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State of IsraelMinistry of InternationalAffairs and Strategy

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The France 2 Al-Durrah Report, itsConsequences and Implications

Report of the Government ReviewCommittee

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19 May 2013

Jerusalem

State of IsraelMinistry of InternationalAffairs and Strategy

TableofContentsPart1:TheFrance2ReportRegardingtheEventsattheNetzarimJunctionofSeptember30,2000

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Part2:TheConsequencesoftheAl-DurrahReport

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Part3:ProfessionalandEthicalStandardsofJournalism-LessonsfromtheAl-DurrahAffair

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Conclusion

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Appendix1:OfficialIsraeliStatementsontheAl-DurrahAffairsinceSeptember30,2000

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Appendix2:StatementbyDr.RicardoNachman,ActingDeputyChiefoftheNationalCenterforForensicMedicine

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Appendix3:StatementbyDr.YehudaDavid-MedicalOpinioninRelationtotheAl-DurrahIncident

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Appendix4:StatementbyColonel(res.)NizarFares,commanderoftheIDFpositionattheNetzarimJunctiononSeptember30,2000

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Appendix5:StatementunderoathbyMr.TalalAbuRahmatothePalestinianCentreforHumanRightsonOctober3,2000

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Appendix6:ImagesofMuhammadAl-Durrah

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ExecutiveSummary

TheAl-DurrahAffairhasitsoriginsinamediareportfirstairedbytheFrenchpublictelevisionchannelFrance2onSeptember30,2000.ThereportclaimedtoshowthekillingofaPalestinianboy,targetedalongwithhisfather,accordingtothereport,byfirefromanIsraeliposition.Thestorywasquicklyrelayedworldwidebytheinternationalmedia,whichrepeatedtheclaimsmadebytheFrance2journalistwhonarratedthereport.ThereporthadtheimmediateeffectofharmingIsrael'sinternationalstandingandfanningtheflamesofterrorandhate.Sincethatday,thenarrativederivingfromtheFrance2reportregardingIsrael'sactionshasservedasaninspirationandjustificationforterrorism,anti-Semitism,andthedelegitimizationofIsrael.TheechoesoftheAl-Durrahreport,bothinterms

State of IsraelMinistry of InternationalAffairs and Strategy

ofaccusationsagainstIsrael,andthebehaviorofWesternmediaoutletsandtheirlocalstringers,havecontinuedtoresonateinthemediacoverageofIsrael'soperationsagainstterroristorganizations.Atthesametime,criticalexaminationsandinvestigationshaveshownanumberofthekeycomponentsoftheFrance2narrativetobefalse,andotherstobehighly-doubtful.Whilesomehadhopedthatleftonitsown,theAl-Durrahnarrativewouldeventuallyberelegatedtothebackpagesofhistoryandthedamageitcausedwouldwane,ithasbecomeincreasinglyclearthatthisisnotthecase.

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InlightoftheAl-Durrahnarrative'scontinueddeleteriousconsequences,

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PrimeMinisterBenjaminNetanyahudirectedtheVicePrimeMinisterandMinisterofStrategicAffairsMosheYaaloninSeptember2012tosetupagovernmentalreviewcommittee.ThepurposeofthecommitteewastoexaminetheaffairinlightofthecontinueddamageithascausedtoIsrael,andtoformulatetheGovernmentofIsrael'spositionwithregardstoit.Thecommitteewascomprisedofrepresentativesofrelevantgovernmentministriesandofficialbodies,andconsultedwithoutsideexperts.

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Followinganextensivereviewofmaterialsrelatedtotheaffair,thecommitteedeterminesthattheFrance2report'scentralclaimsandaccusationshadnobasisinthematerialwhichthestationhadinitspossessionatthetimeofthereport.Contrarytothereport'sclaimthattheboywaskilled,thecommittee'sreviewoftherawfootageshowedthatinthefinalscenes,whichwerenotbroadcastbyFrance2,theboyisseentobealive.ThereviewrevealedthatthereisnoevidencethatJamalortheboywerewoundedinthemannerclaimedinthereport,andthatthefootagedoesnotdepictJamalashavingbeenbadlyinjured.Incontrast,therearenumerousindicationsthatthetwowerenotstruckbybulletsatall.ThereisnoevidencethattheIDFwasinanywayresponsibleforcausinganyoftheallegedinjuriestoJamalandtheboy.Thereviewshowedthatitishighly-doubtfulthatbulletholesinthevicinityofthetwocouldhavehadtheirsourceinfirefromtheIsraeliposition,asimpliedintheFrance2report.Thelackofevidenceforitscentralclaimswasor



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ItisworthnotingthattheFrench-AlgerianterroristwhomurderedthreeJewishchildren,arabbiandthreeFrenchsoldiersinToulouseinMarch2012,whilenotmentioningAl-Durrahdirectly,informedpolicethathehadcarriedouthisactionstoavengePalestinianchildrenkilledbyIsrael.Al-DurrahhasveryfrequentlybeencitedastheultimateprooforiconicexamplebythoseaccusingIsraelofintentionallytargetingPalestinianchildren.

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ThecommitteeincludedrepresentativesfromthePrimeMinister'sOffice,MinistryofForeignAffairs,MinistryofStrategicAffairs,MinistryofPublicDiplomacyandDiasporaAffairs,IDFSpokesperson'sUnitandtheIsraelPolice.