110 EXAMPLES OF POST MISREPORTING

This list is based on a document presented to Bo Jones, Publisher of The Post, and David Hoffman, foreign editor of The Post, at a meeting on Oct. 24, 2002, with two members of EyeOnThePost.Org. The list covers the period from May to October, 2002. The examples are sorted into seven categories of "violation," as defined by journalistic codes of ethics, including the Post's own code. While some examples may be arguable, the pattern is overwhelming. Examples are listed by date and headline (when available).

ADDITIONS : Subsequent to our meeting with Mr. Jones, The Post has continued to report with the same degree of indifference to journalistic standards. However, two items have recently appeared that are so egregious, they have been added:

111 .  In an attempt to paint a false picture of equality, the Post called the conflict "a war in which many more civilians than combatants on both sides have been casualties." In fact, according to the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism, only 16% of Palestinian casualties have been definite non-combatants (39% possible), compared with 77% of Israeli casualties. ("As big powers meet, West Bank, Gaza see another brutal day", 12/21/02). Members of the community have written and called The Post's attention to the availability of this data that casts new light on the dry statistics repeatedly cited by The Post, but The Post has been uninterested in anything that shows that the statistics don't tell the whole story.

112 .  The Post reported the "killing [by Israeli forces] of at least 12 Palestinians [in a] dramatic escalation of the conflict… Local Palestinian media reports said at least three of the dead Palestinians were armed fighters." By referring to the casualties initially as Palestinians instead of gunmen and not mentioning the exchange of fire, the Post implied that innocent people were killed and that Israel caused the "escalation." Later on in the report, the Post relied on Palestinian media (without confirming evidence) to maintain the false notion that most of those killed were innocent. (The Associated Press and other news services stated "Israeli forces killed 12 local gunmen in an exchange of fire;" the Palestinians later acknowledged that all killed were members of the terrorist group Hamas.) (1/26/03)

Words are important. The Post continually uses mild words to describe Palestinian acts and harsh words to describe Israeli acts. The most common example are word substitutes for the word "terrorist." An analysis of 113 articles on the Mideast during the period April-May, 2002, showed that the word "terrorist" was used by the Post in only 5! Yet suicide bombings clearly fit the dictionary definition of "terrorism" ("systematic use of violence and terror to achieve political goals") and the groups responsible have been labeled terrorist organizations by the US State Department. Among many instances where The Post declines to use the words "terrorist or "terrorism" are: Hand grenades thrown at kindergarten - not "terrorism" (6/1/02), Suicide bombing is "harassment" - not "terrorism" (6/13/02), Suicide bombers are "commandos" - not "terrorists" (6/25/02), Bus ambush kills seven - not "terrorism" (7/17/02). Another common example is the use of "reprisal" and "retaliation" to describe Israel's acts of self-defense. These acts do not meet the dictionary definitions ("returning like for like, evil for evil"). The Post would not dare call US actions in Afghanistan "retaliation" or "reprisal". (These violations, which occur on almost a daily basis, are not counted in the 110 examples listed in this document.)

Here are other examples of misleading terminology. In some cases wire service reports were even altered to change the wording:

1.   An AP dispatch was altered from "Israeli troops fired tank shells and machine guns yesterday, killing a Palestinian woman…" to "Israeli troops killed a Palestinian woman…" Yes, the woman was killed, but the Post makes it sound as if it was deliberate. ("Israeli troops kill 2 at Gaza strip farm", 5/26/02)

2.   Expressions like "stormed" and "killing civilians" are not correct descriptions of the Israeli action. (6/23/02)

3.   The word "stormed" was used to describe Israeli police entering a university office with the help of a locksmith !!! (7/10/02)

4.   "International outcry" is much too strong to describe the protest reported here. ("Israel to put key Palestinian leader on trial", 7/12/02)

5.   A yeshiva is not a "religious military preparatory academy". ("Rabbi shot to death in West Bank", 7/26/02)

6.  "Blitzed" and "punched" are not appropriate words for a house-to-house search for terrorists. ("Israelis Hunt for Militants in Nablus", 8/3/02)

7.   Suicide bombing attacks on civilians are not " military weapons." Israeli actions are not aimed at Palestinian targets, they are aimed at terrorist targets. The Post's wording implies that Israel is making war on the Palestinian people. ("Suicide bombers change Mideast's military balance", 8/18/02)

The Post routinely gives more space and prominence to the Palestinian side (the space ratio in April-May was measured to be 4 to 1), and sometimes alters wire service dispatches to change the balance. Events favorable to Israel are often suppressed in favor of Palestinian accounts. Reasons for Israeli actions, or the positive results of an action, are often buried below descriptions of Palestinian "suffering." (Remember that most people do not read every article to the end.) The Post's own code says, "No story is fair if it consciously or unconsciously misleads or even deceives the reader."

