Nov 13 2012

What Harriet Sherwood won’t report: Hamas police beat peaceful female protesters in Gaza


On March 8, the Guardian published “International Women’s Day highlights hurdles obstructing women“, (co-authored by 12 Guardian correspondents, including the paper’s Jerusalem correspondent, Harriet Sherwood), on the subjugation of women around the world.

Sherwood’s contribution, on the abrogation of women’s rights in the region she covers, didn’t mention female genital mutilation, honor killings , an endemic culture of misogyny, nor the impunity granted to men who physically and sexually abuse their spouses, throughout in Gaza and the PA.

Harriet Sherwood not only ignored the egregious violation of womens’ rights in the Palestinian territories, but, instead, devoted 118 words to the alleged injustice meted out to a female Palestinian terrorist affiliated with Islamic Jihad held in an Israeli jail named Hana Shalabi.

So, it’s not surprising that neither Sherwood, nor any of her Guardian colleagues, have reported the following about an incident in Gaza on Nov. 6:

Hamas police violently attacked a group of women who were peacefully protesting on Tuesday in front of the Palestinian Legislative Council in Gaza. The women were calling for Palestinian reconciliation and sent a request to protest to Hamas which was ignored. Using sticks and batons, Hamas police attacked the women and dispersed the protest.

Another report included the following information:

The protest, organized by women’s organizations including the general union of Palestinian women, was held outside the parliament building.

Iktimal Hamad, a member of the union’s secretariat, told Ma’an that police ordered protesters to leave the area.

“Women refused to leave, because this is a right for every human being to express their opinions and demand their rights,” Hamad told Ma’an.

“We were verbally insulted and hit by fists and sticks. Police tried to arrest some of us but despite that we will continue with our campaign which calls for ending the division,” she added.

Journalist Samya al-Zubeidi said female police officers hit her and ordered her to stop filming.

“They beat me up, in addition to female police officers, (male) police officers also attacked women protesters,” al-Zubeidi told Ma’an.

Interestingly, a Gulf News report on the incident quoted a Fatah spokesperson condemning the attack on Gazan women, thus:

Hamas’ violent attack against the women gives the entire Palestinian population a bad reputation internationally,”

However, any negative publicity for the Palestinian cause in response to the beating of peaceful female protesters in Gaza could only be created if “liberal” media institutions such as the Guardian actually reported the story. 

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42 comments on “What Harriet Sherwood won’t report: Hamas police beat peaceful female protesters in Gaza”

  1. “Harriet Sherwood not only ignored such the egregious violation of womens’ rights in the Palestinian territories, but, instead, devoted 118 words to the injustice meted out to a female Palestinian terrorist affiliated with Islamic Jihad held in an Israeli jail named Hana Shalabi.”

    Sherwood certainly has an agenda, and it’s not concern for Palestinians or the violation of women’s rights would have called out her indignation. Her agenda is obviously to denigrate Israel and to show it in the worst possible light.

    Is this a worthy way to spend your life, being just another link in the chain of inciting hatred for the most persecuted people in history?

    • Nat, we’re the only major blog specifically devoted to monitoring the Guardian for antisemitism and the assault on Israel’s legitimacy. If you hunger for negative stories about Israel there are thousands of places you can look. What about that don’t you understand?

      • Dear mr Levick, do really you consider that settlers throwing a firebomb at Palestinian children, inflicting severe burns, is just “negative stories about Israel”?

        Will you please acknowleged that settler violence against civilians is unacceptable?

        Please answer.

        • Of course it’s totally unacceptable and, unlike in Palestinian society where terrorists who kill Jews are lauded as heroes, the overwhelming majority of Israelis unequivocally condemn any intentional violence against civilians.

          • Dr Mr Levick, can you commit to publishing stories denouncing acts of violence committed by Palestinian armed groups AND acts of violence committed by Israeli settlers from now on?

            You will agree that any act of violence targeting civilians is a violation of international law, won’t you?

      • I don’t understand why CIF Watch reports on attacks against Israelis but not on attacks against Palestinians.

        Aren’t all lives equally precious, regardless of race, religion or nationality?

        Don’t all civilians have the right to be protected from violence, including Israelis and Palestinians?

        • Yet you seem to have no problem with the Guardian printing stories critical of Israel,but not stories critical of Gaza/WB.

          Aren’t all lives equally precious, regardless of race, religion or nationality? -
          Not,clearly,to the Guardian,which this blog is concerned with.

          Don’t all civilians have the right to be protected from violence, including Israelis and Palestinians? -
          Yes.So why aren’t you posting about attacks on Jews who live in the WB?

          Now,having addressed the spoiler’s latest efforts to hijack a thread,the post clearly shows the Guardian’s selection and perspective of stories qualifies it as a propaganda organ.Combined with its clear policy of censorship,it can in no way be seriously considered as a leading liberal voice.

          PS “Nat”,you do realize that if I went to cif and posted similar stuff to you,it would simply be removed,and,myself banned?

        • Nat,
          CiFWatch offers critiques on the Guardian’s biased coverage and reporting. It can be described as a media watchdog. It’s not a newspaper. Add this to the long list of things you don’t yet understand.

          • Who is this “we”? Are you referring to yourself and using the royal prerogative? I am becoming very concerned about your mental state, Nat

          • Are you a self hating Jew, Nat?! Clearly, you are the typical anti Israel cherry picker. The arab world is so ripe with heinous acts towards Jews and non Jews alike, but you want to pretend these people just want to live in peace, when it is really in pieces, as in no Israel! Sure you can find an incident where Israelis get so tired of being assaulted that they fight back and, of course that’s the part you focus on. My suggestion is for you to volunteer to stand next to a Hamas missile firing crew, just long enough to catch a glimpse of the IDF!

        • Not only does Germolene sooth gnat stings but Germolene hemorrhoid cream can be applied to hemorrhoids and anal fissures

          When that Nat infection is trolling around remember Gerrmolene is always there to get rid of that pain in the ass

  4. My understanding is that CiFWatch exists to correct biased articles in the Guardian and its website “Comment is Free”. It doesn’t need to spread its net any wider.

      • Which “biased articles” in the Guardian? -
        Most of them are biased,it is widely regarded as a left wing paper.

        And is CIF watch biased? -
        Not in its stated aim,which I suggest you read.
        And cifwatch does not claim to be a leading newspaper,which is surely supposed to show both sides of a story.
        All media is biased to some degree I would suggest,but not all media claims to be a leading liberal news source.

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