Media Guidance: Ethical Coverage of the Killing of Palestinian-American Sayfollah (Saif)  Musallet

July 17, 2025 | Justice For All Media Advisory | Palestine

Justice For All, a U.S.-based human rights organization, urges American journalists and newsrooms to uphold their ethical responsibility in covering the killing of Sayfollah (Saif) Musallet, a 23-year-old Palestinian-American who died after being attacked by Israeli settlers in the illegally occupied West Bank.

According to eyewitness accounts from his family, Musallet was visiting relatives in the West Bank when he attempted to protect his family’s farmland from settler encroachment. Settlers reportedly surrounded him for over three hours, beat him unconscious, and obstructed paramedics from reaching him. He died en route to the hospital after being denied lifesaving aid.

This incident is not isolated-it forms part of a broader and well-documented pattern of settler violence in the West Bank, and of U.S. citizens killed or injured by Israeli forces or settlers with little accountability or coverage.

Key Ethical Guidelines for Covering the Killing of Sayfollah (Saif)  Musallet

Avoid False Equivalence in Language

Avoid terms like “clashes,” “confrontations,” or “mutual violence” that obscure the clear power imbalance between armed settlers and unarmed civilians.

In this case, a group of settlers attacked a lone civilian resulting in death. Accurate reporting must reflect this asymmetry.

Contextualize Settler Violence Within Broader Frameworks

Settler violence is not random or isolated. It is systematic, frequently backed by the Israeli military, and escalated during times of political impunity.

According to UN OCHA:

• Over 2,000 settler attacks on Palestinians and their property have occurred since January 2024
• At least 350 Palestinians have been injured by settlers this year
• In the first week of July 2025 alone, 27 settler attacks were documented

Reporting this incident without reference to these facts risks whitewashing the role of state policies and broader structures of impunity.

Include and Center U.S. Connection

Musallet is one of several U.S. citizens killed by Israeli forces or settlers since October 7, 2023.

Others include:

• Amer Rabee, 14 – killed by Israeli soldiers
• Tawfic Abdel Jabber, 17 – shot by an Israeli settler and soldier
• Mohamed Khdour, 17 – shot while driving home from a picnic
• Ayşenur Egyi, 26 – killed by Israeli forces in Lebanon

These cases merit equal public scrutiny, U.S. government accountability, and journalistic coverage-especially when involving American citizens.

Refuse the Normalization of State-Enabled Settler Violence

Settler attacks are not random acts of interpersonal aggression – they occur within the broader infrastructure of occupation, military protection, ethnic cleansing and land theft. Media must avoid portraying settler violence as fringe, anomalous, or disconnected from state policies.

Apply Equal Skepticism to Official Claims

Statements from the Israeli military or U.S. government should be treated with the same verification standard as any source. If claims are unverified, label them as such.
Overreliance on government briefings without independent corroboration can obscure the realities on the ground and reinforce institutional narratives.

This also applies to U.S. government statements that fail to demand accountability or justice for American citizens harmed abroad. Generic phrases such as “we are aware of the incident” or “we respect the family’s privacy” should not be accepted as substitutes for meaningful response-especially when contrasted with robust U.S. reaction to Israeli-American victims.

Report Consistently on All American Casualties

When Americans are harmed or killed overseas, reporting should reflect equal urgency and depth regardless of ethnicity, religion, or political context.

Disparities in the coverage of Israeli-American vs. Palestinian-American victims reinforce bias in public discourse and policy response.

Who Was Sayfollah (Saif)  Musallet?

Age: 20

Hometown: Port Charlotte, Florida

Occupation: Worked in his family’s local ice cream shop

Known for: His “beautiful heart,” kindness, and love for family

Musallet was a U.S. citizen, raised in Florida, and deeply connected to his community. His killing has devastated his family and neighbors, who now face the additional burden of pursuing justice in a system that has historically failed to protect Palestinian-American victims.

“You can’t call the police. You can’t call the Israeli government. The murderers just get to walk away.” – Family member

Saif family representative: Diana  (saiffamily20@gmail.com)

Coverage must include these human details-not reduce victims to statistics or anonymous actors.

 Jurnalists Should Ask:

• What legal protections exist for American citizens harmed abroad by Israeli settlers?
• What accountability mechanisms has the U.S. government pursued-or failed to pursue-in similar past cases?
• Why are Palestinian-American deaths not treated with the same urgency as others?

Contact for Interviews, Sources, or Verification Support

Walaa Katoue

media@justiceforall.org

www.justiceforall.org