Home The murders of Rabbi Eitam and Naama Henkin

The murders of Rabbi Eitam and Naama Henkin

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By Jon Sutz, Editor, SaveTheWest.com

This page contains deep background materials about Rabbi Eitam Henkin and his wife, Naama, who were murdered in front of their four children, by Palestinian terrorists. In my 2016 documentary, below, I profile the murder of the Henkins, and how the Huffington Post dehumanized them — while super-humanizing aggrieved Palestinians and those mourning relatives who engaged in anti-Israel violence.

The segment featuring the Henkins’ murders is from to 6:40 to 10:58:


Contents

An extension of “Chronology of Palestinian attacks during the Third Intifada”

(1) About the Henkins and their murders

(2) Contrast HuffPost’s blackout of the Henkins’ murders to the top coverage it gave to a Palestinian man who claimed he was wrongfully tased

(2) So what kinds of “news” items did Huffington Post publish on its front page and World page, instead of this one?

(3) How does Huffington Post’s decision to ignore this story compare with the coverage that it provides to Palestinians, Islamist terrorists, animals and others who meet with misfortune?


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(1) About Rabbi Eitam Henkin and his wife, Na’ama, and their murders

Near Nablus, in Samaria (the “West Bank”): On October 1, 2015 Palestinian terrorists machine-gunned to death Rabbi Eitam Henkin, 31, an American citizen, and wife Naama, 30, in front of their four children, ages 9, 7, 4, and 9 months. Security forces arrested members of Hamas cell responsible.

About the Henkins

From the Times of Israel:

HenkensEitam Henkin was the son of Rabbi Yehuda and Chana Henkin, who moved to Israel from the United States in the 1970s. […]

Eitam, born in Jerusalem, studied at the Nir Yeshiva in Kiryat Arba and served in the IDF Golani Brigade. An ordained rabbi, he was also a historian, Israel’s Foreign Ministry said. The family moved to Neria three years ago. A noted Torah scholar and author of several volumes of responsa, he lectured at his mother’s college. He was completing his doctorate.

Na’ama Henkin was a graphic artist who owned a design studio.

Rabbi Eitam and Na'ama Henkin with their children - in front of whom they were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.
Rabbi Eitam and Na’ama Henkin with their children – in front of whom they were murdered by Palestinian terrorists.

From The Algemeiner, a eulogy for the Henkins from one of their closest friends, Rabbi Barry Gelman:

As one newspaper put it, this was a “dream couple.” Both in their 30s, they already have had a profound impact. They lived the ideals of religious Zionism with a deep and profound connection to Torah and to Medinat Yisrael. Many here, myself included, would be proud if our own children would emulate them. […]

Na’ama Henkin was a gifted graphic artist. Many of us have decorated our sukkot with a poster she designed portraying the well known midrash explaining the Arba Minim (four species). […]

Rabbi Henkin was a young outstanding Torah scholar who was destined for greatness and had already published widely.

The Henkins’ funeral was attended by thousands of Israelis:

Henkin funeral


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(2) Contrast HuffPost’s blackout of the Henkins’ murders to the top coverage it gave to a Palestinian man who claimed he was wrongfully tased

Contrast this blackout on the Henkins to the personalized, graphic coverage that HuffPost gave on both its front page and World page to a Palestinian man who claimed he was wrongfully tasered by the Israeli police, after a riot broke out at a water park in East Jerusalem:

Cops Repeatedly Taser Palestinian Man In Front Of His Kids

24Aug WPHL Palestinian tasered by Isr Police - calloutNote that HuffPost included the man’s name and allegations in the headline, and wrote an original story for it – emphasizing that it all happened in front of his children:

24Aug storypage Palestinian tasered by Isr Police

The Israeli police, however, claim that the officers were acting in self-defense, and that the video was shot or edited to only show what happened after the man attempted to interfere with them.  HuffPost only alluded to that fact in the very last sentence of the story.

Why did HuffPost ignore the Henkins’ murders in front of their children by Palestinian terrorists – but gave sympathetic, personalized, top-line coverage to a Palestinian man who alleges he was wrongfully tased, in front of his children?  Only HuffPost can answer that question.

In another incident, when a Palestinian was killed during violent clashes with Israeli police, HuffPost published the picture and sympathetic, personal story of a wailing relative of the deceased on both its front page and World page, for three straight days (1, 2, 3, 4, 5):

08-02-2015 FPHL 08-58 - Palestinian killed woman crying


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(3) So what kinds of “news” items did Huffington Post publish on its front page and World page, instead of this one?

The Huffington Post ignored this story, meaning that the story never appeared on its front page or World page.  Thus, anyone who gets their news only from these top pages at HuffPost would have no idea that these murders occurred.  The only thing HuffPost published about the Henkins was a sideline editorial, buried on a page beyond the casual reader’s view, which was removed soon after.

So what kinds of “news” stories, then, did HuffPost’s editors decide were more worthy of appearing on its front page and World page, during the two days that followed these murders (October 2-3)?  Here’s a sampling:

October 2: HuffPost decided that a cat that was killed by a veterinarian merited front-page, personalized coverage; the Henkins’ murders… not:

10-02-2015 FPHL 07-34 - CAT KILLED - FACE

October 2: HuffPost decided that a “news” story about historic photos of “gay love” deserved to be posted at the very top of its front page; the Henkins’ murders… not:

10-02-2015 FPHL 07-34 - gay love TOPTOP

October 2: HuffPost decided that ailing seals were worthy of placement on its front page; the Henkins’ murders… not:

10-02-2015 FPHL 07-34 - HP WEEPS FOR SEALS

October 3: HuffPost decided that a revealing dress was front-page “news”; the Henkins’ murders… not:

10-03-2015 FPHL 13-22 - revealing dress

October 3: HuffPost somehow found this human freakshow, and decided it was worthy of front-page coverage; the Henkins’ murders… not:

10-03-2015 FPHL 13-22 - freakshow fashion


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(4) How does Huffington Post’s decision to ignore this story compare with the coverage that it provides to Palestinians, terrorists, animals and others who meet with misfortune?

Here is a sampling of the prominent, sympathetic, graphic coverage that HuffPost provides to:


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