New York Times
New York TimesiStock

The near-lynching of a Jewish motorist on Route 60 Thursday, when Arabs converged on a trapped driver, was reported by the New York Times under the headline Israeli Fires on Palestinian Protesters in the West Bank, Killing One, drawing widespread condemnation and calls for the paper to issue an immediate, unequivocal retraction.

Rabbi Elchanan Poupko, Fellow at the Institution for Advanced Research in Jewish Law at Yeshiva University and is the founding editor of The YU Lamdan and family friend of the one who was attacked, issued the following demand:

"Dear Mr Baquet and Editorial Board of the New York Times,

"After hearing and seeing the video of my dear friend’s son nearly lynched to death by a Palestinian mob, I was shocked to see your article portraying him as a murderer and withholding information from your readers.

"The Israeli, (whose father lives here in NYC and is considering legal options against you...), was driving through Hawara in the West Bank, when he was surrounded by a mob for a premeditated attack (evident by all the press who were invited and present). Thankfully he had protective windows so the stones who were suddenly hurled at him didn’t kill him in the first minute.

"The Palestinians then used a Red Crescent ambulance to block his path of escape which is when he drew his weapon and fired.

"After dealing with this horrible trauma, he and his father needed to wake up the next day to this libelous headline: “Israeli Fires on Palestinian Protesters in the West Bank, Killing One", portraying him as a murderer.

"Of course, your assumption is again: "the Jew must be the killer".

"I hope to see an apology and correction to this blood libel sooner rather than later.

"Respectfully,

"Rabbi Elchanan Poupko"