In a survey of seventeen of papers across the United States, PMWatch has discovered the following:

• Out of the 16 papers surveyed, only one paper, the Seattle Times, showed a front-page picture of the attack
• Out of the 16, only 8 ran a front-page story on the shelling
• Of the 8 that ran a front page of the story, 4 reported as a matter of fact that the shelling was "a mistake", even before any investigation was opened (see article below), while the other four qualified the claim to the action being a mistake was a claim from the IDF and not a simple fact.

Given that almost every suicide bombing that takes place is granted the front page; that almost invariably the story is accompanied with a picture of the destruction and/or of Israeli victims; that the headlines are straighforward (we never read something like, "Suicide bombing rocks Israel, Palestinian Authority condemns bombing"), the way the brutal killing and wounding of Palestinian children and civilians by a wanton and at best callous Israeli army in broad daylight at a busy marketplace was treated by the US press, is a vivid reminder that there are indeed well-entrenched double-standards at play in how Israeli victims are covered and how Palestinian victims are covered.

For another egregious example of double standards in the treatement of Palestinian and Israeli victims, please visit: http://www.pmwatch.org/pmw/cast/cnnbias.asp

Palestine Media Watch
http://www.pmwatch.org

• (1) Was there a picture depicting the result of the Jenin market shelling?
• (2) If so, was the picture above fold?
• (3) If there was a picture, what was the caption?
• (4) Was there a front-page story dedicated to the shelling?
• (5) If so, what was the font-page headline?
• (6) And was it above the fold?

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?pagename=JPost/A/JPArticle/Full&cid=1023716535214
Jun. 23, 2002
IDF to probe killing of 3 children in Jenin
By ARIEH O'SULLIVAN


The IDF said its troops mistakenly opened fire on the
Jenin marketplace during a curfew on Friday, killing
four Palestinians, including three children, and
wounding dozens. 

The incident drew comment from the White House and
Defense Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer demanded the
army investigate the matter. 

Palestinian residents of Jenin said there had been
rumors the IDF had lifted a three-day curfew and
residents rushed to the marketplace to buy supplies.
The rumors had spread by word of mouth and not due to
any announcement by the IDF. It was not clear how the
rumors started. 

At the same time, soldiers were conducting
house-to-house searches for terrorists and bomb
factories. 

In a statement, the IDF Spokesman said that troops
detected a group of Palestinians breaching the curfew
and heading toward them. 

According to the IDF, a tank accompanying the troops
fired two warning shots aimed at dispersing the group,
but one of them exploded near the Palestinians,
killing three and wounding 10. 

"An initial inquiry indicates that the force erred in
its action," the army said, adding that the
investigation was continuing. Unlike previous tragic
incidents, the IDF stopped short of apologizing or
expressing regret for the incident.
Palestinian reports said four people were killed and
24 wounded. Jenin hospitals identified the dead as
Ahmed Ghazawi, six, and his 12-year-old brother Jamil,
as well as Sajedah Famahwi, six, and Helal Shetta, a
school teacher, about 50. The Ghazawi brothers were
killed by tank shells; Sajedah and Shetta died from
gunshots, doctors said. Many children were among the
24 people wounded, hospital officials said. 

Ben-Eliezer issued a statement yesterday expressing
his regret for the deaths of innocent Palestinians in
Jenin from IDF fire. He instructed the army to
investigate the incident and pass on to him the
results of the inquiry and recommendations as soon as
possible. 

Yusef Ghazawi, father of Ahmed and Jamil, said his
children went outside to ride their bicycles and were
near his home. "I heard an explosion. I didn't think
that it was my children and I didn't go out
immediately," he said, crying. 

About 10 minutes later, he went outside and was told
his children were hurt. "I went to the hospital and
was told they were killed," Ghazawi told AP. 

Palestinian residents and security and hospital
officials said tanks fired shells and soldiers fired
with machine guns in three separate areas: two market
streets and a nearby neighborhood. 

Muhammad Abdullah, 63, said he went to buy medicine
for his back when he'd heard the curfew was lifted.
Near the market, he saw a nearby tank fire then spin
its turret his way. "Just as I moved back, I heard a
shell hit the second floor of a nearby house," said
Abdullah, who was hit by shrapnel in his leg and hand.


In Washington, US State Department spokesman Richard
Boucher said, "We would expect the Israelis to look
into this kind of tragic incident."