Cause and effect, reversed by the anti-Israel press

Meryl Yourish

The New York Times does it.

Clashes Resume Across Israel-Gaza Border as Tensions Mount
Israeli-Palestinian tensions rose sharply on Wednesday with a resumption of clashes over the Israel-Gaza border as Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails declared a three-day hunger strike to protest the death on Tuesday of a fellow inmate of cancer, a death that the Palestinians blamed on Israel.
In response to rockets fired from Gaza into southern Israel, apparently in support of the Palestinian prisoners, the Israeli military said it carried out an airstrike in Gaza late Tuesday night, its first since a cease-fire that ended eight days of fierce cross-border fighting in November. Warplanes struck two open areas in northern Gaza, causing no damage or casualties.

The AP does it.

Israel, Gaza launch heaviest strikes since truce
Palestinian militants launched several rockets into southern Israel, as Israeli aircraft struck targets in the Gaza Strip early Wednesday in the heaviest exchange of fire between the sides since they agreed to an internationally brokered cease-fire in November.

Both news sources place the cause on Israel. The AP cites Israel first in the headline, and equates the launching of rockets from Gaza with the IDF retaliation for those rockets without noting that the IDF struck Gaza in direct response to terrorists launching rockets at Israeli civilians.

Palestinian terrorists in Gaza fired two Qassam rockets toward the western Negev Wednesday morning, as Israeli children in Sderot and Sha’ar Hanegev were making their way to schools and kindergartens after the Passover holiday. No injuries or damage were reported.

But the cause and effect are always reversed in the Bizarro World of reporting on Israel. As for the AP, well, they actually had the facts straight in their story last night, even if they do minimize the fact that terrorists continue to fire rockets at Israeli civilians.

Israeli planes strike Gaza after rocket fire
Israeli warplanes struck targets early Wednesday in the Gaza Strip in response to rocket fire toward southern Israel, the first air strikes launched by Israel since an informal cease-fire ended eight days of cross-border fighting between Israel and Hamas-ruled Gaza.
An Israeli military statement issued Wednesday said its planes targeted “two extensive terror sites” with “accurate hits.” Palestinian officials said no one was hurt in the air strikes and no damage was reported in northern Gaza.
The air raids followed the third successful rocket attack on Israel since the November cease-fire. The military reported that Gaza militants on Tuesday fired at least one rocket toward southern Israel. No one was hurt and no damage was caused. The attack was the first since rockets were fired during President Barack Obama’s visit to Israel two weeks ago.

But of course, a story without an anti-Israel narrative cannot be allowed to stand. Thus the update above, blaming Israel for drawing rocket fire from terrorists.
Just another day in the anti-Israel media machine.