Envoyer à un ami 
30/05/08
Dear Friends,
As most of you may already know, on May 21st we won our appeal against France 2 in the al Dura case.
This legal victory is the victory of truth over lies...over state-sanctioned lies and anti-Semitic propaganda.
We owe this victory to each and every person who, in his way, and according to his means, helped us open doors that were closed. This battle was won by an international team!
Today, one week after we delivered a smash in the face to France 2, French media have given virtually no coverage to this incredible court decision.
The verdict of acquittal of all charges is fully explained in a 13-page ruling that is 100% to our advantage; each and every line of the court's judgment is an accusation against France 2. Furthermore, the ruling has far-reaching and universal implications for freedom of thought, expression, justice, and media responsibility.
If you wish to read the Ruling (in French), just ask and I’ll send it to you.
However, the game is not over yet. France 2 is still denying the truth and French media, if and when they even mention the case, are still covering France 2's lies.
France 2 has been lying about the al Dura affair for seven and a half years. They are still lying today.
The next battle will be political; we will have to ask the French government to demand that the state-owned TV channel admit that the al Dura news report was a fraud and issue a public apology for broadcasting a staged "killing" and, therefore, an apology for being the party to a colossal historical hoax.
It is well within the government's responsibility to take these steps. As the de facto CEO of France 2, Sarkozy has the power to conduct an internal investigation of the TV station in order to separate the truth from the lies. I call on you, my friends and supporters, to notify all of your contacts, and the relevant organizations you support, to join me in demanding that Sarkozy exercise his authority to make amends on behalf of France 2. Only then can one even attempt to redress a wrong that has resulted in death and injury to so many innocent people.
I cannot thank all the people who helped us achieve this victory but I’d like to express my appreciation to several organizations for their unflagging support: the American Freedom Alliance, the Zionist Organization of America, the American Jewish Congress, Stand With Us and some Washington think tanks.
I’d also like to thank two French-language media--Radio J and Guysen.com--whose reporting on the affair, in good times and bad times, was consistently thorough, informative, and honest.
Unfortunately, some people undermined our efforts during this fight for the truth.
The most serious damage to our cause was done by certain members of the American Jewish Committee, notably the AJCommittee's representative in Paris, Valérie Hoffenberg, who for the past three and a half years has worked actively against our efforts to reveal the truth. She functioned as the gate-keeper at the Elysee Palace (the French White House), discouraging serious discussion of the al Dura hoax among decision makers, and blocking access to me and others who were capable of providing evidence of the hoax. Her role was crucial and destructive.
Within the past year, the Elysee Palace received many letters and faxes in support of our position on the al Dura hoax. Almost everyone in the government was aware of the case and of the support my position was receiving. However, it was assumed, at the Elysee, that my position did not have the support of American Jewish organizations--that the American Jewish community, in fact, supported France 2's version of the story. This impression was created by Valerie Hoffenberg who actually advised French politicians to "keep their hands off the case." Hoffenberg was working behind the scenes to discredit me and to assist France 2 in covering up its lie.
On September 2007, the AJCommittee leadership realized that it was on the wrong side of the issue--protecting the worst anti-Semitic blood libel of modern times. They then chose to mask the behaviour of their Paris representative by issuing a congratulatory press release that contradicted their actual position. The press release was designated for an American and English speaking audience. When its Paris representative was asked to issue a public statement about the case in French , she refused. Even after our recent, major victory this May, she has steadfastly refused to comment in French: she doesn’t want to jeopardize her relationship with the French establishment.
Over the past year, in an effort to prevent the AJCommittee from undermining our efforts, I personally alerted AJCommittee President David Harris several times. I also met with people from his organization to inform them of the problem. He has also been contacted by numerous donors demanding that he instruct Valerie Hoffenberg to withdraw her opposition to my efforts in the case. To no avail.
Meanwhile, here in France, the American Jewish Committee claims to be “the oldest and the most influential American Jewish organization.” For those who know the truth about the negative role it played in this crucial battle, this claim is laughable. If you know people connected to the American Jewish Committee, please inform them of the situation and seek an explanation.
I will not spare the AJCommittee in the book I am currently writing--slated for rapid publication in both English and French--where I will reveal the whole story of this path towards the truth.
In closing, I would like to suggest you consult these two links:
- The first one is the statement I made after the verdict, on May 21st.
- The second is the wonderful full-page article by Nidra Poller which was just published in the Wall Street Journal Europe and the editorial piece of the WSJ.
Thank you for your interest and if you have any questions, don’t hesitate to ask.
Merci et à bientôt,
© Philippe Karsenty
Media-Ratings : la Première Agence de Notation des Médias
Mis en ligne le 30 mai 2008, par M. Macina, sur le site upjf.org