I am disappointed in you for repeating the PM's allegation that last week's fires were caused by Palestinians committing arson and that 18 suspects had been arrested. According to reportage I've seen in Israeli media, the Fire and Rescue Service subsequently issued a statement saying its preliminary assessment attributes the fires to careless hikers (although deliberate fires might have been set in copycat fashion after the main fires began) and that 3 people, not 18, have been detained for questioning.
Where in Israeli media have you seen reports that only 3. were brought in for questioning? What I have relied upon is what appears to be the consensus among various Israeli print and television and radio outlets. I have not seen the statement you mention nor such reduced numbers. The allegations of 18 suspected arsonists that I relied upon came from various law enforcement through media. Not the PM.
Thanks for this, Nancy. I do my very best to stay abreast of the constant deluge of information.......and I'm going to look into this further tomorrow/Tuesday. There are reports all over the place on this issue, frankly. But, one thing I must say ......i never just parrot Bibi. Nor do I accept what he says uncritically. I had read and heard that 18 were arrested in multiple outlets.
Here is what I read in The Times of Israel about this: "PM blames conflagration on Palestinian incitement, but fire officials said to attribute fire to hiker negligence; president warns of climate change’s effects... Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed the fire to Palestinian arson, and wrongly claimed 18 people had been arrested in connection with it. Police have said only three suspects have been arrested so far, and Hebrew media reported that a preliminary assessment by the fire service indicated that the blazes were likely caused in the main by negligent hikers, not arson.
Channel 13 reported that assessment, saying investigators had found that a higher-than-average number of hikers had passed through the Mesilat Zion area, where the fire began, in the hours leading up to it on Wednesday. At the same time, it said the fire service suspects additional fires that broke out later in the day may have been arson attacks.
In response to the reports, the Fire and Rescue Service said it had yet to determine what had caused the fires, as the investigation is still in the preliminary stages."
Thank you Vivian. I’ve been waiting to read your report the moment I saw it. The news in the US is constantly presenting the false narrative about Israel being responsible for the conditions in Gaza without even mentioning that Hamas started the war and could stop it by returning the hostages. It is overwhelming to find it emanating from every NPR radio station and every other news source. Your thorough coverage is essential and so appreciated.
Thanks, Donna. I should write about the claims of the impact of not allowing in humanitarian supplies from Israel. Will try to get to it soon. I didnt really address that issue directly here.I have to pick something to focus on and always tend towards conveying the mood.....the "real life" stuff that I know just isn't covered in many places. I do have a guest lined up soon, however, to address the Gaza specific issues you raise in a podcast. Thanks for the feedback.
Saw this in The Jerusalem Post today: "The prime minister himself is viewed as having passed his prime, not only in his physical appearance but in his public statements, ingenuity, and the quantity of factual inaccuracies and open lies he utters.
"An especially embarrassing example was during his appearance at the Bible Contest last week, when he declared that 18 persons (i.e., Palestinians) suspected of arson – which had allegedly led to the massive fires near Jerusalem last Wednesday morning and consumed some 2,000 hectares of wooded areas – had been detained.
"The Israel Police, which is not suspected of left-wing inclinations, declared in response that it did not know where this figure came from, and that only three suspects had been detained, only one of whom had been caught red-handed." Link: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-852626
BTW, I did not say that I thought you were "parroting" Bibi's line but merely that you had repeated a claim he had made (a claim which was then amplified by his right-wing media echo chamber).
I am disappointed in you for repeating the PM's allegation that last week's fires were caused by Palestinians committing arson and that 18 suspects had been arrested. According to reportage I've seen in Israeli media, the Fire and Rescue Service subsequently issued a statement saying its preliminary assessment attributes the fires to careless hikers (although deliberate fires might have been set in copycat fashion after the main fires began) and that 3 people, not 18, have been detained for questioning.
Where in Israeli media have you seen reports that only 3. were brought in for questioning? What I have relied upon is what appears to be the consensus among various Israeli print and television and radio outlets. I have not seen the statement you mention nor such reduced numbers. The allegations of 18 suspected arsonists that I relied upon came from various law enforcement through media. Not the PM.
This new post by Nir Hasson was in Haaretz today: https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2025-05-03/ty-article-magazine/.premium/how-conspiracy-theories-about-palestinian-arsonists-spread-like-wildfire-in-israel/00000196-956f-d22a-a3de-b57f63230000?gift=4e3af0087c7c43508f288860c742f90c
Thanks for this, Nancy. I do my very best to stay abreast of the constant deluge of information.......and I'm going to look into this further tomorrow/Tuesday. There are reports all over the place on this issue, frankly. But, one thing I must say ......i never just parrot Bibi. Nor do I accept what he says uncritically. I had read and heard that 18 were arrested in multiple outlets.
Here is what I read in The Times of Israel about this: "PM blames conflagration on Palestinian incitement, but fire officials said to attribute fire to hiker negligence; president warns of climate change’s effects... Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attributed the fire to Palestinian arson, and wrongly claimed 18 people had been arrested in connection with it. Police have said only three suspects have been arrested so far, and Hebrew media reported that a preliminary assessment by the fire service indicated that the blazes were likely caused in the main by negligent hikers, not arson.
Channel 13 reported that assessment, saying investigators had found that a higher-than-average number of hikers had passed through the Mesilat Zion area, where the fire began, in the hours leading up to it on Wednesday. At the same time, it said the fire service suspects additional fires that broke out later in the day may have been arson attacks.
In response to the reports, the Fire and Rescue Service said it had yet to determine what had caused the fires, as the investigation is still in the preliminary stages."
https://www.timesofisrael.com/jerusalem-hills-wildfires-under-control-after-nearly-30-hours-no-major-injuries/
Thank you Vivian. I’ve been waiting to read your report the moment I saw it. The news in the US is constantly presenting the false narrative about Israel being responsible for the conditions in Gaza without even mentioning that Hamas started the war and could stop it by returning the hostages. It is overwhelming to find it emanating from every NPR radio station and every other news source. Your thorough coverage is essential and so appreciated.
Thanks, Donna. I should write about the claims of the impact of not allowing in humanitarian supplies from Israel. Will try to get to it soon. I didnt really address that issue directly here.I have to pick something to focus on and always tend towards conveying the mood.....the "real life" stuff that I know just isn't covered in many places. I do have a guest lined up soon, however, to address the Gaza specific issues you raise in a podcast. Thanks for the feedback.
Saw this in The Jerusalem Post today: "The prime minister himself is viewed as having passed his prime, not only in his physical appearance but in his public statements, ingenuity, and the quantity of factual inaccuracies and open lies he utters.
"An especially embarrassing example was during his appearance at the Bible Contest last week, when he declared that 18 persons (i.e., Palestinians) suspected of arson – which had allegedly led to the massive fires near Jerusalem last Wednesday morning and consumed some 2,000 hectares of wooded areas – had been detained.
"The Israel Police, which is not suspected of left-wing inclinations, declared in response that it did not know where this figure came from, and that only three suspects had been detained, only one of whom had been caught red-handed." Link: https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-852626
BTW, I did not say that I thought you were "parroting" Bibi's line but merely that you had repeated a claim he had made (a claim which was then amplified by his right-wing media echo chamber).