It seems the both Ha’aretz and the New York Times, which gave these stories great play despite a clear lack of evidence, should be composing forthright corrections – preferably to be run on the front page.

They will not print corrections unless forced to.
No one will force them to, and that’s proper.

The REAL problem is, there’s no media watchdog of any great circulation which will (metaphorically) put these papers’ malfeasance up on billboards and shout it to the world.