Gettr.com, the uncensored Twitter Ray Hanania on Gettr, the new Twitter
rayhanania
Latest posts by rayhanania (see all)
  • Call me Arab, don’t call me MENA writer argues - March 18, 2023
  • AHRC Holds Meet and Greet with MDOC - March 13, 2023
  • Illinois Review skewers Mayor Lightfoot ally Ramzi Hassan - February 22, 2023

  • Tweet

SHARE ...
          
 
  
 
          
 
 Tweet 
Arab World, Bloggers, Commentary, Israel, News Media, Palestine & Jordan, Ray Hanania Tags:bias, Israel, Israelis, killing of civilians, Lahav Harkov, New York Post, news media bias, Palestine, Palestinians, violence

Post navigation

Previous Post: No discussion of Israel or Palestine at Democratic debate
Next Post: Israeli journalists, IDF twist facts on social media videos

Related Posts

  • Wives bear children of husbands held in Israeli gulag Arab World
  • The new King of Saudi Arabia, Salman Bin Abdel Aziz
    Saudi Arabia taking on Islamic extremism Arab World
  • Threats against Bridgeview Mosque investigated (Updated) American Arabs
  • HE Mohammed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of TCA (PRNewsFoto/Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Auth)
    Dubai event explores culture in facing global challenges Arab World
  • Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as he lies to the UN General Assembly about peace during his speech Sept. 22, 2016
    Netanyahu’s “happy talk” campaign to destroy peace Arab World
  • The Cairo derby: Politics vs. repression Arab World

More Related Articles

Vote Yes campaign button, Photo courtesy of Ray Hanania Vote and Let the Political and Legal System Run Its Course Activism
Holding Obama, Netanyahu and Mashaal Accountable American Arabs
Open-air market in city being patrolled by Israeli troops (2004). (Photo credit: Wikipedia) Israelis ordered attack that killed four Palestinian children Arab World
The Joint Arab List is announced by Israel's discriminated non-Jewish Arab population. Photo courtesy of WIkipedia Arab election unity puts spotlight on Israeli racism & discrimination Arab World
Taybeh Vinfest 2017 Poster Taybeh Vinfest in Palestine Activism
The main altar of St. George Church in Burqin, Palestine near Jenin. Photo courtesy of Dr. Maria Khoury. A visit to Saint George Church in Burqin Arab World

Comment (1) on “Jerusalem Post columnist twists the facts”

  1. Zak says:
    October 17, 2015 at 9:32 am

    It doesn’t take much searching to find that Ray is absolutely right, our media is totally biased and doesn’t tell the whole story.

    Log in to Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

You must be logged in to post a comment.

  • OPINION COLUMNS
  • راى حنانيا. Ray Hanania
    Call me Arab, don’t call me MENA writer argues
    March 18, 2023
  • Ghassan Rubeiz
    Two parallel uprisings in Israel
    March 11, 2023
  • Racist anti-Arab Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot poses with Edwards Realty President Ramzi Hassan posted on Facebook on posted June 3, 2022 right after the second press conference demanding that Lightfoot end her discrimination.
    Illinois Review skewers Mayor Lightfoot ally Ramzi Hassan
    February 22, 2023
  • Tiktok.com/@RayHanania
    Israeli-push behind effort to ban Tiktok in the United States
    January 19, 2023
  • 300x300-ZIYAD02.jpg
  • 300x300-RAMADAN02.jpg
  • 300x300-ZIYAD01.jpg
  • 300x300-RAMADAN01.jpg
  • NEWS
  • Piotr Hofmanski, president of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague
    International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin
    March 19, 2023
  • Orand First Responders candidates Matthew G. Rafferty and William Bonnar Jr.
    Arab Democrats endorse Rafferty and Bonnar in Orland Fire District race
    March 17, 2023
  • AHRC Executive Director Imad Hamad
    AHRC’s Humanitarian Mission to Lebanon
    February 22, 2023
  • Paul Vallas addressing the Arab American Democratic Club on Feb. 12, 2023
    AADC releases its endorsements for the April 4, 2023 non-partisan elections
    February 21, 2023
  • NEWSWIRE
  • Popular Ziyad Brand Green Za'ater. Photo courtesy of Ziyad Brothers
    Appeal of Mediterranean foods continue to rise among consumers
    February 16, 2023
  • Suzan Atallah seeks election to Palos Park School District 118
    February 9, 2023
  • Shadin Maali has been named Emgage’s new Senior Director of Growth and Operations
    Emgage hires former Illinois Congressional aide to help expand their reach
    February 8, 2023
  • Arab Democratic Club Feb 12, 2023 Forum & Brunch flier
    Arab Democrats host forum for Chicago and suburban candidates Feb. 12
    January 18, 2023

