IMRA just brought this story to my attention. It's also been linked and/or discussed here, here and here, but not too many other places, apparently.
The Mythical Martyr
By Stephane Juffa
1,874 words
26 November 2004
The Wall Street Journal Europe
A6
English
(Copyright (c) 2004, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)The first thing that comes up when you google Mohammed al-Durra's name is a poem written by Sheikh Mohammed of the United Arab Emirates called "To the soul of the child martyr." It gives an idea of the mythical proportions that the young boy has assumed in the Middle East. The images of Mohammed al-Durra hiding from Israeli fire behind his father's back in the early days of the second intifada, only to be struck down by enemy bullets, shocked the whole world. For many Arabs and Muslims, the boy became the symbol of Palestinian suffering under Israeli occupation.
On the Palestinian Authority's TV channel, as well as in Palestinian school books, his example is used to encourage other children to emulate his spirit of sacrifice. Even in the West, the pictures that won so many journalism prizes have become the most recognizable symbol of Israeli aggression. When Ehud Barak, then Israel's prime minister, visited Paris in the same year, French President Jacques Chirac wryly scolded him. "Killing children is no policy."
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And yet, it was nothing but a hoax. For those readers who recognize the famous image reproduced here, it might be difficult to believe that the scene was actually staged. (see accompanying illustration -- WSJE Nov. 26, 2004) I will elaborate later how it has been proven that Israeli soldiers could not have killed the boy. Some might ask why it still matters. Haven't too many innocent people on both sides died since then, and is it not time to look ahead now?
There's some relatively new information in this one, particularly regarding the role of French state-owned TV channel France 2 in this hoax, so I suggest you read the whole thing.
For more links and my own previous observations on the subject, see here and here.
