Reading the article entitled “Deadly Bacteria” that appeared in HNA Watchblog arouses an unpleasant feeling. The article has two major problems.
The first problem is that the article can be perceived as “satirical” or as a colorful “news report”. The fact that it is impossible to tell the difference proves the extremely poor quality of the article both in terms of satire and in terms of journalistic reporting. However, let us take the article seriously.
And here we encounter the second problem: The article presents a closed discussion. It is possible that the idea of the editor of the HNA to select pictures of Israeli vegetables was intentional and his object was to incite the preconceived opinions of the Germans against the troublesome and well-poisoning Jews – undoubtedly an Antisemitic idea. However is it possible that a choice of a picture did not represent an ancient hatred, in other words, with the intention purpose not being making a link between the poisonous bacteria and the Jews. But even this has an Antisemitic hue, as this act is a consequence of subconscious Anti-Semitism stemming from hundreds of years of Antisemitic propaganda to which the Germans have been exposed. To try and deny this and say it was coincidental and to say that Anti-Semitism played no role in selection of the pictures is impossible.
