Here’s a perfect example of the twisted, biased reporting that is standard fare for the wire services, especially (but not only) when it comes to the Israel-Palestinian conflict.

Associated Press writer Karin Laub reports on a terrorist attack against an Israeli civilian, an attempted murder—and all she sees (and all the headline writer sees) is the “embarrassment” this causes for Hamas: Hamas shooting embarrasses Palestinians.

KARNI CROSSING, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants shot and wounded an Israeli civilian near the main cargo crossing between Israel and the Gaza Strip on Monday, embarrassing the Palestinians’ new government and laying bare internal friction that could tear it apart.

UPDATE at 3/19/07 12:30:47 pm:

Well, what do you know. An hour later, they’ve quietly changed the headline and the lead paragraph: Hamas militants wound Israeli in Gaza.

KARNI CROSSING, Gaza Strip - Hamas militants on Monday claimed responsibility for a shooting that wounded an Israeli civilian near the border with the Gaza Strip — the first serious violence after formation of the new Palestinian unity government.

The original was moved to here.