If Americans Knew

On Capitol Hill yesterday, a two-year study of network news coverage of Israel/Palestine revealed extensive underreporting of Palestinian deaths, particularly of children’s deaths. In reporting on this situation, the organization found that the networks reported on Israeli children’s deaths at rates up to 13 times greater than Palestinian children’s deaths. In reality, 22 times more Palestinian children were being killed than Israeli children. “Since American taxpayers give Israel over $10 million per day, it is essential that we be accurately informed on this issue,” says executive director Alison Weir

In a groundbreaking departure, a recently released book by a major progressive institution dedicated to exposing “censorship” in the American media reveals that the organization itself also omitted information on the Israeli-Palestinian issue over its 20-plus years of operations. The book, CENSORED 2005, is the most recent in a series produced by “ProjectCensored,” a highly respected media research organization whose mission is “To Tell The News That Didn’t Make the News.” The strongly worded chapter, by If Americans Knew founder Alison Weir, describes the history of Israel, its continuing violations of human rights, and the cover-up on this issue in the American press.

After a 2 October 2003 debate on “How to can peace be achieved between Israelis and Palestinians,” a local woman and her organization received a voice mail message saying: “Don’t be in your office Monday at 2 pm. Me and my buddies, trained by the Israeli army, are going to come in and kill you.”