Another 10 Palestinians were killed by Israeli raids and bomb strikes in the Gaza Strip on Sunday, bringing the death count to 115 (a third of which were children) in just four days. On the Israeli side one civilian and two soldiers were killed. Nevertheless, a senior Israeli official warned that Palestinians firing rockets from Gaza would be punished with a “bigger holocaust” from Israeli armed forces.

The American media, however, would have you believe that Israel is the one under attack. When it does decide to write about Palestinians , the New York Times only focuses on suicide bombers and rebel militants. It characterizes the Gaza Strip–which Israel recently blockaded from humanitarian relief and other necessary life-sustaining resources–as being under the control of the “militant Islamic group Hamas”–even though Hamas has continually pleaded for a cease-fire. This is not to say that the Times (or anyone for that matter) should support Palestinian violence, but–in the face of such a disproportionate loss of life–we should all think about ascribing the word “militant” to its more rightful owner.

The military is such an important part of Israeli identity that the government has taken to producing horrifically propagandistic videos to scare anyone who might think about draft dodging.

Fortunately, there are many brave Israelis willing to become social pariahs if it means not having to kill. Statistics show that 28 percent of Israeli men are dodging the draft–up from 20 percent 10 years ago. Meanwhile, 44 percent of Israeli women are refusing service–up from 37 percent 10 years ago. A further sign of this growing discontent can be seen in the following video–which mocks the above government video by offering a peaceful message.

If you don’t know much about the situation in Palestine and are sick of evading the truth, one great way to start is by visiting the following websites:

The Palestine Chronicle - an independent online newspaper that provides daily news and commentary on Palestine, Israel and the Middle East.

If Americans Only Knew - provides hard facts and statistics typically ignored by the American media

B’Tselem - Israeli information center for human rights in the occupied territories