From: Ali Abunimah
To: morning@npr.org
Subject: Selective reporting of violence

May 23, 2001

Dear NPR News,

The West Bank and Gaza Strip "were quiet in the hours after Israel announced it would stop firing" at Palestinians "except when soldiers lives are in danger," reported Linda Gradstein in the 7.30 AM Eastern time newscast.

Several news agency reported that according to Palestinian officials Israeli tanks have once again entered ostensibly "Palestinian-controlled" areas of the occupied Gaza Strip this morning, firing on a Palestinian police post and destroying olive groves near Karni/Mintar crossing and in two other areas. Al-Jazira showed film of speeding tanks and of an armored bulldozer destroying trees. The Israeli occupation forces are reportedly "checking the reports," the usual prelude to issuing their own version of the events. No shooting was reported from Palestinians prior to the Israeli incursion and shelling. Why did Gradstein make no mention of these reports?

The Al-Jazira correspondent reported that today Israeli forces shelled Rafah refugee camp, and that the Israeli army says that two settlers were injured in an attack south of Nablus in the occupied West Bank. This hardly consititutes "quiet" nor is it consistent with Israeli claims of a "unilateral Israeli ceasefire."

Also yesterday [May 22] at the end of her report on Morning Edition about U.S. calls for a "ceasefire," Gradstein stated:

"At least so far, there's no change on the ground. Today, [May 22] Palestinians fired mortars at Israel. Yesterday, [May 21] several Israelis were injured in a five-hour firefight when Palestinians from Beit Jala shot at the outskirts of Jerusalem. Israel responded with heavy firepower."

This was an astonishingly selective summary of the violence on the ground which portrays all violence as having been initiated by Palestinians, and all Israeli violence as having been merely "in response." Why did Gradstein not mention that on May 22, occupation force tanks reportedly made no fewer than five new incursions into ostensibly "Palestinian-controlled areas of the occupied Gaza Strip, destroying farmland near Qarara, Deir al-Balah and Rafah?

Why did Gradstein not mention that on May 21, two Palestinian men were shot dead by Israeli occupation forces near Jabalya refugee camp in the occupied Gaza Strip? This was reported by all the major news agencies and the BBC. Also, on May 21, occupation force helicopter gunships machine-gunned and rocketed several areas throughout the occupied territories injuring a number of Palestinians. A civilian was reported injuried when a tank shell hit his home. Also on May 22 a 23-year -old Palestinian member of Fatah died of a gunshot wound to the head that he had received from Israeli occupation forces the previous Friday.

Obviously not everything can be included in a summary, but the need for brevity is no excuse for such selectivity.

Sincerely,

Ali Abunimah
http://www.abunimah.org