Halal slaughter: Outcry after undercover film exposes brutality of industry per The Independent

Even The Independent manages to report this, somehow I doubt that the BBC will dare report something so anti their narrative that Islam is just wonderful.

Posibly the saddest letter I've read for a long time - from Britain's Independent newspaper

Today's Independent, not a paper that I ever read as I find it's incessant anti-Israel tone highly offensive, published an interesting letter today:

I’m just an ordinary middle-aged Londoner.

I work in an office. I go to football. I like eating out. I enjoy the arts. I am a proud family man. I give up time for charity work. I try to be a decent contributing member of society. I pay my taxes honestly. But there appears to be something that sets me and my kind apart.
At park gates in East London a friend of mine gets told to f**k off for photographing a flag. At a pub in Bath my wife gets called scum when she mentions her background.  In a student hall in Manchester a friend’s son is asked to leave as the specially prepared food he chose to eat is not permitted because it carries a label written in a language used by a country that is “banned” by the student union.
In Belfast a historic blue plaque is removed to deny part of my history.  In theatres in Edinburgh and London I am told to denounce my opinions or lose the right to perform. A sportsman in Ireland tweets if he sees my kind he’ll punch us in the face and recommends others follow suit.
Protesters across the country show no shame in shouting that my historical persecutors were right and social media is rife with vitriol towards me (even from so-called friends). And in Bradford I’m told that I am not even permitted to enter the city.
What is this? Racism.  Where is this? Britain and Ireland. When is this?   Now. Who am I? I am a Jew.
Never again, we say, never again.
Stephen Spencer RydeLondon N3

The next letter was on the same subject:

As a Jewish grandfather I recall going to school without guards outside to protect us. I recall walking to the synagogue with my dad, without guards to protect us. And I recall after the Second World War my dad saying to me: “They will not hurt Jews again.”  What has happened to our green and pleasant land?

Jeff BraceyGreat Budworth, Cheshire

I wonder what the usual Independent readers will have to say tomorrow?

'...forgotten pop classics' FORGOTTEN!

I have long detested The Independent newspaper for it's 'right-on' stance, it's anti-Israel outlook and its supposed championing of individuality when it's so often read by identikit left-wing faux intellectuals of the worst and sheepiest kind. However today they have gone too far.

This article about Alan Partridge's new film 'Alpha Papa' is headlined 'A-ha! Alan Partridge movie Alpha Papa gives airtime to forgotten pop classics'.

'The soundtrack to Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa, which receives its world premiere in Norwich on Wednesday, will deliver an unexpected sales boost to a collection of one-hit wonders, 70s novelty hits and soft rock obscurities hand-picked by the spoof DJ, created by Steve Coogan.'

Here's the film's tracklisting:

Philip Glass – Koyaanisquatsi
The Police - Roxanne
Roachford - Cuddly Toy
Climax Blues Band – Couldn’t Get it Right
Chicago - Hard to Say I’m sorry
Calvin Harris (Feat. Kelis) - Bounce
Jakob Liedholm - Swede Love
Andy Fairweather Low - Wide Eyed And Legless
Sam Fonteyn - Pop Looks Bach (Theme from Ski Sunday)
Glen Campbell - Wichita Lineman
The Outlaws  - Swingin’ Low
Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay
Bryan Ferry – Let’s Stick Together
John Farnham - You're The Voice
Sparks - Number 1 Song In Heaven
Steeleye Span - Gaudete
The Human League - Don’t You Want Me
Shirley Bassey – Goldfinger
Carly Simon - Nobody Does It Better
Hot Chocolate - It Started With a Kiss
Andrew Gold - Never Let Her Slip Away
Denis King & the South Bank Orchestra -  Galloping Home (The New Adventures of Black Beauty)

Forgotten pop classics?


Mrs NotaSheep listened to Hot Chocolate's 'It atarted with a kiss' this morning, before I knew it was in Alpha Papa.

Barely a day goes by without me singing or listening to 'Enola Gay' or 'Number 1 Song In Heaven'.

Wichita Lineman is a regular listen, albeit usually the Glenn Gregory version.

Mrs NotaSheep is fond of breaking into 'Don't You Want Me', indeed she did so this morning.

Mrs NotaSheep will often break into a magnificent impression of Shirley Bassey singing Goldfinger if that film is on television which it is regularly at the moment on Sky Film 007.

