Getting the facts straight about Israel-Palestine

LONDON - 15th January 2004

Prior to a meeting with the Foreign Press Association on Sunday evening, Ariel Sharon's press office distributed a set of figures showing how many people would have been killed in Russia, the USA, EU if the same proportion of their population was killed or injured as in Israel.

The figures make shocking reading.

Israel Russia European Union United States
Murdered 904 26,216 68,704 50,262
Injured 6,063 175,827 460,788 337,103

Israeli casualties and injured (since 28.9.2000) comparative ratio with Russia, the European Union and the United States

In response, the Palestinian Monitor - a humanitarian NGO, issued another set of figures showing how many people would have been killed in Russia, the USA, EU if the same proportion of their population was killed or injured as in the Palestinian territories.

Palestine Russia European Union United States
Murdered 2,783 112,093 293,761 214,909
Injured 48,000 1,933,333 5,066,666 3,706,666

Palestinian casualties and injured (since 28.9.2000) comparative ratio with Russia, the European Union and the United States

A PM spokesperson said: "Three times as many Palestinians as Israelis have died in the last three years.

"85% of which were civilians, including 184 women and 519 children.

"All of these men, women and children have died under an illegal occupation, a reality which Israel tries desperately to obscure through the maintenance of a sophisticated public relations machine.

"What Sharon should have pointed out to the foreign press is that with a combined total of 3,687 Palestinian and Israeli casualties in the past three years the victims of this conflict are too many - comparisons are not necessary.

"In many senses the media has become the battlefield of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict and propaganda the weapon of choice. It is imperative that those with the ability in embassies, NGOs, the media and Human Rights Organizations do not allow for this continued censorship of information and biased portrayal of the ongoing occupation, but instead seek the truth. Both Israelis and Palestinians are suffering needless casualties as a result of the policies of occupation."