Boldface in the original.
Signs of the apocalypse, perhaps, or just an outbreak of common sense?
We are often very critical of the New York Times, but when its reporters and editors get something right we like to be the first to point it out. Today's coverage of the conflict between Israel and two Middle Eastern terrorist groups merits a few words of praise. At a time when Israel is facing growing criticism from the "international community" for its "disproportionate response," the NYT's story today includes a few helpful reminders about those doing the talking. Take Russia, for example:Russia, which reduced parts of Chechnya to rubble in its fight against rebels there, also sharply criticized Israel, with the Foreign Ministry calling Israel’s actions in Lebanon “far beyond the boundaries of an antiterrorist operation” and urging a cease-fire.
Ouch. I didn't expect to see such a sharp rebuke in the pages of the NYT. Even more surprising was this reminder about the nature of Israel's enemy:
The small force of about 40 marines who landed in Beirut on Thursday were the first American military personnel to be deployed in Lebanon since the withdrawal of forces after a Hezbollah suicide bomb attack killed 241 Americans, mostly marines, in 1983. The marines who landed Thursday were from the same unit as those killed 23 years ago.
Finally, the NYT's account closes with the angry words of Nayla Moawad, the Lebanese minister for social affairs, who tells the world which country truly deserves the wrath of the "international community":
Ms. Moawad blamed Syria for setting off the crisis, saying that she was expressing her personal opinion. “The decision of the Hezbollah operation was not taken in Lebanon,” she said. “Lebanon was taken a hostage, a mailbox of other people’s interests. It has been taken in Damascus, probably with an Iranian coordination.”
Ms. Moawad was one of the leaders of the Lebanese revolt last year that led to the withdrawal of Syrian troops from Lebanon.
“Syria has tried to destabilize Lebanon since her troops pulled out,” she said.
The NYT's story today was no whitewash of Israel. The reporters didn't hold back in reporting on the horrible toll Israel's response has taken on civilians in Lebanon. But the reporters did provide essential context by pointing out the hypocrisy of Israel's critics, her enemy's terrorist past and the trail that leads back to Syria and Iran. We'd like to see more of that in the NYT and other news reports.