During “Ayman Mohyeldin Reports” on Sunday, June 19, host Mohyeldin covered Al Jazeera’s “analysis” of an image of the alleged bullet that killed the journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Citing unnamed “ballistic and forensic experts who spoke to Al Jazeera,” Mohyeldin asserts that “the bullet is the same caliber used by Israeli forces” and “it came from an M4 rifle.”
Palestinian terrorist organizations also possess M4 rifles and use the same caliber bullets. As pointed out by Joe Truzman, a research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies think tank, just last month the IDF foiled an attempt to smuggle such bullets into the West Bank.
By omitting that the same caliber bullet is used by Palestinian groups, Mohyeldin creates a false impression that the evidence points conclusively to the bullet having been fired by Israeli forces. In fact, the evidence cited adds nothing to the issue of who may have fired the fatal shot.
Mohyeldin also directly inserts his partisan sympathies into the report, arguing that the Palestinian Authority has refused to engage in a joint investigation with Israel “for understandable reasons.”
This statement is rather curious when viewed alongside the fact that the P.A.’s own “investigation” claimed the bullet that killed Abu Akleh was fired by a Ruger Mini-14 semiautomatic rifle, not an M4 rifle as Mohyeldin suggests, citing Al Jazeera.
Obviously, both can’t be correct. Either the P.A.’s investigation was not credible or Al Jazeera’s analysis, as relayed by Mohyeldin, is inaccurate.
Relatedly, Ayman cites “outside investigations,” specifically referencing “an investigation from CNN [that] called it a targeted attack” by Israel. Unsurprisingly, Mohyeldin skips over addressing some of the serious shortcomings and flaws in CNN’s “investigation.”
Mohyeldin’s commentary suggests that he only finds those details and allegations that work against Israel worth mentioning.
MSNBC’s audience deserves, at the very least, a clear view of all the relevant facts and evidence. By omitting material information, Mohyeldin instead turned his partisan commentary into active dishonesty.
David M. Litman is a media and education research analyst at the Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA).
This article was originally published by CAMERA.
