Jerusalem is quiet

Yesterday, we noted how Reuters correspondents regularly coddle and serve as apologists for the Palestinians.  This is particularly the case with those Jerusalem Bureau staffers, whom we follow most closely.

Although the majority of Reuters correspondents writing on international affairs demonstrate suspiciously similar political stripes (extreme left-wing) and appear able to tightly coordinate their stories, occasionally we see interesting divergences.

For example, on Tuesday Tom Perry in Jerusalem was spinning madly on behalf of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, blaming U.S. President Obama and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu for the failure of the peace process.  On Wednesday however, Perry's colleague in London, Matt Falloon, was quoting President Obama:

During the joint news conference with British Prime Minister David Cameron, Obama added: "For the Palestinians to take the United Nations route rather than the path of sitting down and talking with the Israelis is a mistake."

Normally, Reuters Jerusalem correspondents leap at any opportunity to cite Obama with his insights into the root causes of the Middle East conflict and how best to resolve that intractable struggle.  But with Obama putting the onus squarely on the Palestinians in their refusal to negotiate with the Israelis (a repudiation of the Reuters Jerusalem Bureau pro-Palestinian campaign), Perry and his office mates have been strangely silent.  There has been no quote, no citation, no reference whatsoever to Obama's critical comments on Wednesday.

Must be jet lag.