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Israeli settlers attack European diplomats in West Bank

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Coverage spectrum

Covered by 12 outlets across the spectrum.

29 articles in total. The spectrum counts each outlet once and leaves opinion out. How we measure bias

Smoke drifts over olive trees and a dry rocky field, with a ladder and tarp.
Image via The New York TimesHow images are chosenReport this image

Masked settlers attacked a group of European diplomats on Saturday in the West Bank, according to Belgium’s foreign minister, Maxime Prevot, and witnesses. Israeli police said footage circulating online appears to show several diplomats being attacked near the village of Taybeh. The Israeli military condemned the violence, while the prime minister’s office says the reports are part of a “smear” campaign. French mayor Bernard Baudoux says he was also attacked during the visit, and France 24 reports witnesses said he was beaten. Belgium says it will press for EU sanctions against those responsible.

Headline and summary written by Mantle’s AI from the coverage below, under published rules. How this works

What happened

Key points

Each point shows who reports it, from Far Left to Far Right.

  1. Masked settlers attacked European diplomats during a visit to the West Bank on Saturday, Belgium’s foreign minister said.

    Reported byLeft4Center6Right1See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian, The New York Times, CBS News, Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Financial Times, PBS NewsHour, Deutsche Welle, Sky News, BBC News, France 24
    Right
    The Washington Times

  2. French mayor Bernard Baudoux says masked settlers attacked him during the same visit.

    Reported byLeft1Center3See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    Al Jazeera English
    Center
    Deutsche Welle, Sky News, France 24

  3. Belgium’s government will press for EU sanctions against those responsible, Foreign Minister Maxime Prevot said.

    Reported byLeft1Center2See the outletsHide the outlets
    Left
    The Guardian
    Center
    Financial Times, PBS NewsHour

  4. Israeli police said footage circulating online appears to show several diplomats being attacked near Taybeh.

    One outletCBS News· Left

  5. The Israeli military condemned the violence, while the prime minister’s office says the reports are part of a “smear” campaign.

    One outletBBC News· Center

What is contested

Where accounts differ

Points the coverage does not agree on, and who says what.

  • The attacks on the diplomats were carried out by Israeli settlers.

    Belgium’s foreign minister and witnesses describe settler attackers; the prime minister’s office says the reports are part of a “smear” campaign, while the Israeli military condemned the violence.

  • A French mayor was attacked during the visit.

    Mayor Bernard Baudoux says he was attacked, France 24 reports witnesses said he was beaten, and Sky News reports the attack as an allegation.

How each side tells it

Compare views

All sides report that settlers attacked European diplomats in the West Bank on Saturday, and Belgium’s foreign minister seeks EU sanctions. Left-side outlets mainly stress settler violence against Palestinians and the occupied territory, while center outlets lead with the attack on diplomats, often adding the French mayor.

  • the left

    5 outlets

    Left-side headlines name settlers as the attackers and often use “occupied” for the West Bank; the NYT adds attacks on Palestinians, and the Guardian’s headline is an AFP report.

    Israeli Settlers Attack Palestinians and Diplomats in West Bank
    The New York TimesLeftAll left-leaning headlines

  • the center

    6 outlets

    Center headlines name the attack on European diplomats first, often add the French mayor, and sometimes give Belgium as the source; only the AP report on PBS uses the occupied label.

    West Bank: Israeli settlers attack EU diplomats, French mayor
    Deutsche WelleCenterAll center headlines

  • the right

    1 outlet

    Only one right-side article is present, a Washington Times headline that names masked settlers attacking diplomats in the occupied West Bank, the same wording as the AP report.

    Masked settlers attack European diplomats in the occupied West Bank
    The Washington TimesRightAll right-leaning headlines

The words they chose

Language to notice

Words that carry a judgement beyond the facts. Tap a highlighted word anywhere on the page to see why.

  • Left3

    Activists saysettler militantsSettler pogroms

  • Center2

    Activists saybrutal attack

  • Right0

    No loaded words in its own voice.

In the outlets’ own words

  • Vague attribution

    Activists sayMore neutral: Activists named in the report say

    The claim that Israeli authorities do little to stop attacks is attributed to unnamed activists, so the reader cannot judge who holds it.

    Activists say Israeli authorities do little to stop attacks that involve weapons ranging from…

    Used byPBS NewsHour (Center)The Guardian (Left)

  • Loaded modifier

    settler militantsMore neutral: Israeli settlers

    Calling the group “militants” attaches an armed-activist label that the reporting does not establish; other outlets describe them as settlers.