8.  In this front-page article about damage to Palestinians, the fact that 8 bomb-making workshops, 10 suicide bomber belts and 7 rockets were found, is buried deep on an inside page. ("Unnoticed Nablus may have taken West Bank's worst hit", 5/21/02)

9.   Five terrorist attacks in one day are buried in this small article on p. 30. ("Remote-controlled bomb set off aboard truck at Israeli fuel depot," 5/24/02)

10.   In a long article (36 column-inches) about Palestinian damage, the finding of bombs and weapons and even "gunmen" hiding in a building is barely mentioned. ("Ramallah patches itself up, but frets it may be in vain," 5/30/02)

11.   Story of female suicide bomber who changed her mind is buried at end of article. ("Israel says pair aided bomber," 5/31/02)

12.   Report that a "Palestinian gunman... threw two hand grenades at a kindergarten" ( at a kindergarten!! ) is mentioned at the end of the article. (6/1/02)

13.   The fact that six Israelis were killed in a terrorist attack, including a mother and three children, is given less space and emphasis than physical damage to a Palestinian hospital. ("At hospital in Jenin, A military operation," 6/21/02)

14.   Israel's "sins" over a 6-week period are recounted, but with no mention of Palestinian "sins". ("Israel says it is prepared for 'decisive' action," 6/23/02)

15. The fact that the attack was on an area responsible for nightly shellings of Israeli homes was only mentioned in 7 words at the end. ("Israeli tanks kill 4 in an attack in Gaza," 8/29/02)

16.   The order of paragraphs in an Associated Press article was inverted to highlight Palestinian injuries and relegate Israel's discovery of an explosive device in an office of Arafat's Fatah movement to the end. A paragraph about the Palestinian injuries from another wire service was even inserted near the top to make sure readers didn't miss it. ("4 Palestinians Wounded in Skirmishes", 9/8/02)

17.   Lebanon's claim that it needs the water is accepted without question, but the Israeli position in the dispute isn't given. ("River runs through Mideast dispute," 10/2/02)

18.   This article describes at great length the "danger and despair" of Palestinians in Nablus. Only toward the end does one read that calling Nablus "the terror capital… is not unjustified, many residents concede." ("Epicenter of danger and despair," 10/7/02)

19.   The Israeli raids are first related to the possible war on Iraq. Only later do we learn that they were directed at "strongholds of Hamas" (a terrorist organization, but not referred to as such), from which 18 mortar shells were fired at Israeli settlements in the last 10 days. ("Israeli raids leave 13 dead in Gaza", 10/8/02)

20.   The Post devotes almost as much space to asserted harassment of olive growers as it devoted a few days earlier to a terrorist attack that killed 14 Israelis and injured 50! ("Palestinians see new threat to livelihoods", 10/23/02)

The Society of Professional Journalists says, "Test the accuracy of information from all sources and exercise care to avoid inadvertent error." Yet the Post routinely gives prominence to Palestinian statements that are often inaccurate and neglects or suppresses Israeli statements, which have an excellent record for accuracy. At the time of the first Jenin action, the Post gave headline prominence to the Palestinian claim that hundreds of civilians were "massacred" and paid little attention to Israeli statements that the death toll was around 50. As it turned out, the Israeli report was right on the money. Other examples are:

21.   The Post quotes Arafat blaming Israel for a fire in the Church of the Nativity ("Nazis and racists", he called them), but didn't print Israel's denial. ("Prayer, then a dangerous dash to bells of Bethlehem," 5/2/02)

22.   The targets of the attack are described as " blacksmith and metal workshops ... according to Palestinian witnesses reached by telephone." How would these "witnesses" know what was going on in the shops? Toward the end we read, "A statement issued by the Israeli military described the Gaza targets as ' labs used for making weapons '." Note the use of quotation marks to indicate doubt about the Israeli report. ("Jerusalem hit again by blast." 6/20/02)

