One of the first rules of journalism is “if it bleeds, it leads.” If a story is violent, it should be priority news. Following this philosophy has thus increasingly turned the front page of our newspapers red in recent years. There were the attacks on the World Trade Centers in New York on 9/11; the war in Iraq and the now daily bombings there; the shootings and attacks by Chechen rebels in Russia; the bombs in Beirut and Cairo; and the persisting back-and-forth violence in Israel and Palestine. Yes, they make a good story for the “crisis-craving” media-viewing public. But besides the dry, diplomatic public statements by our world’s leaders, where is the coverage of the non-violent resistance and reactions to the world’s conflicts, which actually serve to accomplish much-needed peace?

By ignoring such news and focusing on the actions of extremists, which are a small minority, the media, in fact, encourage such violent behavior. Terrorism, by definition, is violence or the threat of violence executed for political purposes. In hopes of gaining international attention, terrorism usually targets civilians, most prevalently through the form of bombings, kidnappings or assassinations. Terrorism is a state of mind, an ideology and an agenda by extremists to achieve independence from another power, mainly in an effort to remedy social, economic, political and human rights grievances. It uses the media to relay these messages.

For example, Tuesday’s bombing in Netanya was an unacceptable and counterproductive act of Palestinian grievance of Israel’s brutal and illegal Occupation. Thanks to front-page headlines, it did serve to bring the conflict to the forefront of international attention this week. However, the means used by Islamic Jihad sent the wrong message. Palestinians want only what the rest of the world wants: basic rights to freedom, self-determination and statehood; they want to live in peace. Thus, the use of violence by a small group to accomplish peace is contradictory to the Palestinian struggle. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said it right when he blamed the attack on “traitors” who were “working against the Palestinian interest.” At such a crucial and sensitive point in the conflict, the use of violence has no place.

Terrorism is not a justifiable way in which to reach political goals. It affects the innocent more than the powers it tries to fight. But it is the responsibility of governments to listen to the cry of the people, because they are, essentially, the ones in control of the lives of the powerless. Policies, such as Israel’s Occupation and suppression of Palestinian people, create an environment that is conducive to breeding violence, and they must be examined.

Furthermore, it is up to the media to provide an accurate picture of violent situations. The rebels and extremists are not the face, voice or actions of the people. Focus on the projects of non-governmental organizations that adamantly stress non-violent policies and resistance or the peaceful protests and marches or the solidarity campaigns or the cultural and artistic expression of the suffering people.

And finally, for any type of real peace to be achieved with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in this region, Israel must dismantle all settlements in the Occupied Territories, stop construction of and tear down the Apartheid Wall and end its Occupation of Palestinian lands. These acts not only egg on extremists’ violence, but they are illegal under international law as well as basic laws of humanity. Israel must not use the actions of a few non-representative Palestinians to stop the peace process or even to increase its violations against Palestinians.

It is time for the media, international community, Israelis and Palestinians to focus on non-violence as the only means to the end of the conflict.