Many leading media sources were quick to declare that an Israeli assassination in Gaza, followed by a Palestinian bombing in Tel Aviv on 25 December marked the end of a period of “relative calm” or “lull” in Israeli-Palestinian violence, that had supposedly lasted since the last Palestinian suicide attack in Haifa on 4 October. In fact, the period since 4 October has been one of intense Israeli violence, in which 117 Palestinians were killed, including 23 children. At the same time, Israel destroyed almost five hundred Palestinian homes throughout the Occupied Territories. EI’s Ali Abunimah examines the systematic media misrepresentation of the latest events. Read more about 117 Palestinians killed, hundreds injured during media's "relative calm"
In an article about Israel’s importing immigrants from India into an illegal Israeli settlement in the West Bank, the New York Times’ Greg Myre, writes “Amishav, the group that champions the Bnei Menashe, wants to bring all 6,000 of them to Israel.” While the article is clear that the new settlers are being located on Palestinian land, the term “Israel” is clearly inappropriately used in editorial comment. Partners for Peace’s Michael Brown comments on this in a letter to the NYT, and makes the point that “bumping desperate people up against one another like this is the height of irresponsibility.” Read more about Response to NYT: 'Lost Tribe' Finds Itself on Front Lines of Mideast Conflict"
Casualties in Tel Aviv. Casualties in Rafah. Where does CNN go? Tel Aviv. And it was absolutely right to go to Tel Aviv. It’s failure came in an inexcusable unwillingness to send a second crew to Rafah. CNN also posted seven transcripts Thursday mentioning the Tel Aviv explosion. Six of these transcripts clearly noted in the link heading that they dealt with the Tel Aviv explosion. How many headings dealt with the Rafah incident? Zero. And only one of the seven transcripts even bothered to mention the attack on Rafah. Michael Brown examines the transcripts. Read more about CNN: Two stories, one news agency
Schumer and Clinton displayed clear bias and a lack of good judgement in accepting as fact a distortion created by a pro-Israeli group. They compounded their error by further exaggerating this claim in their comments to the press and in their letter to President Bush. In doing so they did a disservice to their positions as U.S. Senators and to the pursuit of truth and peace. Read more about A campaign against "incitement"
In 2003, South End Press published a book entitled Live From Palestine: International and Palestinian Direct Action Against the Israeli Occupation, edited by Nancy Stohlman and Laurieann Aladin, with introductions by Noam Chomsky and Dr. Mustafa Barghouthi, co-founder of Grassroots International Protection for the Palestinian People. The book contains contributions from two EI co-founders, Arjan El Fassed and Ali Abunimah, and reprinted several diary entries from The Electronic Intifada. The following article by Arjan El Fassed from the book introduces The Electronic Intifada’s diary project, Live From Palestine, after which the book was titled. Reprinted with permission. Read more about Live from Palestine: The Diaries Project
For months, CNN has misrepresented the facts of where Israel’s apartheid barrier will run. Repeated interventions only brought marginal improvements, until November 5-6, when CNN changed the reported length and cost of the project after contacting the Israeli government to check: “According to Defense Ministry spokeswoman Rachel Niedak-Ashkenazi, the planned fence route, which has been approved by the government, will be 690 kilometers (429 miles) long. Cost is estimated at $1.5 billion.” Michael Brown reports for EI. Read more about Correcting CNN's measurement of Israel's Apartheid Wall
Regarding the editorial, “Another reason to build the fence: Separating Israel from the West Bank will help prevent attacks such as yesterday’s bus bombing” (20 Aug), The National Post has missed the point entirely. The Post argues that a description of Israel’s Wall on our website as “a colonial project that embodies within it the long-term policy of occupation, discrimination and expulsion” was “nonsensical” and that Israel is building the Wall “to protect its citizens from terrorists based in the West Bank”. EI’s Nigel Parry wrote this letter in response to an editorial in the National Post (Canada). Read more about Response to National Post editorial of 20 August 2003
The following text is from a seminar presentation, “An Overview of the Role of the International Media Regarding the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict”, given by Siham Rashid, Director of the Public Relations Department, Palestinian Counseling Center (PCC) on 29 August 2003. Hosted by the Alternative Information Center (AIC), the seminar was titled “A Middle East Without Wars and Oppression is Possible: An International Seminar on the Palestinian Struggle and Globalization”. Read more about The role of the international media in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict
The international media seminar on the question of peace in the Middle East, now taking place in Seville, Spain, reaffirmed the utility of dialogue and mutual understanding. The participants heard four speakers in the morning session and four speakers in the afternoon session of the two-day meeting. In his opening remarks, the moderator, Shashi Tharoor, Under-Secretary-General for Communications and Public Information, expressed his hope that the seminar would be an occasion for dialogue and conciliation rather than condemnation and criticism. Read more about Media coverage of Middle East situation among issues discussed at seminar on conflict in region