23.   The Post states that the Palestinian leader (Barghouti) was tortured, but this is not supported by the referenced web site, which contains only unsubstantiated allegations of Palestinians. ("Israel to put key Palestinian leader on trial," 7/12/02)

24.   The Post says that children were killed by "ordnance left by Israeli army troops, " based on "Palestinian media reports," despite the fact that similar injuries have resulted in the past from Palestinian booby traps set to blow up Israeli soldiers. (Israeli troops do not generally set and leave unexploded ordnance.) Why not just say, as did the Associated Press, "Palestinian security officials said they picked up an explosive, and it went off?" ("3 civilians die in Tel Aviv bombing," 7/18/02)

25.   The statement "Hospital officials... scoffed at Israeli army claims that only armed militants were targeted" is unjustified. Hospital officials would be in no position to know this. ("Israelis Hunt for Militants in Nablus", 8/3/02) The Post often cites hospital personnel to support facts they didn't witness and of which they couldn't possibly have personal knowledge.

26.   This article reports as fact statements from a telephone interview with the mayor, who was not at the scene, but presumably spoke to people who were, or possibly to people who spoke to people who were. This stretches the unreliability of "witnesses" to the breaking point. ("Palestinian kills an Israeli, is shot dead in gun battle," 8/11/02)

27.  Arabs are quoted saying that Israel really doesn't care about the diverted water but is just angry it wasn't asked. How would they know? ("River runs through Mideast dispute," 10/2/02)

28.   The Post uses quotations marks around terms like "terrorist infrastructure" and "most-wanted list" as if to question Israeli statements, but accepts at face value Palestinian terms like "military wing" to describe terrorist cells that bear little resemblance to a military force. ("Epicenter of Danger and Despair," 10/7/02)

29.   In the first paragraph the Israeli strike is said to be "on a residential street that neighbors said was crowded with people who had left their homes following an incursion by Israeli tanks." Only later do we read that the street contained "militants who were firing at Israeli troops and tanks." ("Israeli raids leave 13 dead in Gaza," 10/8/02)

The photograph is the primary visual entry point into an article. The headline is the secondary visual entry point. Many people see only the photos and headlines. This is why the Society of Professional Journalists says, "Make certain that headlines, news teases and promotional material, photos… do not misrepresent. They should not oversimplify or highlight incidents out of context." The Post habitually chooses headlines and photos that depict the worst of the Palestinian "suffering" and the worst interpretation of Israeli actions, regardless of the content of the article itself.

30.   The subheadline implies that Israel is expanding into Palestinian land; in fact the land is to be used for a temporary security fence. ("Israel stepping up seizures of Palestinian land," 6/4/02)

31.  The headline mentions only Palestinian peace efforts and ignores Israeli efforts described in the article. ("Arafat offers plan to fix his security apparatus; Egyptian leader to push Mideast effort," 6/5/02)

32.   A photo of Jews mourning 17 civilians killed by terrorists is paired with a photo of a Palestinian funeral for an armed "bodyguard" killed by Israeli soldiers, as if to suggest that the two actions are comparable. (6/7/02)

33.   The headline, incredibly, ignores the death of six Israelis in a terrorist attack, including a mother and three children, to focus on physical damage caused by Israeli troops. ("At hospital in Jenin, A military operation," 6/21/02)

34.   The quotation marks around 'error' in the headline suggest that it wasn't really an error (i.e., the soldiers wanted to kill those children. (In a similar headline about a US action in Afghanistan there were no quotes around the word "error" - they wouldn't dare.) Also note the usual headline emphasis on Palestinian children killed accidentally. ("Israel Shells Market in West Bank; Three Children Among Dead; Tank Fire Called 'Error'," 6/22/02)

35.   This continuation headline gives a distorted view of what happened by failing to note that this was a violent mob, and by the use of the active voice implies Israeli troops deliberately killed the boy. ("Israeli Army Kills 6-Year-Old Boy in Jenin Camp," 6/27/02)

36.   This headline paints a false picture of the incident. While the provocation was never reported, the vehicle was a family car not being used at the time as a taxi, and the incident occurred while the people in the car were at a checkpoint at 6 AM, and not on the open road or on a city street. ("Palestinian woman, child killed while riding in taxi," 7/7/02)

