President Shimon Peres said there would be no attempts on Israel’s part to blur the investigation into the death of Mohammed Abu Khdeir, the Arab teenager from Shuafat who was murdered last week, or to sweep the results of the investigation under the carpet.
Speaking at a press conference of foreign journalists in Sderot, the president stressed that there is no difference between Jewish and Arab blood, and that Israel would not rest and not remain silent until this issue is cleared up.
Somehow, however, the journalists failed to print Peres’ message that Israel would investigate last Wednesday’s incident.
Instead, news outlets such as Agence France Presse (AFP) found space to stress the Palestinian accusation, levelled by PA Prosecutor General Abed al-Ghani al-Aweiwei, that Khdeir was burned alive, as well as a comment by Suha Abu Khdeir, the Mohammed’s mother, Suha, that she had little faith in the Israeli justice system. “I don’t have any peace in my heart. Even if they captured who they say killed my son,” she said. “They’re only going to ask them questions and then release them. What’s the point?”
In addition, nearly all international media featured prominently the fact that six Jews will apparently be charged this afternoon with the murder of Abu Khdeir, without mentioning the wall-to-wall condemnation the killing engendered in Israeli society. Right-wing politicians including Uri Ariel and Yesha Council Head Dani Dayan condemned the attack in strong, clear terms, as did former Yisrael Beteinu MK Danny Danon.