Always include Palestinian voices.

Palestinians should have a voice in any story that involves them, whether it is political or cultural. It’s important to interview and quote a spectrum of Palestinians, including human rights defenders, political analysts, and ordinary people, not just officials.

Include the context of Israeli military occupation and apartheid.

Palestinians live under brutal, repressive Israeli conditions. Palestinians in occupied territory including the West Bank and Gaza live under Israeli military control, and all Palestinians in Israel and the occupied territories are subjected to Israel's apartheid system. Coverage should recognize this power imbalance. This is not a “conflict” between states, but rather an illegal occupation forced by Israel, which has one of the most advanced militaries in the world subsidized by billions in U.S. tax dollars and American-made weapons, onto Palestinians, who have no formal armed forces.

Cite international law and human rights organizations.

Israel violates international law regularly, including in its genocide and blockade of Gaza, through the expansion of settlements on occupied Palestinian land, and destruction and theft of Palestinian homes. The United Nations, Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch and many human rights groups have repeatedly condemned these actions. These are indisputable facts, not opinions. Avoid saying things like “Palestinians consider X illegal, but Israel argues it’s not."

Value and humanize Palestinian lives. 

In the same way Palestinian voices are frequently left out of stories that involve them, there is often a double standard in media coverage when it comes to valuing and humanizing the lives of Israelis more than Palestinians. Coverage of Israelis who are killed frequently includes stories describing their lives and who they were, while Palestinians who are killed are usually reported as numbers, if at all. Treat Palestinian lives with the same dignity, respect, and care that you treat all other lives.

Don’t call Israel a democracy when it rules over Palestinians without granting them rights.

Israel controls the entire area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea and the lives of all people who live there. It systematically discriminates against and dispossesses Palestinians whether they live in the West Bank, Gaza, or are Palestinian citizens of Israel. Only Jewish Israelis have full rights and privileges of Israeli citizenship, while Palestinians live in various states of subjugation. 

Approximately five million Palestinians live under Israeli military rule in the occupied territories, denied basic human and political rights. All reporting should take this discrimination and imbalance into consideration.

Don’t confuse political ideology with faith. 

Judaism and Zionism are different things. Judaism is a religion. Zionism is a political ideology that promotes the establishment of a Jewish ethnostate. Anti-Zionism is opposition to this political ideology. Conflating antisemitism with anti-Zionism minimizes the dangers of antisemitism to Jewish communities, and endangers people active in the Palestinian liberation movement.

Palestinian place names

• The correct description of the West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, is “occupied Palestinian territories,” “Palestinian territories occupied by Israel,” etc. Avoid terms like “disputed lands,” “Israeli-controlled lands,” “contested neighborhood/land,” etc.

• Terms such as “disputed” or “contested” obfuscate the reality on the ground  and reinforce Israel’s claims, which have been repeatedly rejected by the international community, that these lands are not occupied under international law, and that the Geneva Conventions do not apply and Israel’s settlements are not illegal. 

• In the occupied territories (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza), use Palestinian names for places. For example, in East Jerusalem use the “Dome of the Rock” as the primary name.

Israel’s illegal expansion

• Israeli settlements in the West Bank are illegal under international law. The correct description of Israeli colonies built on occupied Palestinian land is “illegal Israeli settlement” or “colony.” Avoid referring to illegal settlements as “communities,” “neighborhoods,” etc. 

• These illegal settlements are segregated colonies built on stolen Palestinian land in violation of international law. Often, Palestinians are violently displaced from their homes and land to make way for them. Settlements are a major obstacle to peace. Many settlers are heavily armed, violent extremists who routinely assault Palestinians and destroy their property, often under the protection of Israeli soldiers. Referring to these colonies as “communities” or “neighborhoods” does not convey what they are or the destructive impact they have.

Palestinian people

• The correct default description of Palestinians who are also Israeli citizens is "Palestinian with Israeli citizenship." They are Palestinians and their descendants who survived the ethnic cleansing of approximately 750,000 Palestinians during Israel’s establishment as a Jewish-majority ethnostate in 1948. They face widespread discrimination, making them second-class citizens in their own homeland.

• The terms “Israeli Arabs” and “Arab-Israelis” are used by Israel as part of an effort to separate Palestinians in Israel from Palestinians in the occupied territories and elsewhere, and to erase their historic connection to the land pre-dating Israel’s establishment. Increasingly, Palestinians in Israel consider the term to be derogatory.

• Palestinians can come from a variety of faith and non-faith based backgrounds, including Muslim, Christian, Baha’i, Jewish, atheist, agnostic, etc. Do not conflate Muslims or Islam with Palestinians. 

Violence against Palestinians

• When Israel kills Palestinians, avoid saying things like Palestinians “died” or “lost their lives.” This obfuscates Israel’s responsibility. Use active voice, not passive, to describe violence and killing. 

• Be specific when describing people who are hurt or killed during protests against Israel’s actions. Confrontations often begin with Israeli forces violently dispersing demonstrations using tear gas and rubber bullets. Palestinians are protesting for freedom and rights against heavily armed Israeli soldiers. Terms like “clashes” obscure this reality.

• Double check “official” sources when reporting on incidents, whether from governments or the military. If no evidence is provided for a claim, tell that to your readers upfront. 

Sources:

Guidance for Reporting on Palestine/Israel, Institute For Middle East Understanding: https://imeu.org/article/guidance-for-reporting-on-palestine-israel

Media Resource Guide: Palestine and Israel, The Arab and Middle East Journalists Association https://www.ameja.org/Media-Resource-Guide-for-Palestine-Israel