French Court Vindicates Al-Dura Hoax Critic
In a stunning reversal, a French appeals court today dismissed France 2's defamation charges against Philippe Karsenty in the controversial Mohammed al-Dura case.
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Today a French court ruled that I did not defame France 2 when I said that its news report was a staged hoax. Because I refused to be brainwashed, I was sued for defamation.
Our victory today was a victory for freedom — the freedom to think and to speak one’s mind; the freedom to question what one is told; and the freedom to disbelieve the solemn pronouncements of others when the individual concludes that his reasoning is correct and that the state and the state-run media — and all of the institutions they represent — are wrong.
The al-Dura lie is an assault on our ability to think, to criticize, to evaluate, and finally to reject information — especially the right to reject information on which we base our most cherished assumptions. One of Europe’s most cherished assumptions is that Israel is a vicious Nazi-like entity that deliberately murders Palestinian Arab children. Moreover, polls conducted in Europe have identified Israel as the greatest threat to world peace, greater than Iran and North Korea, Pakistan and Syria. The al-Dura hoax is one of the pillars on which these assumptions rely.
It is ironic that I, a private individual, had to lecture one of France’s most influential TV stations in order to demonstrate that a child cannot move; lift his head, arm, and leg; stare at the camera; and still be considered “dead” a good 10 seconds after the newscaster tells us “the child is dead.” One need only look at France 2’s own footage to realize that the “death” scene was faked.
My only objective was to correct this error. However, on the part of the French media, it turned into a titanic battle against critical thinking and freedom of thought and expression. On my part, it became a battle for the right not to be brainwashed by the French media. Only a few weeks ago, a French television station produced a documentary “proving” that the al-Dura story is authentic. First, I was compared to a Holocaust denier, and then to the fringe elements that insist that 9/11 was an inside job. I, and others who share my opinion about the story, including Richard Landes, were labeled dangerous extremists and fanatics. All the while, viewers observed the “dead” boy move exactly as I just described it. I can only conclude that, in France, it is critical thinking that is either dead or dying. Every French citizen should be complaining about this insult to our intelligence. In fact, very few complain because mass brainwashing works. Where are the angry letters to the station for its absurd documentary? Do the citizens of France now believe that a “dead” boy can move? Or have they merely forgotten how to think and draw their own conclusions?
The right to think, to speak, to evaluate, to accept, and to reject the conclusions of others goes to the very heart of what it means to be free.
Now it is time for France 2 to acknowledge that it created and is continuing to perpetuate the worst anti-Semitic libel of our era. It’s the responsibility of the French government and, ultimately, the responsibility of the French president, Nicolas Sarkozy — who is, for all practical purposes, the chief executive of French public television — to finally reveal the truth.
Philippe Karsenty is the founder and president of Media-Ratings, a French website that closely monitors media bias.
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63 Comments
A. N. Pierson:Bravo!
May 21, 2008 - 11:31 am Mark Webster:It is quite refreshing to find someone willing to withstand and fight the outrageous propaganda that this bit of theater represents. My hat is off to you, sir. Well done.
May 21, 2008 - 11:53 am lauren marems:Merci
May 21, 2008 - 11:57 am john:Philippe
Way to go. The mainstream media in both countries have a lot to be ashamed of. The lies, half-truths and spinning of news to suite a political or moral philosophy has got to stop or we can say goodbye to freedom. Imagine how the democratic primary would look today if the MSM had bothered to do their job. France looks like they have the same problem as we do. When we see these kinds of staged or spun stories it rightfully make us question the honesty of the entire news industry.
May 21, 2008 - 12:02 pm John:The public doesn’t reject it because they want it to be true, whether it is or isn’t.
Having already made up their minds that Israel Is Evil, as long as it is possible that it *could* be true, that’s good enough for them.
It works the same way over here in the United States. The media puts out “news” irrespective of its accuracy, just so long as it continues to sell the narrative; ie Republicans hate children, the poor and want to destroy the earth, etc etc.
May 21, 2008 - 12:45 pm Carl in Jerusalem:Thank you for pursuing this. It’s a pity it took nearly eight years for the truth to come out. And it’s a pity that it took the Israeli government and the IDF seven years to decide to stick up for themselves instead of assuming it was their fault.
May 21, 2008 - 12:54 pm Doug Santo:Congratulations.
This Al-Dura affair is the most shameful indictment of western media in my lifetime. Because of Al-Dura and other similar incidents, I have come to despise certain members of the media and certain media organizations.
Believe nothing unless you can verify it through several sources and your own common sense indicates it is likely to be true. Trust your own judgement, not that of television personalities.
