Charles Enderlin
Encyclopedia
Charles Enderlin is a Franco-Israeli journalist, specialising in the Middle East
and Israel. He is the author of a number of books on the subject, including Shamir, une biographie (1991), Shattered Dreams: The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East, 1995-2002 (2002), and The Lost Years: Radical Islam, Intifada and Wars in the Middle East 2001-2006 (2007). He was awarded France's highest decoration, the Légion d'honneur
, in August 2009.
Enderlin came to international public attention in September 2000, when he provided the voice-over
for a controversial France 2
report, now commonly referred to as the Muhammad al-Durrah
affair, during which Enderlin reported that Israeli soldiers had targeted and killed a Palestinian boy, one of the key events at the start of the Second Intifada. Enderlin's reporting of the incident was criticized as inaccurate, and the affair sparked a controversy in France about journalistic standards and defamation.
in 1945, and grew up in Metz
with his divorced mother, his sister and his grandparents, a family of Austrian Jews who moved to France after the Anschluss
. He studied medicine in Nancy, before leaving for Israel in December 1968 at the age of 22 to live on a kibbutz
.
In 1971, he became a journalist with an Israeli radio station. Two years later, he became correspondent of RMC
, and the next year, senior editor at the news department of Kol Israel. At the beginning of the 1970s, he acquired Israeli citizenship.
In 1981, he became a correspondent with the French television channel Antenne 2, acquiring the title of grand reporter in 1988 ("grand reporter" is a senior title in the French media). Three years later, he became chief of the Israel bureau of France 2
, the new name of Antenne 2. As of 2005, he was also vice-president of the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in Jerusalem.
He has studied and written extensively on the political and diplomatic process of normalisation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and wrote an overview of the negotiations in 1997, published as Paix ou guerre, les secrets des négociations israélo-arabes 1917-1997 (Peace or War, the Secrets of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, 1917 - 1997).
He was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur on August 12, 2009
of the reported shooting in the Gaza Strip
of a Palestinian boy, Muhammad al-Durrah
, was broadcast by France 2. Narrating the footage, though not present during the incident, Enderlin stated that al-Durrah had been targeted and killed by shots fired from Israeli positions. Over time, he came under intense criticism from some French commentators, who asserted that Enderlin had no way of knowing, at the time of his report, whether the boy had been killed by Israeli fire, or even whether he had been killed at all. A number of commentators subsequently cast doubt on various aspects of the report, including whether the boy had been shot on purpose or accidentally, by Israelis or Palestinians, or whether the entire incident had been staged without Enderlin's knowledge. According to the French newspaper Le Figaro
, "an aggressive campaign on the Web" asserted that the story was false, and was designed to poison international opinion against Israel.
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
and Israel. He is the author of a number of books on the subject, including Shamir, une biographie (1991), Shattered Dreams: The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East, 1995-2002 (2002), and The Lost Years: Radical Islam, Intifada and Wars in the Middle East 2001-2006 (2007). He was awarded France's highest decoration, the Légion d'honneur
Légion d'honneur
The Legion of Honour, or in full the National Order of the Legion of Honour is a French order established by Napoleon Bonaparte, First Consul of the Consulat which succeeded to the First Republic, on 19 May 1802...
, in August 2009.
Enderlin came to international public attention in September 2000, when he provided the voice-over
Voice-over
Voice-over is a production technique where a voice which is not part of the narrative is used in a radio, television production, filmmaking, theatre, or other presentations...
for a controversial France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
report, now commonly referred to as the Muhammad al-Durrah
Muhammad al-Durrah
The Muhammad al-Durrah incident took place in the Gaza Strip on September 30, 2000, on the second day of the Second Intifada, amid widespread rioting throughout the Palestinian territories...
affair, during which Enderlin reported that Israeli soldiers had targeted and killed a Palestinian boy, one of the key events at the start of the Second Intifada. Enderlin's reporting of the incident was criticized as inaccurate, and the affair sparked a controversy in France about journalistic standards and defamation.
Biography
Enderlin was born in ParisParis
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
in 1945, and grew up in Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...
with his divorced mother, his sister and his grandparents, a family of Austrian Jews who moved to France after the Anschluss
Anschluss
The Anschluss , also known as the ', was the occupation and annexation of Austria into Nazi Germany in 1938....
. He studied medicine in Nancy, before leaving for Israel in December 1968 at the age of 22 to live on a kibbutz
Kibbutz
A kibbutz is a collective community in Israel that was traditionally based on agriculture. Today, farming has been partly supplanted by other economic branches, including industrial plants and high-tech enterprises. Kibbutzim began as utopian communities, a combination of socialism and Zionism...
.
