NEVER MIND THE EVIDENCE, FEEL THE HATRED

Ruth Pollard of the Age has followed up her account of the Haifa Court’s finding in the Rachel Corrie case - Israeli Army Cleared of activist’s death with a predictable article that barely attempts to conceal her bias on the death of the activist sent into a war zone by the International Solidarity Movement ostensibly to protect Palestinian homes from destruction but, as the evidence in the case suggested, to provide cover for Palestinian terrorists, some of who had attacked Israeli soldiers in the vicinity an hour before her death.

The family now alleges a the accidental death finding was a "cover up" - Gaza accidental death finding a cover-up: family.

The allegation made by Corrie's mother that Israel's civilian and military courts are a "well-heeled system to protect the Israeli military and the soldiers who conduct actions in that military to provide them with impunity at the cost of all the civilians who are impacted by what they do," is an out and out lie that was allowed to go unchallenged by the reporter.

However, the story of Bassam Aramin's search for justice tells us that Israel's judicial system can and does right wrongs where they are really committed. Pollard should have known better.

Moreover, the expectation that Israel must always find in favour of people sent into such situations to hinder troops sent to protect its own civilians as expressed in the Age articles of this week reek of bigotry and hatred.

If there has been a cover up, it’s been in the way the Age has presented this story and many others involved in this tragic conflict.

The most compelling piece of evidence in the case was the fact that the defence’s own expert witness gave evidence that clearly exonerated the bulldozer driver of wrongdoing. The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement on the case said, "an expert who testified on behalf of the Corrie family also noted that the driver could not and did not see Ms.Corrie due to the nature of the vehicle he was operating."

This and many aspects of the evidence in the case which went against the Corries' vendetta against Israel as well as coverage of the nefarious activities and lies of ISM have been ignored or downplayed in the Age reports leaving a mostly one-sided and sympathetic coverage of Corrie and her activist fellow travellers.

It is inconceivable that any report on a trial conducted in this or any other country would be so selectively covered.