Doug Santo
May 21, 2008 - 12:59 pm Elihu Stone:Pasadena, CA
http://www.theaugeanstables.com/2007/10/09/elihu-stone-responds-to-gideon-levys-terrifying-take-on-al-durah-will-ha-aretz-publish-the-letter/
May 21, 2008 - 1:03 pm Elihu Stone:Congratulations, Phillipe - May you thrash them again on any foolish appeal that is raised.
Watch now how many who perjured themselves say “So, what?” when confronted with the undeniable truth, even as they claim to be the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong.
See, for instacne: http://www.theaugeanstables.com/2007/10/09/elihu-stone-responds-to-gideon-levys-terrifying-take-on-al-durah-will-ha-aretz-publish-the-letter/
Keep speaking truth to power, though. It is crucial that those who tell the truth know that, in the end, their cause will out.
Best,
Elihu D. Stone, JD
May 21, 2008 - 1:11 pm Colin Nelson:Efrat, Israel
Bravo zulu.
I confess I did not have any faith that the court would finally get it.
May 21, 2008 - 1:14 pm Rubicon:As one poster mentioned, apologists & those who promote these fallacies, have started to use the “Dan Rather justification”… they say, “it could be true & that’s the point.”
May 21, 2008 - 1:41 pm Mac:Facts & the whole truth mean little when one is promoting their agenda to convince others to believe as they believe. Reality is whatever they want it to be. Hollywood types love socialism. Its a fantasy just like the movies they participate in. To them it has nothing to do with facts or real life. To them it has nothing to do with presenting facts totally out of context to create an impression,
even if the impression turns out to be false.
Mr. Philippe Karsenty is to be congratulated for his tenacity. He is to be admired for standing up for the truth. No matter what one’s opinion of Israel or the Palestinian people’s is, truth is always relevant.
The al-Dura issue is extremely important. This case reveals it is probable that there has been a significant manipulation of media & reporting. Such manipulations amount to indoctrination.
The American media is just as guilty. Not of al-Dura, since they made little of it here. But of significant manipulations of media events & facts in their reporting.
Evidence continues to mount showing the media worldwide has adapted a participatory attitude on issues. It now looks like many in the media are creating news to fit the agenda they support, rather than reporting actual facts on the ground.
Journalism 101 was apparently the course most either missed, or the professor used the course to indoctrinate students into lockstep believers in the utopias they all fantasize represent reality.
So long as these folks think they will become part of the elite controlling everything, they will jump on the lockstep bandwagon. Once they lose their hold & become as oppressed as the people they have led astray, the media will cry & bellow, claiming they represent the people & we should all feel sorry for them.
Those seeking wealth & control of the masses, depend on apathy. They need us “folks” to sit back & be happy with our TV shows, movies, games, beer, wine, & comfy lifestyles. So long as we think of oppression in the context of “it cannot happen here or to me,” those seeking power & wealth at our expense will prosper & gain even more power. This man spoke up. This man risked all to prove his truth. This man is now marked by many & his professional career will suffer.
I salute you sir. You took it on the chin, stood fast for the truth, & truth prevailed. Bravo!
Well, it’s hard to be upset by this news.
However…
They should have been the ones on trial for libel, not you. And, given what I read about the original trial (AKA Dreyfus pt 2), I’d say you’ve got a 50/50 chance of winning the inevitable appeal. And who’s ever going to hear about this? If I was a mainstream news outlet I’d probably think twice about running a story that paints the media as gullible and dishonest. Truthfully, I’m only slightly less depressed about this today as I was before the verdict.
You have my respect and admiration, but where does all this leave us?
May 21, 2008 - 1:48 pm BrianGil:Big congratulations to you! Keep up the great work.
May 21, 2008 - 1:51 pm Mac:btw, sorry if my comment makes me seem indifferent to your legal troubles. I was truly upset when I heard that you had been sued, and I am thrilled to hear about your personal success in the trial.
May 21, 2008 - 2:01 pm CR:As suggested by Glenn Reynolds it is time to flip France’s libel laws around and sue France 2 and its owner, the French State. Goose = Gander and all that…
May 21, 2008 - 2:04 pm Debbie in America:Thank you from the bottom of my heart, Phillipe.
May 21, 2008 - 3:58 pm Brian Macker:I hope they, err … the taxpayers, paid your legal costs.
May 21, 2008 - 4:10 pm Reut R. Cohen:Bravo, Mr. Karsenty. You are a true inspiration!
May 21, 2008 - 4:10 pm Gabriel Gonzalez:“Where are the angry letters to the station for its absurd documentary? Do the citizens of France now believe that a “dead” boy can move? Or have they merely forgotten how to think and draw their own conclusions?”
99% of the French public have never heard of this case and never will. That is the more significant problem.
May 21, 2008 - 4:13 pm Crafty Hunter:After the propaganda-artist ordeal through which you went and are still going even now, I can only add, “Bravo!”
