Yesterday, five people were killed in violence in Israel and Palestine: three Israelis, an 18-year-old American yeshiva student, and a Palestinian bystander. Isabel Kershner sums things up in the New York Times:

Thursday was the deadliest day in the recent wave of violence.

Not so fast. The Times says so because most of the victims were Jewish. But a month ago Israeli forces killed six Palestinians in one day in Gaza, and within 24 hours killed another two Palestinians. That was a very deadly day indeed– for Palestinians!

The Times policy is a lot like the policy of the white characters in Huckleberry Finn, who at least had the excuse that it was 1840s Missouri and they were the object of satire. When a steamship runs aground, Aunt Sally asks: “Good gracious! anybody hurt?” Huck answers: “No’m. Killed a n—-.” To which Aunt Sally responds, “Well, it’s lucky; because sometimes people do get hurt.”

You should also note that Kershner– whose son has served in the Israeli army, and whose husband is an avowedly pro-Israel writer– fails to state that Israel uses home demolitions as a punishment only against Palestinian perpetrators, not Jewish perpetrators of violence.

Mr. Netanyahu said that Israel would “settle accounts” with the perpetrators, exact a price from their families and destroy their homes. The homes of several Palestinians charged in attacks have been demolished in recent weeks in what the Israelis describe as a deterrent measure, but the tactic has not, so far, put a stop to the violence.

Yes, 90 Palestinians have been killed, and 16 Israelis. But no Jewish homes destroyed.