Abdallah Fayyad on Covering Palestine and Israel Re: Orient

Abdallah Fayyad (@abdallah_fayyad) wrote a series of editorials for The Boston Globe that made him a Pulitzer Prize finalist.

We spoke to him a few months ago about the two-year anniversary of an open-letter criticizing Western media coverage of Palestine. In light of the recent news, we invited Abdallah for another interview. Here's that discussion.

Links to articles referenced in the episode:


AMEJA's statement on treatment of journalists covering Palestine and Israel: https://x.com/AMEJA/status/1716599822537695594?s=20
AMEJA's media guide on covering Israel and Palestine: https://www.ameja.org/Media-Resource-Guide-for-Palestine-Israel
Recap of events: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2023/10/17/israel-hamas-war-reason-explained-gaza/
More background: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/gaza-strip-controls-s-know-rcna119405
An opinion piece Abdallah wrote shortly after Hamas' recent attack and Israel's response: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/11/opinion/israel-occupation-gaza-violence-cycle/
The open letter: https://medialetterpalestine.medium.com/an-open-letter-on-u-s-media-coverage-of-palestine-d51cad42022d
Examples of Western media's coverage on Palestine: https://www.thenation.com/article/world/us-media-treats-palestinian-lives-as-expendable/
Related: https://www.newarab.com/news/cnn-journalist-apologises-claiming-hamas-beheaded-babies
Related: https://www.pbs.org/newshour/world/journalists-in-gaza-struggle-with-safety-survival-while-reporting-on-the-ground
On Shireen Abu Akleh: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/16/israeli-forces-killed-abu-akleh-without-justification-un-inquiry-says
Related: https://open.spotify.com/episode/52C0FnQgsgHOYA8WrKHKvJ?si=2129d3a650f742aa
AP style entry on Palestine: https://www.apstylebook.com/topical_most_recent
Reference to New York Times coverage: ⁠https://www.nytimes.com/2023/10/07/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-attack.html⁠
Reference to Reuters article: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/israeli-forces-clash-with-hamas-gunmen-after-hundreds-killed-2023-10-08/
Another reference to Reuters coverage: ⁠https://www.reuters.com/graphics/ISRAEL-PALESTINIANS/MASSACRES/zgporzedjvd/⁠
On the unverified reports of beheadings: https://www.factcheck.org/2023/10/what-we-know-about-three-widespread-israel-hamas-war-claims/
Related: https://theintercept.com/2023/10/11/israel-hamas-disinformation/
Related: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/10/12/white-house-walks-back-bidens-claim-he-saw-children-beheaded-by-hamas
On the incendiary rhetoric being used: https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/israel-palestine-war-extremist-incendiary-language-rhetoric
Related: https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/10/12/israel-congress-hamas-war/


On 'apartheid': https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2022/02/israels-apartheid-against-palestinians-a-cruel-system-of-domination-and-a-crime-against-humanity/
Related: https://www.hrw.org/report/2021/04/27/threshold-crossed/israeli-authorities-and-crimes-apartheid-and-persecution
Related: https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2022/03/israels-55-year-occupation-palestinian-territory-apartheid-un-human-rights
Related: https://www.btselem.org/publications/fulltext/202101_this_is_apartheid
Another link to the opinion piece Abdallah wrote shortly after Hamas' recent attack and Israel's response: https://www.bostonglobe.com/2023/10/11/opinion
Another link to AMEJA's media guide on covering Israel and Palestine: https://www.ameja.org/Media-Resource-Guide-for-Palestine-Israel