Reuters winds down AxisMundi Jerusalem site

Over the last 18 months, Reuters has run a blog offering features and human interest stories as well as lighter and usually abridged news stories drawn from its primary website.  Although postings were sporadic, slowing considerably in recent months, content on Axismundi Jerusalem was often problematic as evidenced by our many critiques.

Indeed one of our first posts, in August of 2009, addressed a Reuters story on Uri Davis, "Fatah’s 'Palestinian Hebrew' Councilman" where writer Erika Solomon erroneously reported that Davis was Jewish when in fact, he had converted to Islam.

Davis is rabidly anti-Zionist and as a former Israeli Jew, his hatred of Israel and allegiance to Fatah makes for great propaganda fodder for those media agents wishing to delegitimize the Jewish state.  Reuters for example, actually referred readers to Davis' personal website and in their hagiography wrote:

He hopes to be the first of a more substantial presence in future Fatah conferences, which could be similar to “the small minority of white members in the ANC when South Africa was an apartheid state”.

The comparison between the ANC and Fatah is of course, both odious and completely spurious as there is no apartheid in Israel and whereas the ANC had been fighting for equal rights for South African blacks, Fatah is a deeply racist and totalitarian movement committed to the violent eradication of the state of Israel and the expulsion of all Jews who immigrated there after 1917.  Reuters didn't mention this inconvenient truth in its story about Davis nor did the news agency link to Fatah's Constitution.

As a reflection of Reuters bias, arrogance, and near absence of journalistic integrity, note this exchange between former Bureau Chief Alastair Macdonald and readers appearing in the comments section following the story as it appeared on AxisMundi Jerusalem:

3 comments so far | Comments RSS

6:19 pm EDT

Solomon does not have her facts straight; Davis is a convert to Islam.

And note that despite Davis being born in Palestine in 1943, he is considered “non-Palestinian” by Fatah. Why? Because he was born Jewish and for the racists of Fatah, that is sufficient grounds for discrimination.

Posted by HIS

Aug 23, 2009

8:01 am EDT

HIS, thanks for your comment. We believe our post is accurate. [Either it is or it isn't.  If it is, say so.  If it isn't, correct it.  If you're not certain, don't publish it. ed.]  But for more detail on Davis’s complicated biography, we would direct readers to his Web site at http://www.uridavis.info/.

Posted by Alastair Macdonald

Aug 31, 2009

7:23 am EDT

Alistair: In Davis’ own words quoted in the article, he says he is, “of Jewish descent,” not “Jewish.”

HIS says he is a convert and you took the trouble to respond, saying you believe the post is accurate; that does not address the issue at all, unless you mean, “once a Jew always a Jew?”

I think you ought to elaborate.

Posted by Brad Brzezinski

Reuters has announced that it is winding down the AxisMundi Jerusalem website.