The original photo, taken as the raid was occurring, famously shows Clinton in the center of the room, with her hand over her mouth. But the newspaper Der Tzitung, described by the Jewish Week as "ultra-Orthodox," has a policy of never printing photos of women in its pages because it thinks they could be sexually suggestive. Thus, Clinton and counterterrorism director Audrey Tomason, who was seen standing at the back of the room, were removed from the picture.
The blogger Failed Messiah was the first to notice the Photoshopping.
UPDATE: Der Tzitung sent a statement to the press, apologizing for altering the photo—which the White House had forbidden news outlets from doing—and explaining why they had removed Clinton and Tomason.
“In accord with our religious beliefs, we do not publish photos of women, which in no way relegates them to a lower status," the statement said in part. "... Because of laws of modesty, we are not allowed to publish pictures of women, and we regret if this gives an impression of disparaging to women, which is certainly never our intention. We apologize if this was seen as offensive.” Read the full statement here.
OK. I admit it. I know virtually nothing about this religion. I can respect modesty and the convergence of religious beliefs with the desire to report the news. If you are truly reporting the news; if you are trying to get it right you don’t alter it; if you have to alter it in order to report it, than you shouldn’t report it. You can photo-shop pictures, but you cant photo-shop facts. I respect your right to have your own beliefs, but I do not respect your right to falsify a photograph. Crop her out. Zoom in on President Obama and Vice-President Biden, and cut that whole part of the group out of the photograph. That type of editing would be acceptable, but to make her and the other woman disappear from the photo altogether is simply wrong. History is history and it shouldn’t be altered with a mouse and software.
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