Newsweek Discovers Children Die, Skips Cause and Effect
Newsweek, like much of the mainstream media, cites a report warning that child deaths might rise for the first time this century. This detached statistical observation manages to sidestep the obvious: children are not dying in think-tank reports, but under rubble in Gaza. Since October 7th, over 15,000 children have been killed in Gaza, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, a fact that
makes a 'potential rise' a cruel understatement. Newsweek's report focuses on factors like pandemics and economic downturns, which are real, but ignores the overwhelming impact of the US-backed military campaign in Gaza, which has created the fastest-rising child death toll in recent history. Perhaps if those child deaths were happening somewhere less geopolitically inconvenient, they'd merit
explicit mention. While Western media frets over abstract future increases, the present reality is a humanitarian catastrophe fueled by billions of dollars in military aid, often championed by politicians who receive hefty donations from pro-Israel lobbying groups. For instance, Rep. Steny Hoyer, a vocal supporter of aid to Israel, received $163,000 from pro-Israel groups in 2022, according to
OpenSecrets.org. How many 'future' child deaths do those checks account for in the present?