Coverage of Border Deaths in Israel, US, Spain Beyond the Pale

On Monday, a Jordanian citizen of Palestinian descent arrived at the Jordanian-Israeli border, attacked an Israeli soldier, and tried to steal his gun before being fatally shot, according to a preliminary Israeli investigation into the clash.

The attacker worked as judge in Jordan, a fact that’s well-known because, at least judging by a New York Times headline about the incident, his profession is more important to the story than his alleged assault on the border guard. “Jordanian Judge Killed by Israeli Soldiers at Border Crossing,” the newspaper titled its 582-word, page 7 story.

Regardless of the attacker’s line of work and its peculiar prominence in the New York Times headline, the story is certainly newsworthy. But is it more important than the story of a 16-year-old Mexican boy shot repeatedly in the back by a US border agent? Is it more compelling than the story of 15 Africans swimming toward the Spanish border who drowned as border guards fired in their direction with rubber bullets?

continue reading this column at The Times of Israel by clicking here.

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