Teen stabbed in West Bank home was U.S. citizen; Did New York Times lose something in translation?

The New York Times reports that a 19-year-old Palestinian man on Thursday morning jumped a fence surrounding a Jewish settlement in the West Bank, locked himself inside a home, and fatally stabbed 13-year-old Hallel Yaffa Ariel in her own bed.

A 19-year-old Palestinian stabbed a 13-year-old Israeli girl to death in her bedroom in a West Bank settlement https://t.co/ORKB4I8TZo

— The New York Times (@nytimes) June 30, 2016

The 13-year-old Israeli girl stabbed to death in a West Bank settlement this morning https://t.co/ehOPZdkfgw pic.twitter.com/50nSgrx3Wr

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) June 30, 2016

State Department spokesman John Kirby confirmed that the young girl was a U.S. citizen.

.@statedeptspox Kirby comments on terrorist attack, death of 13-year-old U.S. citizen in West Bank https://t.co/uuSwgNm5PX

— Department of State (@StateDept) June 30, 2016

@LahavHarkov @statedeptspox Guess we shld b gratified our Govt gave the death of this 13 yr old American girl at least 53 seconds

— Jerry Rosen (@Shortrosen) June 30, 2016

The State Department released a brief press statement which did indeed call the stabbing an “outrageous terrorist attack,” although it neglected to include any mention of the word “Palestinian.”

Deleted previous tweet, found it. @StateDept doesn't mention it was a Palestinian terrorist https://t.co/V65kocWZKY

— Katie Pavlich (@KatiePavlich) June 30, 2016

According to the Times, Eyal Gelman, head of the Kiryat Arba security team, told Israeli radio that he “counted 18 stab wounds” on the girl, whose two younger sisters shared the bedroom but had already left the house. There are photos circulating of the crime scene which we’ve chosen not to include.

A team of armed volunteers managed to track down, shoot and kill Mohammad Tarayreh, but only after Tarayreh injured one of them with a knife.

Speaking of the Times, its video on the horrific murder, which includes an interview with Tarayreh’s mother, is garnering attention by some who say the translations in the subtitles are more than a little peculiar.

After terrorist's mother calls son "hero" and "martyr," @nytimes changes her words. https://t.co/EyzqmFs0FS pic.twitter.com/omIa5CItq7

— CAMERAorg (@CAMERAorg) June 30, 2016

Akiva Cohen contacted the paper’s public editor.

https://twitter.com/AkivaMCohen/status/748573346774786048

We didn’t see the original video to confirm, but the subtitle does now use the word “martyr,” not “son,” as the killer’s mother speaks of her surprise at her son’s display of “courage” in breaking into the settlement to commit the crime.

The @nytimes has updated translation so that it now says "father of the martyr." Nice work by Akiva. https://t.co/a1ffvI1aCa

— Gilead Ini (@GileadIni) June 30, 2016

Despite update, @nytimes subtitles still inaccurate. She says one who'd do such thing is "hero." Doesn't say "crime" https://t.co/9tHQdsOVDx

— CAMERAorg (@CAMERAorg) June 30, 2016

.@nytimes mistranslations: Why is newspaper hiding fact that Palestinian terrorist's mother called such acts heroic? https://t.co/YwmZXvoGtI

— Gilead Ini (@GileadIni) June 30, 2016

Meantime, mother of #Palestinian terrorist who killed 13yr old #Israeli girl today, says he was “a hero” who made her “proud”. Just sick.

— Arsen Ostrovsky (@Ostrov_A) June 30, 2016

Not a very effective correction yet, @spaydl. https://t.co/l2MTdch3nm

— Phil Kerpen (@kerpen) June 30, 2016

Shame!
Oh, yeah, talking about the NYT https://t.co/69FENQ2gJG

— Lenny Ben-David (@lennybendavid) June 30, 2016

https://twitter.com/AkivaMCohen/status/748576366291980288

Might as well leave this here; it’s been a busy day in Israel.

This also happened today #Netanya https://t.co/dp4sEVAq2a

— Noga Tarnopolsky (@NTarnopolsky) June 30, 2016

BREAKING – TERROR: At least 2 Israelis wounded in stabbing attack near the Shuk in Natanya, terrorist shot dead. pic.twitter.com/CPVC0G3Vwt

— Israel News Feed (@IsraelHatzolah) June 30, 2016

NATANYA STABBING ATTACK – U/D:
– 40 y/o man seriously wounded
– 60 y/o woman moderately
– Arab Terrorist shot dead. pic.twitter.com/bTiBc6Kqrw

— Israel News Feed (@IsraelHatzolah) June 30, 2016