Yesterday marked the complete withdrawal of Israeli military forces from the Gaza Strip, which has been returned to full Palestinian control in the hopes of moving the Israeli-Palestinian peace process along. As part of the handover of control, Israeli soldiers shuttered or destroyed the empty buildings once occupied by Jewish settlers. Among these, the synagogues were left standing, emptied of all their sacred artifacts and Torahs and the like, but tagged as holy places which should not be desecrated. Of course, this courtesy was not afforded of the Jewish houses of worship as masses of Palestinian militants have desecrated the synagogues in the hours since, burning them to the ground, an act exhibiting violence and hatred towards the Jewish faith of their Israeli neighbors.
Of the three broadcast network morning shows, only CBS's The Early Show completely ignored the story, although CBS, like its competitors widely reported the since-disproven allegations of Koran desecration which made the pages of Newsweek months ago.
I understand the lack of international reporting which infects broadcast news, especially on the vapid morning shows, but not even carrying a newsbrief item, especially when your competitors find the time to work in at least that much, is unexcusable given the history of this issue and its importance to the US in terms of foreign policy and the war on terror.
