Fox News just broke away from their interview with Israel’s Ambassador to the UN Dan Gillerman to cover live comments being made by Hezbollah’s leader Nasrallah. Why are they giving this terrorist legitimacy as if he’s on the same level as, if not more important than, Ambassador Gillerman?
Needless to say, I changed the channel.
Update: So this is some of what I missed:
Hizbullah leader Hassan Nasrallah threatened to bomb Tel Aviv during a TV address Thursday night, should Israel attack in Beirut. “If you indeed do this, I say this clearly. I won’t use terms I used up to now, past Haifa, but I will say clearly and in a way that is not open to interpretation: If you bomb our capital we’ll bomb your capital. We’ll bomb Tel Aviv and we can do this.”
A senior Israeli defense source told Israel’s Channel 1 that Israel will destroy Lebanon’s infrastructure if Hizbullah fires rockets at Tel Aviv.
During the speech, which was aired on al-Manar TV, Nasrallah discussed the ‘importance’ of ground battles by Hizbullah members against IDF units: “We are fighting against very heavy pressure and are fighting battles of heroism across the whole front.” He added that his organization had many anti-tank weapons.
Nasrallah branded Prime Minister Ehud Olmert a “fool” for “declaring a victory too early.” “He wants to look like (Ariel) Sharon, (Yitzhak) Rabin, and (Menachem) Begin. Ask him where the accomplishments are that he promised you,” Nasrallah said. He added that he was following Israeli analysts.
Nasrallah mocked the commando raid in Baalbek: “There were two landings near Baalbek and not in the heart of Baalbek. They stormed a hospital and threw a grenade. Pay attention to the great gain, to search for injured fighters who they didn’t capture during the battle. They weren’t there, they kidnapped five civilians and they are hostages. This is intelligence, this is the Mossad?”
Hezbollah also insists it will not agree to a cease-fire until all Israeli troops are out of Lebanon. Does that include the two Israeli soldiers that Hezbollah kidnapped?
Added: To those who think I was saying that Nasrallah’s comments were not newsworthy, read my post again. I said nothing about Nasrallah’s statements being unnewsworthy. My complaint was that Fox broke away from an interview with Israel’s UN Ambassador, Dan Gillerman, a member of a legitimate, sovereign government, to show a speech given by the leader of a Islamofascist terrorist group that attacked Israel, killed several of its soldiers, and kidnapped two others, instigating another war. Doing this gives Nasrallah legitimacy as if he were the leader of a sovereign government. He’s not. Fox should have just reported on his speech rather than airing the whole thing.
With that said, I have to say, the best argument so far justifying airing Nasrallah’s speech goes to Peter F.:
Geez, good for Fox, say I. In fact, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, everyone should be interrupting programming to air speechs by Nasrallah, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and all other Islamofacists, complete with translations about how they want to “wipe Israel off the map” and the other infidels in the West. I say let there hate and genocide speech and how much they want to kill all non-Muslims be heard. It needs to reaffirmed to the West’s leftist idealogues and everyone else in between and to the right just why we are fighting this war against Islamofascism.
Air them all, I say.
Much of Fox has been playing the moral equivalency game with this issue.
I guess ignorance is bliss? You switched it off because you’d prefer to not watch and listen and instead wait until Malkin tells you what to think?
“Why are they giving this terrorist legitimacy as if he’s on the same level as, if not more important than, Ambassador Gillerman?”
It has nothing to do with “importance”. I’m sure you’re not suggesting that there be a blackout on coverage of Nasrallah on Fox? That would make them less of a news organization that they are already (which is laughable, but I suppose possible).
This kind of kindergarten approach to journalism is indicative of the conservative mind. Nasrallah’s speech was a breaking event, so of course they cut away to cover it, and that somehow imparts legitimacy or importance? Only in the conservative mind…
Gillerman will not doubt wait and have another chance to speak his mind on Fox, but Nasrallah’s speech is live and “breaking”…. Oh never mind, this is a pointless exercise, I’m sure.
