the point of hatred, while simultaneously holding the view that God is on their side of the issue, any hope of compromise is probably futile. Nevertheless, the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is important well beyond the effects that is has on the Israelis and the Palestinians (Wolfsfeld, 2003).
The United States is affected directly by the conflict because that conflict holds implications for American interests in the Middle East region. American interests in the Middle East range from a crass need for natural resources to more worthy concerns for human dignity, with a whole host of other concerns than fall within the continuum. It is important, therefore, that American citizens have access to all information relevant to the issue in a format that is balanced and comprehensible upon which they can formulate opinions that, in the best of all worlds, will influence policy makers in Washington (Moghadam, 2003).
The European Union also is affected directly by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, not least because the conflict frequently is carried by the participants into European cities. People in all nations in all parts of the world, however, have a stake in the outcome of a conflict that could perpetuate global unrest (Ajami, 2001).
The perceptions of people in all parts of the world toward the Israeli-Palestinian conflict are shaped largely by media reports of the events that occur as parts of the conflict. People in all parts of the world tend to have opinions on the conflict (some stronger than others; some based more on direct contact with the situation than others). All of these opinions and perceptions, however, are susceptible to influence by the character of the reporting of the events associated with the conflict. In many instances, the same media reporting of an event can have the opposite effects on people who are on the same ideological side of the issue (Garrison, 1999).
One American, b...