On Wednesday's New Day, CNN was doing its part to push anti-Israel spin as co-host Chris Cuomo not only called the killing of Palestinian Arab agitators by the Israeli Defense Forces an "atrocity," but correspondent Ben Wedeman pushed the view that the IDF did not act with "restraint."
At 6:27 a.m. ET, before a commercial break, Cuomo plugged a segment on the issue:
Here's to another atrocity that has to be dealt with. You have violence that's going on in Gaza. It does appear to be calming down. But, remember, peace here is always short-lived, especially after one of the deadliest days in years. The international community is now asking if the deaths of Palestinian protesters could have been prevented.
After the break, co-host Alisyn Camerota recounted that UN Ambassador Nikki Haley had praised the "restraint" exercised by the IDF:
Israel and the U.S. face intense condemnation over Israel's handling of Palestinian protests that have left at least 60 people dead at the Gaza border. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley defying much of the world by praising Israel's restraint.
Wedeman then appeared live from Gaza, and, after recalling that the demonstrations have settled down because of the Ramadan holiday, he then responded to Haley's comments and denied that the IDF had shown "restraint." Wedeman:
Since those marches began on the 30th of March, the death toll is around 110. And, certainly, having been to those demonstrations, restraint isn't quite how one might describe the attitude because, for instance, they are flying those drones that are spewing teargas well inside Gaza -- not the area immediately adjacent to the fence that separates Gaza from Israel, but rather 500, 600, 700 meters inside Gaza.
He then concluded: "We saw yesterday one of those drones dropping teargas on an area where there was a children's playground as well. So there isn't much credence being given to the idea -- at least here in Gaza -- that Israel is practicing restraint."
The CNN correspondent did not give any indication of whether he had actually asked the IDF why they were dropping teargas at such a distance, but, if he had, it might have had something to do with the history of demonstrators trying to pick up the cannisters when they first hit the ground and throw them back across the border at Israel troops, as reported yesterday by MSNBC's Richard Engel.
It was also not mentioned that the IDF yesterday had already tabulated that at least 28 of the 60 killed on Monday were either Hamad or Islamic Jihad terrorists. And, according the Times of Israel, Hamas has even admitted that 50 out of about 60 deaths were Hamas members.
