Israel/Palestine Sexual Violence reported inversely by the NYT

Upside-Down Coverage of Israel/Palestine Sexual Violence 

 

As investigations by the UN (5/17/24)

and human rights groups (B’Tselem,

8/24) have made clear, there is

credible evidence of various forms

of sexual violence committed during

the Gaza crisis by both Palestinians

and Israelis. But there is not evidence

that Hamas “weaponized sexual

violence on October 7,” as the New

York Times (12/28/23) has claimed—

while there is evidence that the

sexual violence Israel is committing

is systematic and widespread (FAIR.

org, 10/7/24).  

 

That’s a contrast Times readers

would almost certainly be quite

surprised to learn, given the paper’s

unbalanced coverage. A FAIR study

(10/7/24) found that of the 195 Times

pieces published in the first 11 months

of the crisis that mentioned sexual

violence, 81% named Palestinians as

perpetrators, while only 25% named

Israelis as perpetrators. (Six percent

named both.) 

 

Times articles were also less direct

and explicit when reporting about Is

raeli-perpetrated sexual violence. Out

of the 76 articles that used the term

“sexual violence”—a term that carries

weight under international law, as

a crime against humanity—96%

of them referenced Palestinians as

perpetrators and only 12% mentioned

Israelis.

Extra! 

The Newsletter of FAIR—The Media Watch Group November 2024