The Samer Issawi Test
Released Palestinian prisoner Samer Issawi is an important test case for journalists. His hunger strike continues to garner news coverage. His conviction for multiple attempts of murder, not so much.
Palestinian Prisoners
Who are the 26 Palestinian Prisoners Being Released and Their Victims?
The 26 Palestinian terrorists slated to be released soon, the first of over 100 prisoners being released as a "goodwill gesture" to bring the Palestinians to the negotiating table, are almost all murderers of civilians. Pre-Oslo Prisoners and Their Crimes
To understand the sensitivity of the debate over Israel's decision to release convicted Palestinian terrorists, one must know who these prisoners are and what crimes they committed. CAMERA provides a list. Ha’aretz’s Laor in Denial on Prisoner Releases
Ha'aretz's Yitzhak Laor takes a page out of Gideon Levy's book and stubbornly denies the release of thousands of Palestinian prisoners in recent decades. Department of Corrections calls. What the Media Won’t Tell You About Palestinian Prisoners
All too often, mainstream media outlets whitewash the violent acts of Palestinian prisoners. Calling those incarcerated since before 1994 "political prisoners" is an egregious cover up of their brutal crimes, detailed here for the first time. Updated: Neglected Facts About Hunger-Striking Samer Issawi
Media interest in Palestinian hunger-striker Samer Issawi intensifies, albeit selectively. Ha'aretz publishes an enormous photograph of Issawi, but doesn't include even half a sentence about his indictment for attempted murder and other violence. Ethan Bronner and Facts Too Good to Check
According to a report by Ethan Bronner of the New York Times, Israel imprisoned a Palestinian child merely for "throwing stones and hanging Palestinian flags from telephone poles." In fact the teenager in question was convicted for attempted murder and possession of explosives. Washington Post Airbrushes Exchanged Palestinian Prisoners
The Washington Post prides itself on reporting news in depth, not merely transcribing what sources say. But when it followed up Palestinian terrorists exchanged for Sgt. Gilad Shalit, The Post's depth was shallow. The Devil Lies in Details Washington Post Omits
Compare The Washington Post's coverage of the Gilad Shalit/Hamas prisoner exchange to that of The Los Angeles Times. The Post stenographically copies Palestinian language -- "resistance," "military wing" and avoids telling details of Palestinian terrorism. The Los Angeles Times does better. UPDATED: New York Times Allows Hamas to Tell Story of Shalit’s Detention
The New York Times quotes a Hamas spokesperson claiming Gilad Shalit, unlike Palestinian prisoners in Israel, was treated well. Unmentioned is that the conditions of Shalit's detention voilated international law.