TEL AVIV – Despite only attracting a crowd of about 40, the news media has been hyping a tiny protest outside of the U.S. Embassy in Tel Aviv against President Donald Trump’s temporary halt on refugees while the government revamps its flawed security screening process.
Here are some of the screaming headlines about the miniscule protest:
L.A. Times: “Protesters in Tel Aviv compare Trump immigration order to Israeli refugee policies.”
Jerusalem Post: “Israelis protest Trump travel ban, citing history of Jewish refugees.”
I24 News: “Protesters ‘fight back’ against US, Israel’s refugee and immigration policies.”
Times of Israel: “At Tel Aviv protest, activists hear echoes of Israeli policy in Trump’s refugee ban.”
The L. A. Times article was also picked up by Yahoo! News.
Despite the headlines, the articles themselves could not hide the small size of the protest, prompting questions as to why the news media would find the gathering newsworthy in the first place.
The L.A. Times conceded the crowd consisted of “several dozen demonstrators.” The Times of Israel put the number at “some 40 protesters.” The Jerusalem Post also cited about forty demonstrators.
The turnout is particularly disappointing for Tel Aviv, a city known for its ability to mobilize massive numbers of left-wing protesters.
Trump’s executive order halts visas for 90 days for “immigrants and non-immigrants” from Syria, Somalia, Sudan, Libya, Yemen, Iran, and Iraq. The order further suspended the entry of all refugees for 120 days, indefinitely blocked Syrian refugees from entering and lowered the ceiling to 50,000 for refugees allowed to enter the U.S. during Fiscal Year 2017.
Aaron Klein is Breitbart’s Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program, “Aaron Klein Investigative Radio.” Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.