37.   The photo of three happy, smiling Israeli children is not appropriate to the tenor of this article and undermines its message. ("Anxieties make a long summer for Israeli youth," 7/14/02)

38.   Only 3 of the 18 paragraphs are about Israel's deportation proposal. The headline focused on the worst aspect from the Israeli point of view. ("U.S. faults Israeli deportation proposal," 7/20/02)

39.   The headline conceals the fact that seven people were killed by a Palestinian bomb, ignoring the Israeli deaths in favor of including only the American deaths. The front-page photos show only injured victims being helped by rescue workers, and the inside photo showed (as usual) Palestinian suspects detained at gunpoint. The same wire service in publications other than The Post provided photos showing the victims in body bags and Palestinians celebrating the bombing in Gaza, but the Post chose not to use these photos. ("3 Americans killed in Jerusalem," 8/1/02)

40.   The headline substitutes the word "proof" for "evidence," thereby leaving room for doubt, when, in fact, the findings being reported were that there was no evidence . Also the headline cites only violations by Israel, while the article itself cites both sides equally. ("U.N. finds no proof of massacre in Jenin report; Palestinians were denied aid," 8/2/02)

41.  The photo caption reads "Israeli soldiers guard a group of Palestinian detainees in... Nablus, where the army said it found two explosive laboratories." Again the Post's photo shows Palestinians under guard, and again the Israeli version is implicitly questioned ("the army said"). ("Israelis hunt for militants in Nablus," 8/3/02)

42.   The headline fails to reveal that this was a terrorism related incident and could just as easily have been reporting an argument between the Palestinian and the Israeli who shot him. Better would be, "Terrorist shoots Israeli couple in car, is killed by soldiers in shootout". ("Palestinian kills an Israeli, is shot dead in gun battle," 8/11/02)

43.   The Post again gives headline space to Palestinian women and children casualties, even when it is not germane to the main story. ("Israeli Tanks Kill 4 In an Attack in Gaza; Palestinian Woman, Sons Among Victims," 8/29/02)

44.   Front page color photo shows Israeli soldiers blindfolding Palestinians arrested near Arafat's compound. It does not show body bags or the horror in Tel Aviv, but instead shows a policing scene far away in Ramallah. ("Suicide Bombing Kills 5 in Tel Aviv," 9/20/02)

45.   Note the inappropriate, inaccurate and pejorative word "storms" in The Post headline, while other major media outlets do not use similar such terminology in their headlines. Cf. Boston Globe ("Israelis move on to Hebron"), ABC News ("Israel Retakes Hebron After Killings"), CBS News ("Israeli Army Retakes Hebron"), Washington Times ("Israeli troops retake Hebron after Massacre"). ("Israel Storms Into Hebron After Attack," 11/17/02)

The Washington Post's code says: "No story is fair if it omits facts of major importance or significance. Fairness includes completeness... The newspaper shall tell ALL the truth so far as it can learn it, concerning the important affairs of America and the world." Yet relevant facts and statements that would add justification or sense to Israeli actions are often omitted, or buried so deep in the article that the damage has been done. This is especially egregious when items are deleted from wire services dispatches.

46.   The suicide bomber attack of yesterday isn't even mentioned. While finally admitting that only 52-54 Palestinians (mostly gunmen) were killed in Jenin, the 30 Israeli soldiers killed are not even mentioned. ("Unnoticed Nablus may have taken West Bank's worst hit," 5/21/02)

47.   The Post deleted from this AP dispatch the fact that the 2 Palestinians killed were moving toward the border in a prohibited zone from which 7 attacks were launched in the past month. Also deleted was the arrest of a 16-year-old Palestinian with explosives strapped to his waist. ("Israeli troops kill 2 at Gaza strip farm," 5/26/02)

48.   In reporting that Israeli troops blew up a terrorist's house, the Post didn't mention that family members were first ordered to leave. (6/1/02)

49.   The finding of bomb-making workshops in Nablus and other facts about the terrorist operation were deleted from this AP report. ("Israel searches West Bank for militants", 6/2/02)

50.   In an AP dispatch about an Israeli incursion in Ramallah, the Post deleted the report that an explosives lab was found in Arafat's elite Palestinian police unit. (6/12/02)

51.   In this favorable report of Arafat's espousal of peace, there was no mention that an explosives lab was found two days earlier in his police headquarters. (6/14/02)

