UK Media Watch prompts Telegraph and Times of London revisions over Temple Mount

Yesterday we posted about serious omissions by both the Times of London and The Telegraph regarding the Temple Mount in Jerusalem.  

Both news sites, in articles about the ongoing Palestinian violence, noted tensions at the Temple Mount / al-Aqsa Mosque Compound and explained that the site is the third holiest in Islam, while neglecting to add that it is the holiest site in Judaism.

We complained to editors of both publications, which resulted in revisions to both misleading passages.

The passage in The Telegraph originally read:

The violence has been stirred in part by Muslim anger over increasing Jewish visits to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem, Islam’s  holiest site outside the Arabian Peninsula.

In response to our complaint, they revised the original passage to at least note the Mount’s significance to Jews, and added this new passage to further clarify the matter.

Israelis and Palestinians are blaming each another for the rise in hostilities. The Palestinians accuse Israel of violating the sacredness of the al-Aqsa compound – the third holiest site for Muslims, and the holiest site for Jews.

Additionally, Times of London originally ignored the Temple Mount’s holiness within Judaism.

The attacks began on October 3, stirred in part by Muslim anger over increasing Jewish visits to the al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem’s old city. The site, the third holiest in Islam, is revered by Palestinians as both a religious and a national symbol.

Here’s the new passage.

Temple Mount, within the compound, is also one of the holiest sites in Judaism, although visits there have been restricted and Jewish prayer forbidden to prevent clashes.

Their new passage is still incorrect, in that it claims that the Temple Mount is only “one of Judaism’s holiest sites, rather than the holiest site, but at least acknowledges the importance of the site to Jews.

We commend The Telegraph on the correction, and will continue to work with Times of London to improve their passage about the Mount. 

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