And as for the Police's Roxanne, forgotten? Please... I think not.


So here's some of this 'forgotten' music

Police - Roxanne




Shirley Bassey - Goldfinger (This is of course a 1964 track not an early 1980s one)



Human League - Don't You Want Me?




Glen Gregory - Wichita Lineman




Hot Chocolate - It Started With A Kiss



Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark - Enola Gay



Sparks - Number One Song In Heaven



And because I love this version as much, if not more than the original, here's Sparks - Number One Song In Heaven (12" version)



And because this version has it's own special ethereal quality, the Plagiarism album version of Number One Song In Heaven (part 1) including Jimmy Somerville



And the Plagiarism album version of Number One Song In Heaven (part 2)


If you want to hear some more Sparks, and why wouldn't you? Then I recommend following this link to my previous Sparks postings.


So 'forgotten'? I think not!

Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past - Environment - The Independent

' However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.'

When you hear that 'experts know' that there is man made climate change and what it means, remember what such 'experts' knew in 2000 and how wrong they were.
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/snowfalls-are-now-just-a-thing-of-the-past-724017.html

So you think the wealth gap is growing? Wrong - Comment - Voices - The Independent

http://www.independent.co.uk/voices/comment/so-you-think-the-wealth-gap-is-growing-wrong-8431460.html
A rare bit of sense from The Independent.

The BBC's anti-Semitic past

Thanks to a contributor to Biased-BBC, I have found a fascinating article from The Independent. It's from 1993. The article is entitled 'Why the BBC ignored the Holocaust: Anti-Semitism in the top ranks of broadcasting and Foreign Office staff led to the news being suppressed, says Stephen Ward' and contains a huge amount of interesting material. Here are a few extracts:

'ANTI-SEMITISM in the higher ranks of the Foreign Office and the BBC during the Second World War led to a policy which suppressed news about Germany's attempt to exterminate European Jews, new research will show this week. 

...

... both Foreign Office and BBC officials held a low opinion of Jews, and believed this was shared by the public.

They deduced that saving millions of Jews would not be seen as a desirable war aim by the British. At other times they justified suppression of details of the atrocities by arguing that they would not be believed.

News reports could only be carried if, in the view of the BBC and the Foreign Office, they were well-sourced. If the sources were Jewish, they tended not to be believed.

...

The BBC accepted unquestioningly the Ministry of Information's advice that anti-Semitism was rife in Britain, and felt it was not its role to do anything. On 17 November 1943 the director-general, Robert Foot, issued a policy directive . . . 'that we should not promote ourselves or accept any propaganda in the way of talks, discussion, features with the object of trying to correct the undoubted anti-Semitic feeling which is held very largely throughout the country'.

...

At the very end of the war, Richard Dimbleby made his historic broadcasts from the concentration camp at Belsen. In the light of the BBC's wartime policy, it comes as no surprise that these broadcasts mention only in passing the Jewish identity of victims, or that Belsen's gas chambers and the sheer numbers of its dead so shocked the BBC newsroom that they refused to use Dimbleby's reports until they had seen them confirmed in newspapers.'

Shocking isn't it, but does the BBC's current attitude towards Israel have its roots in this anti-Semitic outlook?

Another matter that strikes me, and it is something that I have remarked upon before, is that the BBC's favourite left-wing 'comedians' (including Jeremy Hardy and Mark Steel) love to remind people that the Daily Mail once supported Hitler and so its views are not worthy of respect now. Since we can read that the BBC once supported the minimising of the coverage of Nazi Germay's anti-Semitism and killing of Jews, can we apply the same stricture to the BBC? If not, why not?

Hamas in their own words

I know I keep banging on about this but I am trying to counter the BBC/Guardian/Independent line that Hamas want a peaceful coexistence with Israel. That's not true and Hamas prove this time after time.

Two videos today, the first is of Hamas Deputy Speaker Ahmad Bahr preaching for the annihilation of Jews and Americans.

"Jihad... in order to annihilate those Jews..."
"Oh Allah, destroy the Jews and their supporters. Oh Allah, destroy the Americans and their supporters. Oh Allah, count them one by one, and kill them all, without leaving a single one."


Are these the words of someone looking to arrange peace with Israel? No, but that is why the BBC don't report such speeches, it would ruin their carefully constructed narrative.


This second video is of the released Hamas terrorist Ahlam Tamimi on the Palestinian public's delight at suicide bombings. This is the result of years of preaching hatred and encouraging murder of Jews.




