Asa Linderborg, an editor of the newspaper's culture section which printed the story, told Haaretz that the publication "stands behind the demand for an international inquiry [regarding Israel's alleged body-snatching]."
"We had many discussions on whether to publish the article or not, and to the best of my knowledge, there are no facts there that are incorrect," Linderborg said.
Right, because it's inherently plausible that Israeli soldiers kidnap young Palestinians, steal their organs, and then return them to their families, sans organs.
And the world's tiniest violin award goes to the author of the article, who tells Ha'aretz, "I'm very sad to hear people accuse me of anti-Semitism."
UPDATE: The author now adds that he interviewed a "Palestinian witness," but "whether it's true or not - I have no idea, I have no clue." This wouldn't exactly be the first time credulous (or worse) reporters spread malicious gossip based on "Palestinian witnesses"--remember, for example, the nonexistent "Jenin massacre?, or the purported "medic" killed by Israel who had posed for a Hamas website a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and a Kalashnikov assault rifle?--but that doesn't seem to give many Western media outlets any pause.
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