52.   While dutifully reporting Arafat's denial of "blame" for an attack, The Post did not point out that he had been accused by Israel of failure to prevent the attack, and not necessarily of being behind it. Also, note the word "retaliation". ("Bus bomb kills 20 in Jerusalem: Israelis begin retaliation", 6/19/02)

53.   In describing the destruction of a safe by Israeli soldiers, no reason was given or even speculated, leaving the impression that Israeli soldiers were merely on a rampage. ("At hospital in Jenin, a military operation", 6/21/02)

54.   The fact that the "shelling" was actually the firing of warning shots (accurately reported by the NY Times News Service but not The Post) was not stated. ("Israel shells market in West Bank," 6/22/02)

55.   When quoting a Palestinian mother's understandable expressions of grief, it should have been explained that there is a difference between the deliberate killing of women and children and attacks on those responsible. ("A mother's blessing to kill and be killed," 6/25/02)

56.   The fact that the boy was part of a large, violent mob was omitted. ("Israeli army kills 6-year-old boy in Jenin camp", 6/27/02)

57.  The article mentions only Pres. Bush's "complaint" that Arafat has on occasion endorsed terrorism, without any mention of the ample evidence that actually exists. ("Palestinians pledge January elections and broad reforms," 6/27/02)

58.   The "accusation" by Israel that the Palestinian Authority supports terrorists should have been accompanied by the hard evidence that weapons and bombs were found in their buildings. ("No trace of gunmen amid Hebron rubble", 6/30/02)

59.   In describing how Israeli troops opened fire on a house, the Post failed to say that they first called on the occupants to evacuate. ("Top Hamas fugitive killed in West Bank raid," 7/1/02)

60.   The AP reported that Israeli troops fired at "figures which appeared suspicious" and that the army was investigating the report, but The Post (which has access to AP wires) only quoted Israeli officials saying they had no record of live fire in the area. ("Palestinian woman, child killed while riding in taxi," 7/7/02)

61.   There was no mention that Israel accepted responsibility for this accidental shooting, and that "the soldiers involved will face disciplinary hearings" (accurately reported in NY Times). ("3 Palestinians die in territories," 7/13/02)

62.   The Post describes Barghouti favorably, but does not mention that he is a founder of Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade, a terrorist group responsible for many suicide bombings. ("Many Palestinians want reform, but on their terms," 7/15/02)

63.   The Post omitted the Israeli statement about the Palestinian provocation that started the riot, and that Israel is conducting an investigation (Reuters). ("Gunfire at funeral kills Palestinian girl," 7/29/02)

64.   In rehashing a Palestinian death in a funeral riot, only the Palestinian version is given, with no mention that Palestinians first threw rocks at the funeral procession. Whichever version is true, both should have been given or none. ("West Bank Gunmen Kill Israeli Brothers," 7/31/02)

65.   There was no mention that the reason for the Israeli military incursions and curfews was to capture terrorists while avoiding injuries to Israeli soldiers and Palestinian civilians, leaving readers with the impression that Israel is only trying to harass or imprison civilians. ("Out of patience, Palestinians defy curfew in Nablus," 7/31/02)

66.   The Post attributes the Israeli "crackdown" to only two Palestinian attacks, without mentioning the many others, such as the Passover massacre. ("3 Americans killed in Jerusalem," 8/1/02)

67.   There was no mention that the object of the hunt was "a possible source of the bomb that killed seven people, including five Americans, at Hebrew University" (accurately reported by NY Times news service). ("Israelis hunt for militants in Nablus," 8/3/02)

68.   The Post omitted from this AP dispatch the Israeli statement explaining and defending the operation, and also omitted further news about the victims of the bombing at Hebrew University. ("Israel presses its hunt in Nablus," 8/4/02)

69.   The Post described "the military's right to demolish homes of Palestinians accused of terrorist attacks without giving family members warning" but neglected to say that the warning period requested was 48 hours, giving the impression that there would be no warning at all . ("Israel widens its range of reprisals," 8/7/02)

70.   The Post said Hamas would honor a truce if (among other things) "the refugees can return home," without noting that this is judged an impossible condition by all impartial observers, including former Pres. Clinton. ("Palestinians explore united front," 8/14/02)