May 21, 2008 - 4:35 pm Jonathan in Montparnasse:To my knowledge, not one word about this on the French television channels - although the contrary would have surprised me.
As for the French cable stations, I can’t say.
It will also be interesting to see if the story will picked up and run tomorrow by any of the French dailies.
However, even using the search function, the Website of France’s mainline evening paper, ‘Le Monde’ makes no mention of it.
Christ, what a country.
Congratulations just the same, Mr. Karsenty.
As a former NYC journalist and long-time Paris resident, I’d be honored to offer you a drink at ‘Le Select’ or at the bar of ‘La Coupole’ anytime you’d like….
May 21, 2008 - 4:42 pm Allyson Rowen Taylor:BRAVO! YOU ROCK PHILIPPE!!!!!
May 21, 2008 - 4:53 pm Neo:First “Al-Dura” .. then “Global Warming”
May 21, 2008 - 5:58 pm Sam:You are a hero. Thank you for standing up to these lies.
May 21, 2008 - 6:44 pm Simon Hawkin:Congratulations and thank you!
May 21, 2008 - 7:58 pm Misanthropicus:Rubicon: “[…] Hollywood types love socialism. Its a fantasy just like the movies they participate in. To them it has nothing to do with facts or real life. To them it has nothing to do with presenting facts totally out of context to create an impression, even if the impression turns out to be false.[…]”
A modest correction, Rubicon, hope you don’t mind - Hollywood people DON’T like socialism. Hollywood people don’t give a damn about socialism or fascism (not much difference, anyway). What they love, they NEED, pathologically so, is grandstanding and APPROVAL in the limelight - they are all Spartacuses, bringing justice to the (apparently) enslaved ones, and if you remind them that Stalin (a great Spartacus admirer) killed approx. 40 million people to inflict justice upon Russia, you are automatically a… well, fascist.
May 21, 2008 - 8:13 pm Jean-Claude:Best regards - Misanthropicus.
“If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it. The lie can be maintained only for such time as the State can shield the people from the political, economic and/or military consequences of the lie. It thus becomes vitally important for the State to use all of its powers to repress dissent, for the truth is the mortal enemy of the lie, and thus by extension, the truth is the greatest enemy of the State.” Joseph Goebbels
Thank you for your work in lifting off part of the red and greeen veil; but when you read the court’s judgement IT DOES NOT ADMIT THAT F2 LIED, just that Mr. Kersenty acted in good faith …
May 22, 2008 - 1:08 am Rik:The fight must go on as it was French state lie and propaganda!
Monsieur, my heartiest congratulations on behalf of critical thinkers the world over. Thanks also to Nidra Poller and Pajamas for excellent coverage of the whole, long, drawn out process.
It is not right-wing or extremist to be allowed the freedom to think a different way to the mainstream.
Felicitations a vous!
May 22, 2008 - 2:21 am Mauro:Rik
The lack of will of Israel Government and media to fight the Al Dura libel is a failure dificult to understand. I think their responsibility on the matter is much bigger than French Government or Sarkozy
May 22, 2008 - 4:22 am harry:Karsenty is a hero for his willingness to pursue the lies of the media to the end.
May 22, 2008 - 6:00 am Bugs:Nice work, K. I hope this establishes a precedent in French libel law. Some sanity would definitely be welcome.
May 22, 2008 - 7:26 am elisabeth wanono:Bravo Phillipe,
Nous sommes avec vous, bravo pour votre ténacité et votre courage jusqu’au bout,
Dieu vous garde et vous préserve
Elisabeth Wanono,
May 22, 2008 - 8:06 am Jeff:à Montréal
Bravo Philippe!
May 22, 2008 - 8:09 am Riva:It is disturbing enough that France 2 aired manipulated footage and used it to make false statements to support an inflammatory news piece about Israel.
What is far more disturbing is that a private individual who then accuses the French media of doing this kind of thing, opens himself to being sued for libel by the very same French media. There is such a thing as “freedom of the press” in France. Apparently we should now understand this to mean that the French press cannot be criticized.
J’accuse.
May 22, 2008 - 9:02 am Salomon S Mizrahi:Bravo Phillipe…Our world is better with people like you!!
Now who will sue Enderlin and France 2 for lies, blood libel and incitations of violence?
They must pay for their irresponsibility, cynicism, opportunistic behavior and harm caused to Jews and Arabs…
May 22, 2008 - 11:52 am an expat:Bravo et félicitations… pour tous ceux qui pensent que les médias dérapent de plus en plus, en France comme ailleurs. Especially in France. What courage to have taken on especially the French state media! I remember seeing this video initially and thinking ‘oh my God that poor boy and his father’. After reading your story and following it in the ‘alternative’ media outlets, I can only say that I was outraged by France 2 and there insistance on ignoring the truth on this story, I will NEVER watch their news again. Thank you for having the strength and the fortitude to follow through on this. And if they appeal, know that there is a population out there that is supporting you! Merci encore
May 22, 2008 - 12:17 pm Marcelle:BRAVO PHILIPPE !
