Thursday, May 29, 2008

Footage of Palestinian boy killed by Israeli fire apparent hoax

The footage from eight years ago of a Palestinian boy, Mohammed al-Dura, being killed by Israeli gunfire, which was used by the killers of reporter Daniel Pearl in the video they posted to the Internet of that murder, was apparently a hoax, as reported by Australia's Daily Telegraph.

In an appeals trial for a civil defamation lawsuit by the France 2 network and its cameraman, Charles Enderlin, against a media watchdog who claimed the footage was a hoax, the jury was shown 18 minutes of footage rather than the 57 seconds which were broadcast. That footage includes staged battle scenes, rehearsed ambulance evacuations, and even the boy--supposedly dead--moving and looking at the camera.

The French press, which had been siding with France 2 against Philippe Karsenty, director of the Media-Ratings watchdog group, appears to have been proven wrong and Karsenty vindicated.

Enderlin has apparently been caught fabricating other footage as well.

(This story also covered by the Wall Street Journal online, but apparently not by many other news sources, which is why I'm giving it attention.)

4 comments:

Hume's Ghost said...

Did you see the movie Ghost Rider or ever read the comic book? I wouldn't mind having the video fabricator experience the penance stare for creating propaganda that was used to justify Pearl's horrific execution.

Lippard said...

Haven't seen it or read the comic book, but I think it may be on the Netflix queue...

James Hanley said...

I hope this entire video becomes available on youtube. This is something the whole world should have access to.

Lippard said...

I agree!