    …attacked during violent attempt to stop Palestinians harvesting olives Israeli settler militants have attacked European diplomats, a French mayor and the archbishop of Cambrai…

    Used byThe Guardian (Left)

  • Sensational language

    Settler pogromsMore neutral: settler attacks

    “Pogrom” names a specific historical massacre of Jews, a heavier label than the attacks described, and other outlets use “attacks” or “violence”.

    Settler pogroms have escalated, coinciding with the annual olive harvest season in the occupied…

    Used byAl Jazeera English (Left)

  • Sensational language

    brutal attackMore neutral: attack that injured an American photojournalist

    Adds the outlet’s own judgement of severity to a reported injury without describing what happened.

    …in the territory a day after an American photojournalist was injured in a brutal attack.

    Used byFrance 24 (Center)

Words quoted from someone else (2)Hide the quoted words

Loaded words that outlets reported someone else saying. They show what was said, not how the outlet chose to say it.

  • Loaded modifier

    Quoted

    illegal settlement policyMore neutral: settlement policy

    Gives a legal conclusion as a label; the wording is the minister’s and the description attributes it to him.

    …foreign minister urges further EU sanctions and links attack to Israel’s ‘illegal settlement policy’ Masked settlers attacked a group of European diplomats during a visit to…

    Quoted byThe Guardian (Left)

    These are Maxime Prevot’s words. The outlets are reporting them.

  • Sensational language

    Quoted

    despicableMore neutral: (omit) and quote or describe

    Moral verdict in the reporter's voice.

    …Washington Post photojournalist Heidi Levine badly beaten and needing surgery as a “despicable act of terror”.

    Quoted byThe Guardian (Left)

    Inside a quotation: the outlets are reporting someone else’s words.

See the full language guide

See for yourself

Side by side

What each side leads with and what it leaves out. Open a side to read its headlines.

From the left

5 outlets

Leads with

  • settler violence against Palestinians
  • attacks on diplomats and the EU
  • olive harvest context

Leaves out

  • Israeli military condemnation
  • prime minister’s office response

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 6 headlines from the leftHide the headlines

From the center

6 outlets

Leads with

  • European diplomats as targets
  • French mayor attacked
  • Belgian condemnation and sanctions push
  • Israeli military condemnation

Leaves out

  • witnesses saying a diplomatic vehicle’s window was broken

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the 6 headlines from the centerHide the headlines

From the right

1 outlet

Leads with

  • masked attackers
  • occupied West Bank
  • second straight day of assaults on Palestinians

Leaves out

  • Israeli police footage
  • Israeli military condemnation

Reported by other sides, not found in this side’s coverage.

See the headline from the rightHide the headlines
  • The Washington TimesRight

    Masked settlers attack European diplomats in the occupied West Bank

    Masked settlers attacked a group of European diplomats during a visit to the occupied West Bank on Saturday, Belgium's foreign minister said, on a second straight day of high-profile assaults on Palestinians and others during the sensitive olive harvest.

    Read at The Washington Times (opens in a new tab)

Articles you open from here build My Mix, a private picture of how your reading spreads across the spectrum, kept on this device. What is My Mix?

The left is Far Left and Left together. The right is Right and Far Right together. Every outlet keeps its own five-point rating.

Who reported it when

How the coverage built up

  • Left

    2 hr later

    Its first report, Oct 17, 1:02 PM EDT

  • Center

    First to report

    France 24, Oct 17, 10:58 AM EDT

  • Right

    3 hr 10 min later

    Its first report, Oct 17, 2:08 PM EDT

See the order the outlets reported inHide the order
  1. France 24CenterOct 17, 10:58 AM EDT
  2. Financial TimesCenterOct 17, 12:11 PM EDT
  3. PBS NewsHourCenterOct 17, 12:28 PM EDT
  4. Deutsche WelleCenterOct 17, 12:29 PM EDT
  5. The GuardianLeftOct 17, 1:02 PM EDT
  6. Sky NewsCenterOct 17, 1:38 PM EDT
  7. The Washington TimesRightOct 17, 2:08 PM EDT
  8. BBC NewsCenterOct 17, 2:38 PM EDT
  9. The New York TimesLeftOct 17, 3:04 PM EDT
  10. CBS NewsLeftOct 17, 3:30 PM EDT
  11. Al Jazeera EnglishLeftOct 17, 9:02 PM EDT
  12. BloombergLeftOct 19, 7:08 AM EDT

Times are the ones the outlets published in their own feeds, in Eastern time. Opinion is left out.

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