It ratings, ratings ratings. Nasrallah, as evil as he is, is a bigger draw than any whimpy UN guy.
Absolutely, they were correct to switch coverage.
Nas has been practically a missing person. He can’t stick his filthy head up out of whatever spider hole he’s hiding in for long or Vermin Control will get him.
The sooner, the better, btw. I doubt he can beat Castro to hell at this point, given Fidel’s head start, but they should be keeping company there soon.
And, may they be joined by their sympathizers, too.
Lee guesses: “I’m sure you’re not suggesting that there be a blackout on coverage of Nasrallah on Fox? That would make them less of a news organization that they are already (which is laughable, but I suppose possible).”
Fox has a laughable cable news rating, eh? Lookie here, ignorant dumbass.
You keep proving that you’re an idiot, Red Dog, or as Jay says “I’m sorry you’re so ignorant and stupid”.
The fact that ardent Fox viewers would expect them to not switch over to a live, breaking news event just because it is Nasrallah shows that Fox viewers expect jingoisim in place of journalism. “Dont show the bad guys, just the good guys” – or in other words “show me the news I want to see, none of that bad news stuff”.
I didn’t say anything about their ratings, Foggy. I said they are a laughable news organization. All you’ve done is show that there are a lot of stupid conservatives who can’t read and comprehend simple english sentences.
Nasrallah is successfully controlling the media coverage. Gillerman is too accessable and hence given a back seat. Were Fox not guilty of whoring for audience share, they would not cover Nasrallah live.
Mark is absolutely right. This “TV News”. This is all about ratings and MAKING MONEY. Journalism went out the window years ago.
This is not “breaking news”. Nasrallah has nothing new to say. He brings absolutely nothing to the table. He spouts all of the same old islamofascist talking points about Israel, “Blah Blah Blah”. Boring. Now if he poured gasoline over his head and lit himself on fire….
Hmmm.
What we really need at this point is some play-by-play commentary by Baghdad Bob.
The funny part is that he’d have more credibility than Hezbollah tv.
Considering they have 13 of the 20 top rated shows, a large portion of the viewing population seems to think they are not as laughable as you feel, since thinking is beyond you.
So, what makes them any less of a news organization the CNN? Of course this is a rhetorical question since you never have answered for your point of view when called on it.
As I’ve said before, you are a waste of human flesh posing as a troll.
Ever notice you can tell that it is a post from old “pucker puss” (lee lee) by just reading the 1st 2 or 3 words even if it is 4 pages long (psst-he thinks it makes him look like a scholar to have long posts-he he)
Nasrallah is the self proclaimed preident of Lebanon and his troops are the army of Lebanon, now engaged in battle with an invader: the zionist army of the occupiers of Palistine. As Nasrallah said in his taped message:”If Israel attacks our capital we will attack theirs.”
Lebanon is Poland, will we give it to the fascists to gain another week of peace? The president of Iran has said that the only solution to the situation in the middle-east is the elimination of Israel. So the gauntlet has been thrown.
It takes two to make peace but only one to make war. As has been said: “We have two options, run or fight. The first option is only good for a limited time; soon, there will be nowhere to run.”
Lee,
Would it be possible for you to develop some type of “quick response” system to alert everyone what we should be watching?
We will need the channel, time, anchor and whether cable or satellite information. Local “Big 3” networks are probably available to most on the old “roof mount” antennae.
We just need to know when and what to watch. I feel so dumb when reading your highly intelligent postings telling the 99% who read this blog just how wrong we are. I so hope to improve to your level of importance and intelligence.
Geez, good for Fox, say I. In fact, NBC, CBS, ABC, CNN, everyone should be interrupting programming to air speechs by Nasrallah, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and all other Islamofacists, complete with translations about how they want to “wipe Israel off the map” and the other infidels in the West. I say let there hate and genocide speech and how much they want to kill all non-Muslims be heard. It needs to reaffirmed to the West’s leftist idealogues and everyone else in between and to the right just why we are fighting this war against Islamofascism.
