Naom Bervovitz: Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY shames Pravda

Dear Ms. Novikova, Timothy BANCROFT-HINCHEY writes as a frustrated elementary school child, not as a journalist in a serious newspaper. I understand he writes from his office, but that is no excuse for the false details, blatant words and biased views he uses against Israel. It's a shame you employ such a low quality journalist.

I'll present examples from two items by Mr. BANCROFT-HINCHEY. The first is "ISRAEL DEFIANT AS PALESTINIANS SET FIRE TO THEMSELVES: REPORTS OF “MASSACRE” " from 20:26 2002-04-06. False details: 1. "Palestinian demonstrators douse themselves with petrol in front of the Israeli soldiers.... So desperate in the plight of the Palestinians that a number of them have set themselves alight as human torches before the invading troops’ eyes." The truth: There are no reports about such terrible incidents by any known media channel but yours. 2. "Pravda.Ru sources in the West Bank report that US-built Apache helicopters are “firing at everything that moves, men, women and children”." The truth: Apache helicopters are filmed all the time from distance by dozens of television cameras and no known media channel had ever filmed them shooting machine gun fire at people. Also, no other media channel, including those reporting from the West Bank, ever reported suck an act. It looks like the "sources in the West Bank" Mr BANCROFT-HINCHEY refers to, are the creatures of his fertile imagination. Blatant words: "The Israeli Armed Forces continue their bloodthirsty and cowardly quest for the extermination of the Palestinians." This goes beyond anything I have ever heard even in Arab television. It isn't becoming of a respectable newspaper. Biased views: "The radical Palestinian group Hammas..." In most free countries, even in those who criticize Israel now, the Hammas is defined as a terror organisation. Some papers call it "extreme", but I've never heard an unbiased paper who refers to it as a "radical" organisation. More then that, throughout all his reports Mr. BANCROFT-HINCHEY doesn't bother to give any Israeli comment, not even to the most horrendous accusations. The second item I want to bring to your attention is :JEWS AND ARABS: FOUR THOUSAND YEARS OF CONFLICT" dated: 11:01 2002-04-08. Mr. BANCROFT-HINCHEY writes in Pravda the following: "...The arrogance which characterises this people, this nation, was already visible 2,700 years ago, in the kingdom of Rehoboam....". Well, I thought racism and Anti-Semitism are illegal in Russia. If this is the case, I believe Pravda is liable here for law suit. The article is also full with false historic details, but I relate it to the author's ignorance and give him the benefit of the doubt that he didn't do it on purpose. All the best

Noam Bercovitz Computer Center Technion, Israel