In 1971, he became a journalist with an Israeli radio station. Two years later, he became correspondent of RMC
RMC
RMC may refer to:* Radio Monte Carlo, a radio station operation in France, Monaco and Italy* Randolph-Macon College, in the United States* Ravenshaw Management Centre, a premier management institute, Cuttack, India* Rawalpindi Medical College, in Pakistan...
, and the next year, senior editor at the news department of Kol Israel. At the beginning of the 1970s, he acquired Israeli citizenship.
In 1981, he became a correspondent with the French television channel Antenne 2, acquiring the title of grand reporter in 1988 ("grand reporter" is a senior title in the French media). Three years later, he became chief of the Israel bureau of France 2
France 2
France 2 is a French public national television channel. It is part of the state-owned France Télévisions group, along with France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô...
, the new name of Antenne 2. As of 2005, he was also vice-president of the Association of Foreign Press Correspondents in Jerusalem.
He has studied and written extensively on the political and diplomatic process of normalisation between Israel and the Palestinian Authority, and wrote an overview of the negotiations in 1997, published as Paix ou guerre, les secrets des négociations israélo-arabes 1917-1997 (Peace or War, the Secrets of Israeli-Palestinian Negotiations, 1917 - 1997).
He was awarded the Chevalier de l’Ordre national de la Légion d’honneur on August 12, 2009
Muhammad al-Durrah reportage and lawsuits
In September 2000, footageFootage
In filmmaking and video production, footage is the raw, unedited material as it had been originally filmed by movie camera or recorded by a video camera which usually must be edited to create a motion picture, video clip, television show or similar completed work...
of the reported shooting in the Gaza Strip
Gaza Strip
thumb|Gaza city skylineThe Gaza Strip lies on the Eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The Strip borders Egypt on the southwest and Israel on the south, east and north. It is about long, and between 6 and 12 kilometres wide, with a total area of...
of a Palestinian boy, Muhammad al-Durrah
Muhammad al-Durrah
The Muhammad al-Durrah incident took place in the Gaza Strip on September 30, 2000, on the second day of the Second Intifada, amid widespread rioting throughout the Palestinian territories...
, was broadcast by France 2. Narrating the footage, though not present during the incident, Enderlin stated that al-Durrah had been targeted and killed by shots fired from Israeli positions. Over time, he came under intense criticism from some French commentators, who asserted that Enderlin had no way of knowing, at the time of his report, whether the boy had been killed by Israeli fire, or even whether he had been killed at all. A number of commentators subsequently cast doubt on various aspects of the report, including whether the boy had been shot on purpose or accidentally, by Israelis or Palestinians, or whether the entire incident had been staged without Enderlin's knowledge. According to the French newspaper Le Figaro
Le Figaro
Le Figaro is a French daily newspaper founded in 1826 and published in Paris. It is one of three French newspapers of record, with Le Monde and Libération, and is the oldest newspaper in France. It is also the second-largest national newspaper in France after Le Parisien and before Le Monde, but...
, "an aggressive campaign on the Web" asserted that the story was false, and was designed to poison international opinion against Israel.
Books
- Le grand aveuglement : Israël et l'irrésistible ascension de l'islam radical, ISBN 978-2226193100, Albin Michel, 2009
- Par le feu et par le sang. Le combat clandestin pour l'indépendance d'Israël 1936-1948, ISBN 978-2-226-18084-1, Albin Michel, 2008
- The Lost Years: Radical Islam, Intifada and Wars in the Middle East 2001-2006 (trans. Suzanne Verderber) ISBN 9781590511718 , Other Press 2007
- Les années perdues : Intifada et guerres au Proche-Orient, 2001-2006 ISBN 2213621500 , FayardFayardFayard is a French Paris-based publishing house established in 1857. Fayard is controlled by Hachette Livre.-Works published:Works published by Editions Fayard include:...
2006 - Shattered Dreams: The Failure of the Peace Process in the Middle East, 1995-2002 ISBN 1-59051-060-7 (2002))
- 1997: Paix ou guerre,les secrets des négociations israélo-arabes 1917 -1997 (éd.Stock)
- Shamir, une biographie (1991)
See also
- Camp David 2000 SummitCamp David 2000 SummitThe Middle East Peace Summit at Camp David of July 2000 took place between United States President Bill Clinton, Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Barak, and Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat...
- Israeli-Palestinian conflictIsraeli-Palestinian conflictThe Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
- PallywoodPallywoodPallywood, a portmanteau of "Palestinian" and "Hollywood", is a coinage that has been used by some pro-Israeli media watchdog advocates, among others, to describe alleged "media manipulation, distortion and outright fraud by the Palestinians and other Arabs .....
- Proposals for a Palestinian stateProposals for a Palestinian stateProposals for a Palestinian state currently refers to the proposed establishment of an independent state for the Palestinian people in Palestine on land that was occupied by Israel since the Six-Day War of 1967 and before by Egypt and by Jordan since 1949...