As many as 40% of all Palestinian men who live under Israeli occupation have been arrested by Israel at some point in their lives, but you may never learn this from The New York Times.

Take Action: Urge The New York Times to stop using a double standard when reporting on Israeli and Palestinian prisoners.

TAKE ACTION:

1. Urge The New York Times to accurately report the stories of Palestinians detained, imprisoned, and released by Israel.

2. Send a quick email to over 20 journalists and editors at The New York Times.  

3. Click "Start Writing" to edit our pre-written draft email before you send it.

MORE DETAILS:

The New York Times is demonstrating significant pro-Israel bias in its reporting on the first stage of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The Times is repeatedly telling the stories of Israelis held and released by Hamas, while devoting little attention to the many Palestinians held by Israel.

As many as 40% of Palestinian men who live under Israeli occupation have been arrested by Israel at some point in their lives, but you will never learn this from The New York Times.

To make matters worse, the New York Times is providing one-sided coverage of the active duty Israeli soldiers that Hamas captured and is now releasing. In reporting on these Israeli soldiers, the Times does not explore whether these soldiers enforced or participated in Israel’s systemic human rights violations against Palestinians. Even before Israel’s genocide in Gaza, Israeli soldiers enforced years of brutal apartheid, military occupation, land theft, and the blockade of Gaza.

Meanwhile, The New York Times is going into selective detail about some of the Palestinians being released by Israel. The Times is reporting on those Palestinians being released by Israel who have allegedly attacked Israeli soldiers and civilians. But the Times has largely excluded from its coverage the many Palestinians taken hostage by Israel who did not attack Israeli soldiers or civilians.

TAKE ACTION: Urge The New York Times to end its bias in its reporting on the release of Palestinians from Israel’s prisons.

Use this page to review and send a draft email to dozens of managers, editors, and journalists at The New York Times.

—--

ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND:

I. Background on Israeli arrests and imprisonment of Palestinians:

1) “‘My arrest was unjustified’: released Palestinians decry their imprisonment,” Lorenzo Tondo and Sufian Taha, The Guardian, Jan 20, 2025:

“Palestinians have long alleged that imprisonment is a key element of Israel’s 57-year occupation: various estimates suggest that up to 40% of Palestinian men have been arrested at least once in their lives.”

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jan/20/my-arrest-was-illogical-released-palestinians-decry-their-imprisonment

2) “Palestinian Prisoner’s Day: How many are still in Israeli detention?” Al Jazeera, April 17, 2024:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/4/17/palestinian-prisoners-day-how-many-palestinians-are-in-israeli-jails

“In the occupied Palestinian territories, one in every five Palestinians has been arrested and charged at some point. This rate is twice as high for Palestinian men as it is for women – two in every five men have been arrested and charged.

3) Briefing, Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association (Palestinian organization):

https://www.addameer.org/advocacy/briefings_papers/general-briefing-palestinian-political-prisoners-israeli-prisons-0

“Since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory in 1967,[1] more than 800,000 Palestinians have been detained under Israeli military orders in the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt). This number constitutes approximately 20 percent of the total Palestinian population in the oPt and as much as 40 percent of the total male Palestinian population. It also includes approximately 10,000 women jailed since 1967, as well as 8,000 Palestinian children arrested since 2000."

II. Examples of New York Times’ pro-Israel bias regarding prisoner releases:

1) The New York Times humanizes Israelis held by Hamas, including captured Israeli soldiers, but rarely humanizes Palestinians held by Israel:

“As Hamas Exchanges Gaza Hostages, It Puts on a Show of Force,” Patrick Kingsley, Aaron Boxerman, Adam Rasgon, Thomas Fuller, January 25, 2025, The New York Times.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/25/world/middleeast/israel-gaza-hostage-prisoner-swap.html

“Hamas Names 3 Hostages It Says Will Be Freed This Weekend,” Aaron Boxerman, The New York Times, Jan. 31, 2025.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/31/world/middleeast/hamas-hostages-israel-prisoners-release.html

2) The New York Times names specific Israeli families and hostages, while only referring to an unnamed “hundreds of Palestinian prisoners":

“Israel Says 8 of the 26 Hostages Listed for Imminent Release Are Dead,” Isabel Kershner, The New York TImes, Jan. 28, 2025.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/28/world/middleeast/israel-hostages-dead-hamas.html

“Hamas Releases 3 More Israeli Hostages in Exchange for Palestinian Prisoners,” Aaron Boxerman, The New York Times, Feb 1, 2025. https://www.nytimes.com/live/2025/02/01/world/israel-hamas-gaza-hostages#what-to-know-about-the-latest-hostage-and-prisoner-releases