From WNYC in New York, this is NPR's On the Media.

I'm Brooke Gladstone.

And I'm Bob Garfield.

This week, the headlines were dominated by suicide bombings in Israel.

In a few minutes, we'll consider how the American media handled the story.

But first we'll look at the coverage in the Middle Eastern press.

And to guide us,

we turn yet again to the indefatigable Martin Walker, Chief International correspondent for

United Press International. Martin, welcome back.

Hello there. The U.S. press seems to have taken a hawkish turn towards the Palestinians.

Have you noticed a change in the way the Arab papers have covered this latest

round of violence? Well, yes, I was very struck by the way that some of the Arab world

press, for example, the Jordan Times in Jordan, is really warning that the whole suicide

attack tactics is used by some of the extremists has begun to be a total disaster.

It says that resorting to suicide attacks that have mainly targeted civilians

has been harmful to the cause itself by feeding an already active and hostile propaganda campaign,

linking the Palestinian struggle to the very

brand of international terrorism that the whole world stands united to fight.

I must say that is fairly an isolated view, even in Kuwait, which on the whole tends to be

fairly more responsive to Western positions.

I notice the independent paper that Al-Anba, which is normally quite centrist, saying suicide bombings are what is left for the Palestinians and a whole Arab nation to confront Israel's stubbornness.

Anyone who argues otherwise must first provide an alternative.

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