NY Times writes that Israeli army lab usually focused on how to ‘kill people’

The New York Times published an article about Israel’s Defense Ministry saying its research on saving lives in the war against the coronavirus is a new since thing the lab is usually focused on “ways to kill people and blow things up.”

“The Israeli Defense Ministry’s research-and-development arm is best known for pioneering cutting-edge ways to kill people and blow things up, with stealth tanks and sniper drones among its more lethal recent projects,”David Halbfinger wrote.“But its latest mission is lifesaving. Since March, it has been spearheading a sprawling, high-speed effort to unleash some of the country’s most advanced technologies against an enemy of another kind: Covid-19.”

The article, about the work done by Israel’s Directorate of Defense Research and Development and its current war against the coronavirus, was attempting to focus on Israeli ingenuity. But the writer instead revealed the paper’s anti-Israel bias.

“This gratuitous opener not only diverts attention from this unique story, but also seems to call into question Israel’s legitimate defense needs. The Times can do better,” Jason Greenblatt, a former U.S. envoy to Israel, wrote in a letter to the “paper of record.”

“The Israeli Defense Ministry’s research and defense arm is in fact critical to Israel’s defense and security,” wrote Greenblatt, the new CEO of the Anti-Defamation League. “In the face of murderous regimes like the Islamic Republic of Iran, the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah, and a reign of terrorism from Palestinian suicide bombers, tunnels and homemade rockets targeting civilians… Israel’s military has unfortunately had no choice but to innovate again and again over the years to protect its people from harm.”

Greenblatt was not alone. Israel’s Ambassador to the U.S. Ron Dermer said the paper demonized Israel.

“The @nytimes, which buried the Holocaust, is best known for pioneering ways to libel and demonize the Jewish State. Now it is doing the same,” Dermer wrote on Twitter. Dermer has previously called The New York Times a “cesspool of hostility towards Israel.”

Dani Dayan, Israel’s consul general in New York, did the newspaper a favor by “editing” the article in a tweet.

“‘The Israeli Defense Ministry’s R&D arm is best known for pioneering cutting-edge ways to save innocent lives, with Iron Dome & David Sling among its more famous recent projects. Under the pandemic it continues to save lives.’ I edited it for you @nytimes. Now it’s fit to print,” Dayan posted on Twitter, mocking the newspaper’s motto, “All the news that’s fir to print.”

“The Israeli Defense Ministry’s R&D arm is best known for pioneering cutting-edge ways to save innocent lives, with Iron Dome & David Sling among its more famous recent projects. Under the pandemic it continues to save lives.” I edited it for you @nytimes. Now it’s fit to print. — Dani Dayan (@AmbDaniDayan) May 8, 2020