From: Ali Abunimah
To: morning@npr.org, ombudsman@npr.org
Subject: one-sided reports leave out Israeli attacks

April 19, 2001

Dear NPR News,

Last night Israeli tanks shelled the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, the town of Beit Jala and several refugee camps including 'Azza camp in the occupied West Bank. The Al-Jazira television network showed extensive damage to private homes, and in one scene a boy of about 10-years old showed off the remnants of an Israeli shell casing that had crashed into his bedroom leaving a one-foot wide hole in the wall. An elderly Christian woman spoke of the terror of the night before.

Yet, Bob Edwards and Jennifer Ludden's Q&A on Morning Edition today made no mention of any of this, and once again focussed on mortars fired by Palestinians against Israeli settlements and a farm in or near the occupied Gaza Strip. The only Israeli violence that Ludden mentioned was Israeli tank fire in "retaliation" for the mortars. The Israeli fire, according to Ludden injured one man, reportedly a member of Hamas.

The mortar attacks appear to be big news because they threaten Israelis, even though they have caused no damage or injuries. Every single day Palestinian neighborhoods in Hebron, Bethlehem, and all over Gaza are subject to heavy bombardment, something that NPR has almost completely stopped reporting. Because the Israel's make a fuss about the mortars, NPR does. If NPR treated Israel'sheavy shelling of Palestinian towns the same way it treats the mortar attacks, you would be reporting a very different and I dare say much more accurate picture. Over the past two days at least five Palestinians, three of them children, have been killed by Israeli occupation forces. Dozens of people have been injured by Israeli fire. NPR has not reported any of this.

An American friend of mine currently visiting the occupied West Bank sent me this brief email today which reflects a reality that listeners of NPR have no access to because of the consistent failure to report on violence against Palestinians:

"I saw the Abu Sneineh section of Khalil [Hebron], under constant attack by settlers and soldiers, as well as met the parents of a 15 year [old] martyr in Beit Ommar. Then to Khader, to view bombardment damage and meet some babies hit by bullets. Also looked at the damage in Beit Sahour....Travelling here is nearly impossible. One needs to go 30 miles out of the way to get somewhere constantly."

In addition to continuing attacks on Palestinian refugee camps and neighborhoods, Israel today prevented the top UN refugee official for Palestinians, Peter Hansen, from carrying out a visit to inspect the Israeli wrought destruction in Khan Yunis and Rafah refugee camps. Hansen was eventually allowed to carry out his visit after high level diplomacy. UNRWA officials are supposed to have absolute freedom of movement in the occupied territories in order to carry out their duties.

I have yet to receive any explanation for NPR's decision to only report on violence against Israelis, and to mention Israeli violence that can be presented as "retaliation," though I am waiting patiently and ready to consider anything you might have to say on the matter.

Sincerely, Ali Abunimah
http://www.abunimah.org