NPR’s recent profile of Palestinian writer Bassam Khandaqji omitted key information about his background, spotlighting him as a novelist while leaving out, in the headline and initial framing, that he had been serving three life sentences for assisting the PFLP in a 2004 suicide bombing that killed three Israeli civilians. The omission has renewed scrutiny of how major Western outlets present Palestinian prisoners whose convictions stem from terrorism-related offenses.
Khandaqji was imprisoned for his role in the November 1, 2004 suicide bombing at Tel Aviv’s Carmel Market. According to Israel’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, he used a journalist identification card obtained during his university studies to help the 16-year-old bomber cross into Israel from the West Bank. The attack killed Tatiana Ackerman, 32; Leah Levine, 64; and Shmuel Levy, 65, and wounded more than 30 civilians. As the Times of Israel reported, Israeli officials stated that Khandaqji “used a journalist identification card… to help the suicide bomber enter Israel from the West Bank,” and that “three people were killed and over 30 wounded when Amar Al-Far, 16, from the Askar refugee camp in Nablus, detonated a bomb at the popular Carmel Market in Tel Aviv.”
Although NPR’s interview included Khandaqji acknowledging that he “dispatched the bomber to Tel Aviv,” the headline — “A Palestinian man who became a novelist while in an Israeli prison is now free” — highlighted only his literary career and recent release. HonestReporting, a media watchdog group, criticized the framing, stating: “Bassam Khandaqji is not just a ‘Palestinian man who became a novelist.’ He is a convicted terrorist.”
Media analysts note that the NPR feature fits into a broader pattern in Western reporting in which Palestinian prisoners are profiled for their artistic or political work without clear reference to the terror offenses that led to their incarceration. In previous cases, outlets such as Agence France-Presse have described high-profile figures like Marwan Barghouti as a “veteran fighter” or “Palestinian Mandela,” while omitting in photo captions that he was convicted in an Israeli civilian court of five murders, one attempted murder, and involvement in additional attacks.
A separate example raised by Israeli officials involved Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif. The IDF publicly released intelligence identifying him as a Hamas military operative listed in the organization’s payroll and personnel files, alleging he used an Al Jazeera press badge as operational cover. Several media profiles focused exclusively on his work as a journalist and did not reference the Israeli documentation.
Critics of these omissions argue that leaving out the terror context can meaningfully shape how the public understands the individuals involved, especially when headlines or opening descriptions present them solely through professional or human-interest narratives.
