The Media Accountability Project  

"When describing the 'near-nightly arrest raids,' it should be noted that these are often deadly and violent military invasions. This year, at least 29 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces during these raids, including five children. These raids often involve excessive use of force, including the use of live ammunition, which violates international law and can result in unnecessary loss of life. The article only briefly mentions that 'youths protesting the incursions... have also been killed.' It is important to acknowledge and be specific that the violence committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians includes numerous children."

The use of the term “attackers” in the headline is misleading. According to the Israeli parliament’s press release, the new law applies to Palestinians who are convicted of an offense that “constitutes a breach of trust to the State of Israel.” As reported by the Times of Israel, the law applies to Palestinians who have been “incarcerated following a conviction for terror, aiding terror, harming Israeli sovereignty, inciting war, or aiding an enemy during wartime.” Many of these requirements are vague and could potentially encapsulate many Palestinian citizens of Israel convicted of a variety of offences, and not necessarily for violent attacks on Israel. Therefore, referring to them as “attackers” minimizes the potentially harmful implications of this new law.

"Overall, the article does a fine job at providing context for the recent rise in tensions and violence in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Jerusalem. However, I would like to draw your attention to two significant issues.

First, the article mentions that Hamas “rules the Gaza strip.” Referring to Gaza only as “the Gaza strip” obscures the fact that Gaza is militarily-occupied territory according to international law. In doing so, the article fails to adequately describe the oppressive situation that Palestinians in Gaza face, and does not properly capture the severe restrictions as a result of Israel’s 15 year-long illegal blockade and siege.[1] The Arab and Middle Eastern Journalists Association (AMEJA) encourages journalists to avoid the language of “Hamas-controlled” or “Hamas-ruled” for this same reason, as it minimizes Israel’s control as an occupying power.[2]"