Hamas spread hatred and incite murder of Jews (and others) on a regular basis, not that you would know this if you relied upon the BBC, The Guardian and The Independent for your Middle East news.
Thanks to the incredible MEMRI for the video clips.

The aftermath of the Toulouse murders

I wondered how long it would take before I heard that there were fears of an anti-Muslim backlash following the discovery that the murderer of the four Jews and three soldiers in Toulouse was yet another Islamist Jihadi. I didn't have to wait long, an expert in Paris has just been quoted expressing these fears on BBC 5Live and I have read similar sentiments on the internet this morning. The fear of an anti-Muslim backlash is often quoted but rarely experienced.

I have also heard the usual bewilderment as to how a young French-born man, albeit of North African Islamic descent, could become so indoctrinated against Jews and Western soldiers. The blame is being put on this man travelling to Pakistan and Afghanistan but I would suggest that it is more likely that he made trips because he had already been 'radicalised'. Why would a non-radicalised man travel to Afghanistan?

So how could a young Muslim man become radicalised in southern France. Well he could worship at a mosque where the Quran and Hadith are used to show how Jews are apes and swine and how the hour of resurrection will not come 'until you fight the Jews. The Jew will hide behind stones or trees. Then the stones or trees will call: 'Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him.'

Maybe he listened to Islamist groups such as Hamas that teach all the above as well as opening declaring that all Jews should be killed with comments such as this:
'"Regarding the Jews, our business with them is only through bombs and guns... the prophet [Muhammad] promised that we will fight you, with Allah's help, until the tree and stone say: "Oh Muslim, servant of Allah, there is a Jew behind me, come and kill him."

Maybe he listened to the sort of leftists who refuse to criticise such comments or pretend that  those who make the comments don’t really mean it or are quoted out of context or even justify the hate-speech as just being the words of the oppressed who can’t be held to the same standards of their oppressors.

Maybe he listened to those even more extreme elements of the left who spread extreme anti-Israeli propaganda and whose views are happily given publicity and legitimacy by the likes of the BBC, The Guardian and The Independent. The sort of people who spread lies about Israeli actions such as over al-Dura, the Badawi lie etc. if you don't know what I am talking about here then you clearly rely too much on the BBC, Guardian & Independent and indeed The Telegraph, Times, Mail and most British news media.


Listen out over the coming days for other excuses to be made for Mohammed Merah's murderous exploits; poverty will be surely be cited any day now.

The only constant are that we should be afraid, do as we are told and pay more taxes

Yesterday the BBC informed us that:

'The progressive shrinking of Arctic sea ice is bringing colder, snowier winters to the UK and other areas of Europe, North America and China, a study shows.As global temperatures have risen, the area of Arctic Ocean covered by ice in summer and autumn has been falling. Writing in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), a US/China-based team show this affects the jet stream and brings cold, snowy weather.'

The BBC's warmist evangelist Richard Black is happy to spread the fear.

As I wrote just three weeks ago, in 2000 The Independent newspaper was reporting as fact that:

'Britain's winter ends tomorrow with further indications of a striking environmental change: snow is starting to disappear from our lives.

Sledges, snowmen, snowballs and the excitement of waking to find that the stuff has settled outside are all a rapidly diminishing part of Britain's culture, as warmer winters - which scientists are attributing to global climate change - produce not only fewer white Christmases, but fewer white Januaries and Februaries.

The first two months of 2000 were virtually free of significant snowfall in much of lowland Britain, and December brought only moderate snowfall in the South-east. It is the continuation of a trend that has been increasingly visible in the past 15 years: in the south of England, for instance, from 1970 to 1995 snow and sleet fell for an average of 3.7 days, while from 1988 to 1995 the average was 0.7 days. London's last substantial snowfall was in February 1991.

...

However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.

...

David Parker, at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in Berkshire, says ultimately, British children could have only virtual experience of snow. Via the internet, they might wonder at polar scenes - or eventually "feel" virtual cold.'

The same certainty on display there as the climate 'experts' tell us what they know will happen, except they were wrong. Britain and elsewhere have had three snowy winters on the trot. Have we had an apology from Dr David Viner or David Parker? Somehow I doubt it.

Why should we believe experts in 2012 who tell us one thing when we were told almost the opposite with just as much certainty in 2000. The only constants are that we should be afraid, do as the 'experts' tell us and above all pay more taxes.

