Letter: Poor headline on West Bank story
Palestinian youths clash with Israeli security forces on Oct. 12, 2015 in Bet-El, West Bank. Credit: Getty Images / Ilia Yefimovich
An Associated Press news article in Oct. 18's Newsday began, "Palestinian assailants carried out five stabbing attacks in Jerusalem and the West Bank yesterday, authorities said, as a monthlong outburst of violence showed no signs of abating. At least four assailants were killed."
The article's headline read, "4 Palestinians killed in unrest."
Where in the headline is it mentioned that the four Palestinians were killed in the act of attacking and stabbing innocent Israelis? This headline is the worst kind of misleading journalism. The headline is an outrage, and it is often the only part of the article that is read.
The Palestinians who were killed were not peaceful protesters or innocent bystanders. They were terrorists, even if they were first-time teenage terrorists.
The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is a mess, and both sides continue to act badly at times, to say the least. But the media do not foster intelligent public discourse through this kind of coverage.
Lawrence Israeloff, Melville
