In "3 journalist deaths cloud Biden's push on human rights" (7/19/22), The Washington Post brazenly equated the death of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh, killed in an Israeli-Palestinian firefight, with the death of Saudi journalist Jamaal Khashoggi, who was murdered and dismembered in a Saudi consulate.  The article focused mainly on Akleh — no surprise, considering the Post's proclivity to defend Palestinians and disparage Israel.

Despite countless articles about the fate of Akleh, all we really know is that the Israeli military entered a Palestinian terrorist stronghold to root out the terrorists who had murdered 19 Israelis in the preceding weeks, and in the ensuing battle, Palestinian journalist Akleh was killed.  It took months for the Palestinians to release the bullet that supposedly hit Akleh.  The bullet was too badly damaged to implicate either of the combatant groups.  Yet neither the long Palestinian delay nor the paucity of evidence stopped Palestinian sympathizers at the Post from proclaiming their pre-determined conclusion.  They attributed the killing to Israel.

Yes, horrible things happen in the chaos of battle, and any collateral harm to civilians is regrettable.  But that is no excuse for reporters to vent their personal antagonisms towards one party in a conflict.

In this case, the Post bashed President Biden as well for not saying enough about the tragedy.  What should he have said?  In the crossfire of countless bullets, no one knows who fired the fatal shot.  What is known is that she and her journalist colleague were shot from behind, with the Israeli military positioned in front of them and the Palestinians behind them.  If anything, that evidence casts suspicion on the Palestinian gunmen.

By contrast, investigators have convincingly established that Khashoggi was murdered by Saudi agents at the order of the Saudi government.  No wonder President Biden castigated Saudi prince Mohammed bin Salman and said nothing critical of Israel.  The president recognized the difference between a premeditated murder and the fog of war.  If only the Post would show as much integrity.

Dr. Michael Berenhaus is a freelance watchdog activist who works tirelessly to combat anti-Israel bias in the media.  He has been widely published in news sources such as The Economist, The New York Times, and The Washington Post.