Media bias against Israel isn’t new. But the recent Guardian headline — “Israel attacked Palestinian water sources over 250 times in five years, data reveals” — crossed into outright misrepresentation.
Based on a report from the Pacific Institute, a nonprofit studying water and conflict, the piece accused Israel of weaponizing water against Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank. Yet, as HonestReporting revealed, the numbers themselves tell a very different story.
“Israel’s alleged ‘assaults on water’ account for only 12% of global cases — less than Russia’s 16%,” HonestReporting noted.
Despite that, The Guardian dedicated nine paragraphs to Israel and only two to Russia. The full context appears all the way down in the nineteenth paragraph — long after most readers have absorbed the headline’s message.
What the article left out is even more telling. Neither The Guardian nor the Pacific Institute mentioned Hamas’s deliberate destruction of water infrastructure, including pipes stolen to manufacture rockets. During the October 7 attacks, Hamas damaged key water lines between Israel and Gaza — the very same lines that deliver drinking water to its own civilians.
Meanwhile, Israel continues to do the opposite of what The Guardian implies. Even in wartime, it repairs water pipelines, provides electricity to Gaza’s desalination plants, and assists with projects to expand water access — including those funded by the UAE. These facts simply didn’t fit The Guardian’s narrative.
The study itself also paints a misleading picture. It counts incidents such as the filling of illegal wells in the West Bank as “assaults on water.” Yet those wells were sealed to preserve the shared aquifer and prevent contamination — a necessary act of stewardship, not aggression.
Other entries describe damage to water networks near Hezbollah and Hamas targets as “attacks on civilians.” In truth, these systems were caught in crossfire while Israel targeted terrorist strongholds. Context matters — and The Guardian deliberately left it out.
When the world is primed to see Israel as a villain, facts become casualties. And when trusted media amplify falsehoods, bias turns into moral blindness.
“Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” (Isaiah 5:20, NIV)
For Christians who love Israel, this is more than a media issue. It’s a call to stand firm in truth. Israel’s commitment to preserving life — even the lives of those who curse her — reflects God’s enduring covenant. The real weapon isn’t water. It’s the lie that distorts reality to incite hatred against His chosen people.
At Christian Women For Israel, we are proud to stand with our partners in truth-telling at HonestReporting, who bring light into places where bias has darkened understanding. Because truth matters.
Today’s Prayer
Lord, help us to see through the lies that distort truth and twist justice. Strengthen those who defend Israel and speak truth with courage. Let every false report fall silent, and let Your light expose deceit. Bless Israel with protection, provision, and peace. Amen.
