AP: ISRAEL IS THE ROOT CAUSE OF TERRORISM

ROOT CAUSE: ISRAEL? (HonestReporting)
A high-profile international conference on combating terrorism, with Kofi Annan and other world leaders in attendance, is currently underway in Madrid. It takes place one year after terrorists killed 191 people in an attack on that city's commuter rail lines.

One of the topics addressed in Madrid on March 9 was the source of Islamic terrorism. A number of opinions were expressed, including that of a former Mossad chief, but the Associated Press summary chose to amplify only one opinion ― that Israeli policy is the 'root cause' of the entire international terrorist scourge. The article begins:

Resolving the Palestinian-Israeli conflict is key to any hope of curtailing global outbursts of violence, panelists at a summit on democracy, terrorism and security said Wednesday. That is at the heart of Arabs' feelings of discrimination by foreign political, social and economic policies.

AP continues with a heavily editorialized statement from Palestinian Saeb Erakat ― note where the Erakat quote ends and the reporter picks up:

"I have a 17-year-old boy, Ali," said Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat. "I don't want him to become a suicide bomber" as a desperate way to achieve legitimate dreams including an independent state, viable homeland with Jerusalem as capital and right of refugees to reclaim lost land. "Help me. Help me put hope in his mind."

HonestReporting asks: (1) Why did AP choose to report only the 'blame Israel for world terror' opinion from this session at the conference? and (2) Why did the reporter supplement Erakat's quote with what appears to be personal opinion on the 'legitimate dreams' of Palestinians?

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