Some journalists would really like to show Palestinian society as embracing modern liberalism and progressive values and not at all being obsessed with the conflict with Israel. For example, this New York Times article describes a scene in which young Palestinians (self-described) in Haifa hang out at dance clubs, drink alcohol, and have no problem with open scenes of affection between gay couples. They are into culture, not politics.

They were among the many coifed, pierced and tattooed women and men who populate a slice of Haifa’s social scene that resembles that of the well-heeled hipsters of Tel Aviv. But here the cool kids are Palestinians, and they have unfurled a self-consciously Arab milieu that is secular, feminist and gay-friendly.

No mention at all of the conflict with Israel. Just progressive young men and women hanging out at the clubs.

However, shortly after the article was published, Ayed Fadel, one of the main sources quoted at length in the article, posted on Facebook how he had been completely taken out of context by the Times:

I actually found this piece disturbing. It refers to certain aspects and neglects so many others that I personally mentioned during the interview, it portrays the modern Palestinian in a “Western” image that comforts white readers and make them say, “oh, they’re just like us!” Well no, we’re nothing like them, in fact, we’re very different and deep into the shit, and having to portray us in this image is insulting. …there are so many points missing, crucial ones, that the lack of them make this article shallow, offensive and degrading. Plus on that 90% of the interview we were talking about how the culture of the cultural resistance is growing… I don’ know if what I am writing now is even enough to cover all what have been written in this article, but hopefully that could explain the situation and make it more clear that it was another trap by the white media, that is always trying to show us as the cool yay hipsters full of tattoos and piercings – far away from the grounded reality that we are facing and fighting every day!

How does Ayed really feel? Here are a couple of posts from his Facebook page:

For some strange reason, Fadel’s views on Israel did not make it into the article. Perhaps they were made clear in the 90% of the interview he says was left out?

Diaa Hadid is The Times correspondent who wrote the article. The following is from the Israellycool blog (“New York Times Employs Veteran of Anti-Semitic Website“):

Despite a couple of articles about the Palestinian Authority’s failure to pay its electric bill and the Palestinian Arab women who harass Jews on the Temple Mount, for the most part, Hadid has simply joined the Hamas propaganda team that is the Times’s Jerusalem Bureau. This should come as no surprise, considering her background at Electronic Intifada and at the Palestinian Society for the Protection of Human Rights and the Environment. Electronic Intifada is a hate site that supports Hamas. The anti-Semitism of its founder, Ali Abunimah, has been well-documented. Abunimah is personally on record supporting Hamas. Another one of EI’s reporters proudly declares on Twitter that “Objectivity is bullshit.” Hadid wrote at least seven articles for EI between 2002 and 2003.

It is no surprise that Hadid saw what she wanted to see and wrote what she wanted to about the people she encountered. But when one of her major sources says that 90% of what was said had been left out, it is a red flag that readers are not being told everything.

[sc:graybox ]Write to the New York Times Public Editor at public@nytimes.com.

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