Responsible news coverage should have conveyed the disputed nature of the two unfortunate incidents. Yet while most media outlets were careful to express the US position prominently in the headline and opening sentence, that same balance was denied to Israel. The effect ― a worldwide suggestion that the IDF deliberately murdered innocent Palestinian protestors. Some examples:

Washington Post	Iraq - US position presented  in headline, first sentence (see full article)	Gaza - Israeli position presented  in third paragraph. (see full article)
Headline	"... Target Disputed"	"Israeli Attack on Gaza Protest Kills at Least 12"
First sentence	"...striking what ... U.S. officials called a way station for foreign infiltrators."	"An Israeli helicopter gunship and a tank fired rockets and artillery shells at Palestinian protesters..."

Comments to: letters@washpost.com

LA Times	Iraq - US position presented  in headline, first sentence (see full article)	Gaza - Israeli position presented  in twenty-ninth paragraph (see full article)
Headline	"Military says it hit a militant safe house"	N/A
First sentence	" ...what the U.S. said was a suspected safe house for foreign fighters."	"Israeli forces fired a missile and tank shells toward a large crowd of Palestinian demonstrators..."

 

Comments to: letters@latimes.com

BBC	Iraq - US position presented  in headline, first sentence (see full article)	Gaza - Israeli position presented  in eighth paragraph. (see full article)
Headline	"US Denies Bombing Wedding Party"	"Israelis Fire on Crowds in Gaza"
First sentence	"The US military has denied allegations that its forces in Iraq killed dozens of people celebrating a marriage..."	"Israeli troops have opened fire during a protest by Palestinian demonstrators..."

 

Comments to: newsonline@bbc.co.uk
 

Reuters	Iraq - US position presented  in headline, second sentence (see full article)	Gaza - Israeli position presented  in fifth paragraph. (see full article)
Headline	"US Army Disputes Reports it Killed Civilians"	"Israeli Forces Fire on Crowd in Gaza, Killing 10"
Opening 2 sentences	"... targeted 'a suspected foreign fighter safe house'"	"Israeli tanks and helicopters fired toward protesters in a Palestinian refugee camp Wednesday..."

 

Comments to: editor@reuters.com
 

Comments to: contact@afp.com

Moreover, other reports from the Evening Standard, the Independent, AFP, Associated Press, and Reuters failed to convey the actual IDF version of events at all.

And some media outlets immediately inflated the casualties:

• Ireland On-Line: 'Israeli missile strikes kill 23 civilians in Gaza'
• Voice of America: 'Israeli Forces Fire On Gaza Protesters, at Least 23 Dead '

After the 2002 Jenin experience, one would have thought journalists would have learned that part of the Palestinian strategy in this war is to disseminate false claims of Israeli 'massacres.' This, in the hope the falsities will make international headlines.

 *  *  *

Since media reports downplayed or omitted the Israeli version of Wednesday's events, HonestReporting provides here the text of the official IDF statement, alongside a helpful aerial photograph:

IDF SPOKESPERSON'S ANNOUNCEMENT

Today's incident in Rafah is a very grave incident and the IDF expresses deep sorrow over the loss of civilian lives.

At no point in this incident was intentional fire opened in the direction of civilians.

A large procession of several hundreds demonstrators, among them gunmen, organized by the Palestinian Authority, left central Rafah along the main road towards IDF forces in Tel-Sultan.

As the crowd, with the gunmen among them, drew near IDF forces, a warning fire of a single missile was fired from a helicopter into an open area, not towards the demonstrators. In addition, flares were fired in the air to deter the crowd and to prevent endangering the demonstrators.

As this did not deter the crowd and they continued to converge on the troops, machine gun fire was opened towards a wall of an abandoned structure along the side of the road and then four tank shells were fired at this abandoned structure. It is possible that the causalities were a result of the tank fire on the abandoned structure.

The details of the incident continue to be investigated. It should be mentioned that the scene of the incident is an area of combat and an area of frequent exchanges of fire. The road has been rigged with explosive charges planted by the Palestinians. The IDF has not yet cleared the road of these explosives. At this stage it is difficult to determine the cause of the civilian casualties.

The incident is being investigated thoroughly at this time. The IDF has approached the Palestinians and offered medical assistance, including the evacuation of the casualties to Israeli hospitals.

*  *  *

Two items support the IDF statement, yet received very little media attention:

●  The New York Times stated that "a reporter who was present, but not at the front of the march, saw two young men with semiautomatic rifles at the start of the route."

●  On Tuesday (May 18), Palestinians accused Israel of killing 2 young children, but it soon came to light that the children were actually killed by a bomb planted irresponsibly by local terrorists. It is altogether possible that a similar bomb caused Wednesday's disaster.

*  *  *

Did your local paper fail to prominently indicate the Israeli version of Wednesday's event ― thereby suggesting the IDF deliberately fired upon innocents?

Meanwhile, did the paper grant US military spokesmen the very balance Israel was denied?

HonestReporting encourages you to write a letter to the editor, pointing out any unfair coverage of the Rafah event, and the double standard applied to Israeli vs. American military acts.

As the investigation of the Rafah incident continues, media outlets should continue to provide both sides of the story.