71.   The statement that an Israeli army spokesman was checking into the incident was omitted; instead the Post said only "Israeli officials knew of no incident." ("Israeli tanks kill 4 in an attack in Gaza," 8/29/02)

72.   There was no mention that the foiled attack on a Palestinian school by an Israeli was condemned by two settler organizations, although pro forma condemnations by the Palestinian Authority of terrorist acts, even though made for strategic, not humanitarian reasons, are routinely reported. (9/18/02)

73.   The reason for the siege, to obtain the surrender of wanted terrorists inside the compound, was never mentioned. ("Israel ends its siege of Arafat's compound," 9/30/02)

74.   A Palestinian is reported saying, "the Israelis didn't find significant weapons or explosives," but there is no mention that bomb- making workshops were found. Also, the fact that most of the people killed were shooting at the Israeli soldiers is suppressed. ("Israeli raids leave 13 dead in Gaza," 10/8/02)

75.   When stating "15 people killed in an Israeli missile strike on a crowded street," there is no mention that the strike was aimed at gunmen who were shooting at the Israelis. (10/11/02)

When an opinion that is false or highly questionable is stated as fact, the effect is worse than quoting unreliable witnesses.

76.   The statement in this article that Israel's offensive is "not effective" is an opinion that is contradicted by the large number of bombs and weapons that were destroyed. ("Remote-controlled bomb set off aboard truck at Israeli fuel depot," 5/24/02)

77.   The claim that Israeli nuclear arms could "spur a nuclear arms race in the Middle East" is pure conjecture and unsupported by anything in the article. ("Israel has sub-based atomic arms capability," 6/15/02)

78.   The opinion that "the world's great musicians" don't appear in Israel because of "disagreement with Israeli policy" is not supported by even one example in the article. ("On Israel's entertainment scene, regrets only," 6/30/02)

79.   In an AP dispatch, the statement that the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade is "affiliated with" Arafat's Fatah organization was changed by The Post to "spun off from," in an apparent attempt to falsely deny that any connection still exists. ("Car blast kills 2 in Gaza," 7/5/02)

80.   The statements "Bush made little mention of growing Palestinian hardships under military occupation and curfews" and "Bush has rarely criticized the Israeli government or called on it to take specific actions to promote a peace accord" are non-events that serve only to express and highlight the opinions of the reporter. ("Israel faulted on closing of office," 7/11/02)

81.   This article asserts as though it was fact, without support or even attribution, that Barghouti's advocacy of violent resistance began because of "Israel's pattern of breaking… promises," but the effect is to express the reporter's opinion that blame for the resistance is on Israel. ("Israel to put key Palestinian leader on trial," 7/12/02)

82.   The theme of this entire article is the opinion that opposition to Sharon's policy is widespread. In fact, the extremist views expressed in this article are rejected by most Israelis. The moderate views of most Israelis are not even mentioned. ("From left and right, critics assail Sharon's West Bank clampdown," 7/19/02)

83.   The opinion that "the attack... appeared to be the first act of revenge [for] the deaths of 15 people" is contradicted by actual statements from terrorist groups that claimed responsibility for the attack that it was in retaliation for the deaths of the terrorist leader killed in the earlier Israeli attack. Inserting this opinion gave the Post yet another chance to remind its readers of the 15 deaths. ("Rabbi shot to death in West Bank," 7/26/02)

84.   Again the Post describes the killing of an Israeli soldier as retaliation for the much earlier killing of 15 Palestinians in Gaza. This opinion is not supported by the article. ("Gunfire at funeral kills Palestinian girl", 7/29/02)

85.   The article refers to the "22-month uprising against continued occupation." This opinion, which is repeated almost daily by the Post even today, ignores the fact that there was virtually no occupation when the "uprising" began. ("Out of patience, Palestinians defy curfew in Nablus," 7/31/02)

86.   The odious opinion that suicide bombers are a "potent weapon to counter the highly trained and well-equipped Israeli military force" is a complete falsification and a complete reversal of the true history of the violence in the region over the past 2 1/2 years. Israel's military presence and its use of its weaponry in the West Bank began in response to suicide bombings, in an attempt to stop them. Even today Israel's military incursions are readily observable as a response to relentless terrorist activity. In addition, attempting to recast the immorial and murderous suicide bomber, whose activities deliberately target innocent civilians, as a military weapon, is a blatant attempt to deny the immorality of terrorism. ("Suicide bombers change Mideast's military balance," 8/18/02)