Creative Commons License
All work on this website is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Do not edit original work. Give credit to the original source.

First Installment of the Property Tax

POPULAR POSTS

  • Two parallel uprisings in Israel Two parallel uprisings in Israel By Ghassan Michel Rubeiz Israel is currently shaken by two parallel revolts. In what seems ... posted on March 11, 2023
  • Suzan Atallah seeks election to Palos Park School District 118 Suzan Atallah seeks election to Palos Park School District 118 Currently living in Orland Park with her supportive husband and ... posted on February 9, 2023
  • Call me Arab, don’t call me MENA writer argues Call me Arab, don't call me MENA writer argues Columnist Ray Hanania argues that the term MENA to describe Arab ... posted on March 18, 2023
  • Arab Democrats endorse Rafferty and Bonnar in Orland Fire District race Arab Democrats endorse Rafferty and Bonnar in Orland Fire District race The Arab American Democratic Club released its official endorsements ... posted on March 17, 2023
  • AADC releases its endorsements for the April 4, 2023 non-partisan elections AADC releases its endorsements for the April 4, 2023 non-partisan elections ENDORSEMENTS APRIL 4, 2023 The Arab American Democratic Club ... posted on February 21, 2023
  • AHRC Holds Meet and Greet with MDOC AHRC Holds Meet and Greet with MDOC In an effort to keep dialogue with government agencies, AHRC held a Meet ... posted on March 13, 2023

Recent Posts

  • International Criminal Court arrest warrant issued for Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin
  • Call me Arab, don’t call me MENA writer argues
  • Arab Democrats endorse Rafferty and Bonnar in Orland Fire District race
  • AHRC Holds Meet and Greet with MDOC
  • Two parallel uprisings in Israel
  • BOOK REVIEWS
  • Glory to God int he Lowest by Author Rev. Donald Wagner
    Book Review: Glory to God in the Lowest: journeys to an unholy land
    February 18, 2023
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • Hussam al-Mayman, The Mayman Show, podcast Arab News
    Arab News launches third season of The Mayman Show podcast
    December 15, 2022
  • Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    Interlink 2022 Cookbooks Make the Best Holiday Gifts
    October 24, 2022
  • Comedian Ramy Youssef courtesy of his Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/ramysfaceboo/
    “Ramy” cable series melds Arab world reality with every day American life
    October 22, 2022
  • The Ray Hanania Radio Show Live Wed 5 PM EST in Detroit, Washington DC, Ontario and on Thursday in Chicago. Watch the program live at Facebook.com/ArabNews
    Second Season of “The Ray Hanania Show” Arab American radio launches April 6
    April 4, 2022
  • American Arab CHamber President HassanNijem accepts the Proclamation from Chicago Ald. Roderick Sawyer at the Chamber dinner March 30, 2022
    Chicagoland celebrates Arab American Heritage Month
    March 31, 2022
  • New-iTunes-1400-x-1400-The-Ray-Hanania-Show-Podcast-Icon-300-x-300.jpg
  • terroristbookcover-300-x-300.jpg
  • powerpr300x300ad.jpg
  • Podcast-iTunes-Logo-Chi-City-Hall-1985.jpg
  • The-Kings-Pawn-Book-300-x-300.png
Arab News Newspaper Logo
Read the Arab News, the leading English language newspaper in the MIddle East

Follow Ray Hanania at Gab.com, MeWe.com and IDobbinate.com, the alternatives to Facebook and Twitter Censorship.

Click here to get information on The Ray Hanania Radio Show and its podcasts

Copyright © 2023 The Arab Daily News.

Powered by PressBook Premium theme