'Snowfalls are now just a thing of the past'

I have long been quoting The Guardian for this from 2006:

"Scientists know a lot about how events will unfold...which means that whatever we do, our climate destiny is fixed for the next few decades... Rainfall will decline in the summer and the increased deluges in winter will struggle to replenish thirsty reservoirs because much of the water will run off the baked ground."

Now that article has been proved to be absolute rubbish, so I was intrigued to read this from The Independent (sic) in 2000.

'Britain's winter ends tomorrow with further indications of a striking environmental change: snow is starting to disappear from our lives.

Sledges, snowmen, snowballs and the excitement of waking to find that the stuff has settled outside are all a rapidly diminishing part of Britain's culture, as warmer winters - which scientists are attributing to global climate change - produce not only fewer white Christmases, but fewer white Januaries and Februaries.

The first two months of 2000 were virtually free of significant snowfall in much of lowland Britain, and December brought only moderate snowfall in the South-east. It is the continuation of a trend that has been increasingly visible in the past 15 years: in the south of England, for instance, from 1970 to 1995 snow and sleet fell for an average of 3.7 days, while from 1988 to 1995 the average was 0.7 days. London's last substantial snowfall was in February 1991.

...

However, the warming is so far manifesting itself more in winters which are less cold than in much hotter summers. According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit (CRU) of the University of East Anglia,within a few years winter snowfall will become "a very rare and exciting event".

"Children just aren't going to know what snow is," he said.

...

David Parker, at the Hadley Centre for Climate Prediction and Research in Berkshire, says ultimately, British children could have only virtual experience of snow. Via the internet, they might wonder at polar scenes - or eventually "feel" virtual cold.'

The same certainty on display there as the climate 'experts' tell us what they know will happen, except they were wrong. Britain and elsewhere have had three snowy winters on the trot. Have we had an apology from Dr David Viner or David Parker? Somehow I doubt it.

Would this not make an interesting investigation for the BBC? Indeed it would but they are so wedded to the Man Made Climate Change narrative that that will just not happen.

Left-wing newspaper gets it wrong again

Not The Guardian this time but The Independent (sic) which in its leader article today says:

'It is always refreshing when party leaders seem to really listen to voices coming from outside their own camp. That is why David Miliband should be commended for the warm words he has given in today's interview with this newspaper concerning the protest outside St Paul's.


"The interesting thing about St Paul's," the Labour leader says, "is that it reflects the feelings of millions of people that the economy and the country are not working for them."'

How odd, I thought Ed Miliband won the Labour leadership election, albeit rather unconvincingly and thanks to the Trade Unions rather than MPs and ordinary Labour party members, not David Miliband. Maybe The Independent are exhibiting signs of wishful thinking on this issue...

Complaining to The Independent (sic) - Update

On 23 March I complained to The Independent , I have not received a reply. For more on the background to my complaint pleae take a read of this post and this post.


Here's my chasing email:

To:

CC: newseditor@independent.co.uk; foreigneditor@independent.co.uk; j.mullin@independent.co.uk

Subject: I have received no response to my complaint of 23 March, why? Please respnd this time.



On 23rd March I emailed you, M. King, with a complaint; almost three months later I have yet to receive a reply, maybe you could do me the courtesy of replying with a considered response. 

In case you have lost my original email, I enclose a copy of the text below. In case there is a problem with your email I am CC'ing various other email addresses at The Independent hoping that someone actually responds to this serious complaint.


Subject    Your article today entitled 'Jerusalem rocked by deadly bomb blast'
 
This is a complaint, if I have sent ot to the wrong address please forward it to the correct person or persons.


Your article at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/jerusalem-rocked-by-bomb-blast-2250627.html uses terminology that I find disturbing and bias that is at best offensive and at worse dangerous.

Here are a few examples:
    1) 'Police said it was a "terrorist attack" - Israel's term for a Palestinian strike.'

    So Israel's term for blowing up a bus in the capital of Israel so killing and maiming innocent civilians is "terrorist attack" but The Independent prefer 'Palestinian strike'. Why? What would constitute a "terrorist attack" on Israel?


    2) 'Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad swiftly denounced the attack. "I condemn this terrorist operation in the strongest possible terms, regardless of who was behind it," he said in a statement released by his office in the West Bank.'

