I clearly remember standing at the entrance to the Temple Mount from the Western Wall two years ago this week. I, and dozens of other journalists knew it was about to happen. Lenses at the ready, reporters at their live broadcast positions and everyone licking their lips, knowing the violence was about to begin.
We couldn’t hear any gunfire or see stones raining down on the Western Wall, but we saw border police officer after officer being stretchered off the Temple Mount, after clashing with Palestinians.
Later, Israeli police officers found documentation proving that the Palestinian violence was premeditated, but at the time, the world bought the Palestinian story that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s walk on the Temple Mount (Judaism’s holiest site) was the reason for the so-called Intifada.
That was two years ago, but it seems few are commemorating the event, either as a reason to celebrate, or in Israel’s case to mourn the dead.
Normally, newspapers and electronic media programs, both domestic and international, would be packed with features and documentaries recording the events as newsworthy as those of the past two years, but seemingly this time around little is being written or spoken.
True, Iraq is the dominant topic, but surely the plight of its Palestinian neighbors is worthy, even as a filler. However, for some reason, only Amnesty International saw fit to take advantage of the anniversary to publish its attack on both Israel and the Palestinians.
This lack of coverage must be welcomed by Israel and supporters of the Zionist state. After all, they have cried media bias against Israel since the end of September 2000. Surely any such reportage would have been magnified in summary-documentaries broadcast through this week. Thankfully, from Israel’s perspective, the media focus is elsewhere. For now.