May 22, 2008 - 5:43 pm Canada:Bravo et merci de tout mon coeur!!!!
May 22, 2008 - 7:58 pm BobDog:I too wish to express my congratulations and gratitude. Thank you for doing the work that others — including me, I am sorry to say — are too lazy to do ourselves.
May 22, 2008 - 9:49 pm Ilana Morris:I have followed this case of David and Goliath proportions with great interest since being alerted to the facts via the ‘Honest Reporting’ website. In this case, Philippe Karsenty has always come across as a man of truth, both in his writing and on camera, and now, not only has he cleared his own name, but he has brought more integrity to the French justice system. Phillipe - you’ve been simply amazing. Now let’s see the world media cover the story.
May 23, 2008 - 2:54 am Angel Guerra:Congratulations!!!
May 23, 2008 - 4:39 am llloyd:Angel Guerra.
If the boy is not dead where is he now? I am reminded of the words of Jesus when confronted with quibbling by the Pharisees. “You strain at a nat and swallow a camel.” Today we call it nit picking. The camel is the entire self serving Jewish controlled discourse that people who logically question elements of are silenced by heavy fines and imprisonment in twelve western nations.
May 23, 2008 - 7:55 am Clark Baker:Kudos to Phillippe Karsenty, a patriot of France and all nations that value a free and honest press!
May 23, 2008 - 8:21 pm Gabor Fränkl, Budapest, Hungary, Central-Europe, A young foreign policy essayist in my home country:Congratulations Philippe Karsenty!
I wholeheartedly believe that eventually you will win the final clash i.e.: Supreme Court appeal likely to come up as well!
God (?!) be with you - and us!
Gabor Fränkl
May 24, 2008 - 3:42 am Dimmed Hardhat:Dear sir,
It is for people such as yourself that our greatest generation died for at Normandy. If there is to be a universal world order, then let it be run with the same integity that you have demonstrated.
Those who love truth, justice and liberty are with you.
DH
May 25, 2008 - 8:32 am Eve Wurtele:Mr. Karsenty,
I am so happy for you, and for justice.
I am writing to media about this story that they have somehow mostly ignored.
Eve Wurtele
May 25, 2008 - 6:33 pm Michael Grussman:Ames, Iowa
Well done, finally a Victory against the palestinazi propaganda. I’ll do my best to spread the word about your victory, is dinamite against the french arab ass lickers. Michael (Milan-ITALY)
May 25, 2008 - 11:49 pm Wallace:Congratulations! It’s very admirable that you stood up against France 2 and the whole French media to uncover the truth. You were sued for libel and vilified with a comparison to Holocaust deniers. Since the French Court ruled that you were not libelous (implicitly accepts that France 2 faked the footage), then the comparison to Holocaust deniers is unfounded and without merit. IOW, French media defamed you and IMHO, you should turn the table on them and sue them for libel/slander. Win this lawsuit and you may finally get your due and you may be able to force the French media to widely expose their own ill intentions.
May 26, 2008 - 8:00 pm CS Goldstein:Congratulations! How do we thank you for this
May 27, 2008 - 1:25 am Danny:truly extraordinary effort? Your legacy now
enters the realm of those who fought for Justice- and won- for all of France, the Jewish People, Israel, the Human Race that must have Truth and Justice.It resides in the anals of Freedom Fighters.
It might be of interest to you to know, that this form of photographic fakery was used by the Arabs since the 1920’s, or the 1930’s.
It will be even ‘more’ just if those involved
at the station were indicted and held accountable on a criminal basis, because so many people have died and been harmed and maimed physically and emotionally from the war they incited. Shame on them.
The news organizations have lost all self-respect, credibility, and trust when they abuse their freedoms with which they are entrusted. It would be interesting to know, if
they are being paid by the Pal.s or any Islamic/Arab contingency to publish these lies.
Thank you, and may you be safe.
llloyd, I assume you were being sarcastic. In this case, it was anti-Israeli “discourse” that was being imposed and someone questioning it being fined.
Care to mention one instance in the West where someone “objectively questioning” “Jewish discourse” got a fine or imprisoned? The only instance that even remotely comes close is David Irving when HE try to shut SOMEONE ELSE up - and lost.
May 28, 2008 - 10:03 am Mick McDonald:Well done, Sir.
The “Pallywood” documentary should be compulsory viewing for all journos.
May 31, 2008 - 11:38 am