    Not a word from Hamas then? Is that not worthy of comment as Hamas are supposedly on of Israel's 'partners in peace'?


    4) 'Peace talks aimed at ending the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians broke down last year after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend a partial freeze on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank.'

    Really were talks progressing during the freeze? Have the Palestinian side carried out all of their obligations for talks to take place? Have Hamas recognised the right of Israel to exist? Why is the breakdown of talks solely Israel's fault?


    5) 'Israeli security officials have cautioned that the absence of any peace initiative could spark a new Palestinian uprising. Over 500 Israeli civilians died in 140 Palestinian suicide bomb attacks from 2000 to 2007. More than 4,500 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the same period.'

    So 500 Israeli civilians were killed and more that 4,500 Palestinians; how many of the Palestinians killed were 'terrorists' or 'fighters' or 'militants' and how many actual civilians? Remember that Hamas have admitted how many of the dead were their 'fighters', why can you not reveal that information?


    6) 'Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister warned Hamas over rising violence in Gaza following a barrage of rockets and mortar fire in recent days. Hamas say the attacks were in response to Israeli bombings and killings.'

    What about the murder of the Fogel family, is that not to be mentioned?


    7) 'On Tuesday, Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed four Palestinian civilians, including three children playing football, and five militants, medical officials said.'

    Why were the 'militants'/terrorists in such close proximity to the 'civilians'? Any interest in this at The Independent or just acceptance of whatever line your Palestinian contacts give you?


    8) 'Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in a 2007 coup, had mostly held fire since.'

    I suppose the key word there is 'mostly'. How many rockets have been fired at Israel since 2007? How many attempted attacks on Israel have been foiled? What about the murder of the Fogel family; do the lives of sleeping Israeli children not count but those of football playing Palestinian children do?


    Your comments on this matter, and preferably an apology, would be appreciated.

    Regards

    NotaSheep MaybeaGoat'

I wonder if I will get a response this time?

Complaining to The Independent

Following the last two of my posts I have decided to complain to The Independent, I wonder if they will be any quicker at responding than the BBC and whether they will be any more apologetic?

'to		m.king@independent.co.uk
date		23 March 2011 18:00
subject		Your article today entitled 'Jerusalem rocked by deadly bomb blast'
mailed-by		googlemail.com

This is a complaint, if I have sent ot to the wrong address please forward it to the correct person or persons.


Your article at http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/jerusalem-rocked-by-bomb-blast-2250627.html uses terminology that I find disturbing and bias that is at best offensive and at worse dangerous.

Here are a few examples:
1) 'Police said it was a "terrorist attack" - Israel's term for a Palestinian strike.'

So Israel's term for blowing up a bus in the capital of Israel so killing and maiming innocent civilians is "terrorist attack" but The Independent prefer 'Palestinian strike'. Why? What would constitute a "terrorist attack" on Israel?


2) 'Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad swiftly denounced the attack. "I condemn this terrorist operation in the strongest possible terms, regardless of who was behind it," he said in a statement released by his office in the West Bank.'

Not a word from Hamas then? Is that not worthy of comment as Hamas are supposedly on of Israel's 'partners in peace'?


4) 'Peace talks aimed at ending the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians broke down last year after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend a partial freeze on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank.'

Really were talks progressing during the freeze? Have the Palestinian side carried out all of their obligations for talks to take place? Have Hamas recognised the right of Israel to exist? Why is the breakdown of talks solely Israel's fault?


5) 'Israeli security officials have cautioned that the absence of any peace initiative could spark a new Palestinian uprising. Over 500 Israeli civilians died in 140 Palestinian suicide bomb attacks from 2000 to 2007. More than 4,500 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the same period.'

So 500 Israeli civilians were killed and more that 4,500 Palestinians; how many of the Palestinians killed were 'terrorists' or 'fighters' or 'militants' and how many actual civilians?


6) 'Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister warned Hamas over rising violence in Gaza following a barrage of rockets and mortar fire in recent days. Hamas say the attacks were in response to Israeli bombings and killings.'

What about the murder of the Fogel family, is that not to be mentioned?


7) 'On Tuesday, Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed four Palestinian civilians, including three children playing football, and five militants, medical officials said.'

Why were the 'militants'/terrorists in such close proximity to the 'civilians'? Any interest in this at The Independent or just acceptance of whatever line your Palestinian contacts give you?


8) 'Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in a 2007 coup, had mostly held fire since.'

