Sky News Arabia falsely claims that “Israeli extremists stormed the mosque”.

The Sky News Arabia report omitted any mention of the Muslim rioting at the Temple Mount which necessitated the police response and falsely claimed that "Israeli extremists stormed the mosque".

According to accounts in Jerusalem Post, Haaretz and Israel HaYom, and comments from the official spokesman for the Israeli Police, several Muslims on the Temple Mount were arrested on Sunday morning after they began rioting and throwing rocks at officers.  The rioting reportedly began after hundreds of Palestinians began shouting “Allahu akhbar” at a group of Jews peacefully visiting the Mount.

Here are the comments of police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld according to Jerusalem Post report:

“This morning there were attempts by radical Muslims to disrupt the routine of visits to the Temple Mount during the final days of Ramadan.  Police arrested two suspects who attacked officers who were injured lightly and treated at the scene. The suspects were brought in for questioning to the police station in the Old City by Jaffa Gate, and visits to the Temple Mount resumed.”

However, here’s how Sky News Arabia framed it it (based on a translation from CAMERA’s Arabic department):  

The Israeli forces retreated today from Al Haram Al Qudsi platform [Temple Mount] after a group of Israeli extremists stormed the mosque today [Sunday morning]. Israeli forces have dispatched their troops to Al Qasa plazas and the dome of the rock where the forces have spread in every corner of Al Aqasa.

In a phone conversation with UKMW earlier today, Micky Rosenfeld confirmed that at no time did any of the Jewish visitors (“Israeli extremists”) or police enter or attempt to enter (“storm”) the mosque. Additionally, note how the Sky News Arabia report completely omitted any mention of the Muslim rioting and violence which necessitated the police response. 

The Sky News Arabic framing of events on the Temple Mount that day appears to be completely false.

Sky News Arabia, launched in 2012, is a joint venture between UK-based Sky News and Abu Dhabi-based Media Investment Corporation.  In addition to their website, Sky News Arabia has a news network which is available to over 50 million homes – mostly in the Middle East.  They also have a strong social media presence, with over 3 million followers on Twitter and more than 11 million ‘Likes’ on Facebook

 

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