Photoshopping politicians into SS uniforms is despicable, but reporting it has become a worrisome trend.

Another week, another nasty photoshop incident.

The latest, involving Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon depicted in crosshairs with the message “politically eliminated,” has remained part of the news cycle for many days. There are many reasons for this, some more substantive (it’s connected to the Hebron soldier shooting, a major news story) than others (the Knesset is in recess and political news has been otherwise slow). But now, the picture that everyone from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to opposition leader Isaac Herzog has labeled dangerous, has been published, broadcast and discussed over and over again.

This is far from the first time this kind of thing has happened.

News stories about doctored photos of Israeli politicians in SS uniforms, often complete with the photos themselves, pop up fairly often. The coverage is, invariably, ominous and foreboding, labeling the pictures as “incitement to violence” against their targets.

However, this response only encourages repeat offenses. Continue reading