Rantz: KING 5, Seattle business owner blame Israel for Hamas terrorism

KING 5 featured a Seattle business owner blaming Israel for suffering a terrorist attack by Hamas. The report is rabidly antisemitic, offering such a one-sided take on the terrorist attack that you can reasonably question if it was actually produced by Hamas. Maybe that’s why KING 5’s news director isn’t responding to questions about whether or not the report met their editorial standards.

Far-left reporter Cornelius Hocker, known for inserting politics into work, featured Yalla Seattle owner and chef Taylor Cheney. She’s using her walk-up restaurant to raise money for young Gazans caught in the war Hamas started.

But if all you learned about the war was from this KING 5 story, you’d think it was started by Israel and that Hamas terrorists are the victims.

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Shockingly ignorant, rabidly antisemitic

Hocker frames the report by blaming Israel. He introduces his story by saying Cheney “says she had to do something to help the Palestinians who have suffered under the Israeli government for decades. The Israeli-Hamas war is only making things worse.” This is shockingly biased and historically ignorant. But we can tell where this is going.

“It’s not hard to understand why the Israeli-Hamas war that’s killed at least 1,100 Palestinians and injured thousands more upsets her,” Hocker said of Cheney. He does not once mention that Hamas slaughtered Jews in a surprise terrorist attack that resulted in Israeli defense. He makes it sound like Israel struck first.

Hocker then pitches Cheney’s business, noting that she’d offer 100% of Thursday’s profits to a nonprofit to help Palestinian humanitarian relief efforts. And, again, he throws out some casualty numbers exclusively blaming Israel for responding to a terrorist attack.

“According to the United Nations, at least 200,000 Palestinians have been displaced, running for their lives trying to avoid the Israeli airstrikes,” he says. To blame Israel even more, he then cuts to Cheney who baselessly implies Israel is targeting civilians: “Hospitals are getting bombed, schools are getting bombed.” Hamas stores weapons and hosts situational operations offices in hospitals, schools, and mosques so that when Israel rightly strikes them, easily confused reporters like Hocker and woefully uneducated chefs will portray Israel as evil.

Pro-Hamas Seattleites rallied to celebrate these kidnappings — along with the rapes and murders of Jews. pic.twitter.com/jsOSsi4Jav

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 13, 2023

The result of not being educated

Hocker, who has an understanding of Middle East politics that likely extends no further than watching the trailer to Apple TV+’s “Tehran,” follows up by claiming “the Israeli government attacks… quickly turning into a humanitarian crisis for innocent civilians.” Who is Israel “attacking”? Hocker’s sloppy (or intentionally misleading) reporting makes it sound like they’re pre-emptively striking innocent civilians. There’s no mention, of course, that Israel does what Hamas doesn’t even consider: warning innocent civilians before they strike targets. In fact, there’s also no mention that Hamas killed children, raped women, and captured elderly hostages.

“If you don’t know the history of the Israeli government and the occupied Palestinian territories, Taylor (Cheney) wants you to educate yourself,” Hocker declares, setting up the chef as an authority on the issue though not explaining what “Palestinian territories” are being “occupied.”

“It’s not out of nowhere, like, Hamas wouldn’t exist if they were not being occupied, being subjugated to the things that they’re dealing with,” Taylor notes, seemingly unaware that she wouldn’t be allowed to own a business (or speak freely) if she lived in Gaza.

Not until the very end of the report does Hocker reference Hamas, which he calls a “militant group,” was responsible for striking first in a terrorist attack. But he does blame Israel for Hamas existing, noting that it was formed “to push back on Israeli occupation.”

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Was this intentional?

This isn’t merely irresponsible, factually inaccurate, offensively biased reporting. It’s dangerous misinformation feeding the highly violent and volatile radical left that has been rallying locally to celebrate Hamas, claiming the decapitating or burning babies alive and raping women is justified “resistance.”

How in the world does something so offensive air on KING 5? This is a station in desperate need for Jewish employees and, perhaps, a history lesson. It could have easily covered the plight of innocent civilians caught up in the war that their government started. Instead, Hocker and his terrorist-sympathizing chef decided to blame Israel.

Julie Wolfe, the news director, did not respond to requests for comments when asked if this met the station’s editorial guidelines. After I emailed twice for comment, however, KING 5 did update the written piece, according to a timestamp, but did not explain what it changed. Wolfe should be embarrassed; I have no doubt Hocker is proud of his extremist work. Does KING 5 even have editorial guidelines for a story like this to air? Hocker’s report most definitely met Hamas’ guidelines.

Jews in the area are on high alert as city leaders are silent on Hamas and terrorist sympathizers celebrating the terrorist attacks against Israel at their rallies.

Adam Sandler is in town tonight. I've already received three emails asking me if it's safe to go.

Credit where…

— Jason Rantz on KTTH Radio (@jasonrantz) October 13, 2023

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