I suppose the key word there is 'mostly'. How many rockets have been fired at Israel since 2007? How many attempted attacks on Israel have been foiled? What about the murder of the Fogel family; do the lives of sleeping Israeli children not count but those of football playing Palestinian children do?


Your comments on this matter, and preferably an apology, would be appreciated.

Regards

NotaSheep MaybeaGoat'

The Independent newpaper's choice of words (part 2)

I have just read the whole of that Independent article (as commented upon here) and the doublespeak is incessant. Here are a few more examples (with my comments in italics):

'A bomb exploded near a bus stop in a Jewish district of Jerusalem on Wednesday, killing a woman and injuring at least 30 people, in an attack police blamed on Palestinian militants.'

Who else would The Independent suggest was the perpetrator(s)?

'Palestinian Prime Minister Salam Fayyad swiftly denounced the attack. "I condemn this terrorist operation in the strongest possible terms, regardless of who was behind it," he said in a statement released by his office in the West Bank.'

Not a word from Hamas then?

'At the height of a Palestinian uprising that began in 2000, but which died out in recent years, militants carried out dozens of often deadly bombings in Jewish neighbourhoods of Jerusalem.'

Why did the bomb attacks reduce, was it anything to do with the building of the security barrier? Why no mention of the vehicle attacks as listed here.

'Peace talks aimed at ending the decades-old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians broke down last year after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu refused to extend a partial freeze on Jewish settlement building in the West Bank.'

Really were talks progressing during the freeze? Have the Palestinian side carried out all of their obligations for talks to take place? Have Hamas recognised the right of Israel to exist? Why is it just Israel's fault?

'Israeli security officials have cautioned that the absence of any peace initiative could spark a new Palestinian uprising. Over 500 Israeli civilians died in 140 Palestinian suicide bomb attacks from 2000 to 2007. More than 4,500 Palestinians were killed by Israeli forces in the same period.'

So 500 Israeli civilians were killed and more that 4,500 Palestinians; how many of the Palestinians killed were 'terrorists' or 'fighters' or 'militants' and how many actual civilians?

'Earlier on Wednesday, the prime minister warned Hamas over rising violence in Gaza following a barrage of rockets and mortar fire in recent days. Hamas say the attacks were in response to Israeli bombings and killings.'

What about the murder of the Fogel family, is that not to be mentioned?

'On Tuesday, Israeli strikes in the Gaza Strip killed four Palestinian civilians, including three children playing football, and five militants, medical officials said.'

Why were the 'militants'/terrorists in such close proximity to the 'civilians'? Any interest or wondering at the Independent or just acceptance of whatever line their Palestinian contacts give them?

'Netanyahu has voiced regret for the civilian deaths but said Israel could not ignore attacks on its territory.

"No country would be prepared to absorb protracted missile fire on its cities and civilians, and of course the State of Israel is not prepared to," he told parliament hours before the Jerusalem blast.

"It could be that this matter will entail exchanges of blows, and it may take a certain period of time, but we are very determined to strike at the terrorist elements and deny them the means of attacking our citizens," he said.'

Seems fairly uncontroversial comments, have Hamas voiced regret for those maimed by rockets fired by their operatives and others under their control?

'Israel launched a three-week war on the impoverished coastal enclave in 2009, killing about 1,400 Palestinians and drawing heavy international censure.'

Why did Israel launch this 'war'? Did Hamas do anything to provoke such an attack?

'Hamas, which seized control of Gaza in a 2007 coup, had mostly held fire since.'

I suppose the key word there is 'mostly'. How many rockets have been fired at Israel since 2007? How many attempted attacks on Israel have been foiled? What about the murder of the Fogel family; do the lives of sleeping Israeli children not count but those of football playing Palestinian children do?

The Independent newspaper's choice of words

If the BBC's choice of words to describe the Jerusalem bomb got me annoyed, The Independent has managed to rile me even more. Here's a line from their report on the bombing:

'Police said it was a "terrorist attack" - Israel's term for a Palestinian strike.'

I'll let that sink in shall I? 'Police said it was a "terrorist attack" - Israel's term for a Palestinian strike.' Israel's term for blowing up a bus in the capital of Israel so killing and maiming innocent civilians is "terrorist attack" but The Independent prefer 'Palestinian strike'. My refusal to buy The Independent seems well founded and likely to continue. Could any passing Independent readers justify this language?