87.   "Months of Israeli occupation, killings and arrests have effectively dismantled Palestinian police and militant groups." This is an opinion that neglects the years of complicity between the PA and the terrorist groups. (8/20/02)

88.   The claim that an Israeli response to an attack from Iraq would "add to the angst" is not supported by anything in the article, and is probably not true. ("Israelis Brace For Fallout of Attack by U.S. on Iraq,"  8/23/02)

89.   When saying "the 23-month-old uprising" is against "continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza", the only thing that has changed is the number of months (see #85). The opinion is still contrary to fact. ("Israeli Tanks Kill 4 In an Attack in Gaza," 8/29/02)

Editors may differ on what is newsworthy. What is clear is that other papers publish many items that explain or are favorable to the Israeli viewpoint, and there are very few such items in the Post. When such items do occasionally appear, they are often both late and hidden. Here are some examples (sources given where available):

90.   Israeli soldiers sacrificed their lives (30-some dead) searching house-to-house in Jenin to avoid harming innocent Arabs. Detailed accounts of such efforts to protect Palestinian civilians have been ignored by The Post.

91.   Israel sent "Arab" blood from Jerusalem to Jenin for injured Arabs who had turned down "Jewish" blood.

92.   The trial by the Israeli government of Israeli terrorists (in stark contrast with Palestinian non-action against terrorists) who tried to plant a bomb in a schoolyard was ignored by The Post.

93.   Cash payment by Saddam Hussein of Iraq of $25,000 to families of suicide bombers (Washington Times, 5/31)

94.   Arafat's financial support for gunmen in Bethlehem and for families of "brother commando martyrs" (Washington Times, 5/24)

95.   "Bethlehem church gunmen tasting good life in Gaza" (Baltimore Sun, 5/24)

96.   "Luxurious lives" led by six terrorists jailed under US and British supervision. (Washington Times, 6/4)

97.   Hundreds of terrorist attacks foiled by Israel, e.g., the planned blowing up a car containing 330 pounds of explosives (Washington Times, 6/13)

98.   Announcement that 10 Israeli settlements will be disbanded (AP, 6/30).

99.   Impact of conflict on Israeli Arabs (Washington Times, 6/21)

100.   Palestinian girl received a kidney from a Jewish seminary student killed in a Palestinian suicide bombing (Jerusalem Post).

101.   Israel arrested 24 Palestinians who were responsible for shooting and bombing attacks against Israeli civilians and soldiers.

102.   Arafat refused to provide list of terrorist inside his office during siege. (Ha'Aretz).

103.   Speech about anti-Semitism by President Summers of Harvard University.

104.   Alan Dershowitz's article, including, e.g., "Israel has shown extraordinary concern for avoiding civilian casualties in its half- century effort to protect its civilians from terrorism. Jordan killed more Palestinians in a single month than Israel has between 1948 and the present."

105.   The teaching of terrorism in Palestinian schools ("the evil of teaching children to kill other children") (Jerusalem Post, 10/2)

106.   Role of Arab and international organizations in the poverty and deprivation found in Palestinian "refugee camps"

107.   Explanation that curfews, checkpoints and tank patrols by the Israeli army are meant to curb the loss of innocent Palestinian lives by isolating the terrorist groups from civilian populations.

108.   Interview with head of Israeli Press Office that included the statement, "the offices of the foreign networks in Jerusalem are compelled to hire Palestinian directors and producers. Those people determine what is broadcast." He also said that a Post correspondent was boycotted by the GPO because of "inaccurate reporting, to understate things. (The Post foreign editor denies this last item, but it has been confirmed.)

109.   Interview with a military commander about the 10/11 Gaza attack that included, e.g., "The Palestinians began shooting using light weapons, anti-tank rockets and grenades. The soldiers returned accurate fire toward the source of Palestinian gunfire" (Jerusalem Post 10/18)

110.   The fact that Israeli troops are protecting Palestinian olive growers (Washington Times, 10/24). Ironically, the Post published an article that repeated old charges of harassment by soldiers the day after the announcement was made, which fact has been ignored by the Post. In addition, The Post failed to report that Palestinian olive groves have repeatedly been used by terrorists as a cover to sneak up to settlements while committing terrorist attacks.


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