Air them all, I say.
Why Did They Do That?
Because some overworked underpaid content editor pushed a button. There was no policy decision, Fox is not lurching to the left, you don’t have to grind your teeth. There are simply people doing things right or wrong, and that’s the way things go with all human endeavors — even blogging.
If you gave those people the kind of license to screw up you give George Bush, Fox could run “Debbie Does Dallas” during the children’s hour, and you’d just shrug and turn up the volume.
Enlighten up.
Gee, is this a serious question? The answer as to why a newschannel would carry it is that he is a newsmaker. I don’t like it when Hillary Clinton talks either, but she is a newsmaker.
Know Thy Enemy, quoth Sun-Tzu. That not only serves the public well, but it is in our strategic interests because it shows the American people what we are up against. They should similarly be showing every single Osama tape and every beheading video they can get their hands on.
Kim, you turned the channel from Faux News?
Noooooo 🙂
filed-negro (FN),
Just curious, what are your real news sources?
F-N: Keep posts brief like that, they are funny!
I have to agree with the folks who want as much exposure to the hate speech as possible – makes it harder for folks to deny what these thugs are up to.
Lee objects: “I didn’t say anything about their ratings, Foggy. I said they are a laughable news organization. All you’ve done is show that there are a lot of stupid conservatives who can’t read and comprehend simple english sentences.”
Lee, I didn’t say you said anything about Fox’s dominant ratings. I guess that means, using your reading comprehension, there are a lot of stupid liberals who can’t read or comprehend simple english. Jinkies. Infer and confuse. I was actually pointing out that all those hundreds of millions of “stupid” viewers listen, learn, and, most importantly, vote. The days of Egomaniac Dan Rather controlling your parents’ uneducated minds through CBS ended at the last election. Didn’t you know that? Pay attention, junior! Sheesh.
Nasrullah isn’t any too educated, is he? Tel Aviv is not the capital of Israel.
LoveAmerica Immigrant, meeza can read too well, but ize tri to watch as motch t.v. as ize can to see wat ez goen on. But ize neve watch dat dere fox news cus dey be havin too much peple dat be lukin like de ole massa dat uze tu wip mi all de time. but ms. sally an uncle ramus likes far mi to watch it cose de se me wil lern from dat dere fox news.
oh oh mi here ms. sally iz a callin mi now, meze have to go.
Kim, your update still doesn’t make sense. The measure of a story isn’t the level of goodness or badness of a person, but rather, it is the level of news. We may not like it, but the head of Hezbollah happens to more important dude right now than some diplomat in the feckless UN organization whom nobody has ever heard of. What the bad guy has to say is unfortunately more important. Likewise, given a choice between Adolph Hitler and Mother Theresa, I would expect them to cut the future Saint off in a celestial second so that we can hear the evil dictator. (still hard to believe that this is a serious question.)
I don’t object to giving Nasrallah his agit-prop opportunity. I do, however, decry the decision to interrupt Gillerman’s speech. Better to have taped the Sheikster’s speech and play it later, in its entirety. As for the screed itself: is it just me, or does Nasrallah sound like Baghdad Bob In Whining Mode? At least BB provided defiant stand-up comedy. Nasrallah’s demeanor and tone reveal him to be a loser, and a sniveling one at that.
The more I see of this turban-tick, the better I feel about Israel’s chances. And ours.
If we are fighting Islamofacists in this war, what was the point of going after secular Iraq?
If we are fighting Islamofacists in this war, what was the point of going after secular Iraq?
Oh Robert, liberals are so wonderfully, stereotypically one-dimensional. There were multiple reasons, plainly stated, for invading Iraq. Some of those reasons a reasonable person would agree with, while others are debatable. North Korea is not an “Islamofascist” nation, but they are likewise a cancer on the human body politic. Although you may think of the world as Islamofascist versus everyone else, I gently suggest that we are a more complicated species.