At Tech Central Station, Howard Fienberg analyzes a study by the International Policy Institute for Counter-Terrorism that reveals the true meaning of those casualty figures we see in every story about violence in the Middle East.

The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has been marred by many casualties on both sides. Between the start of the second Intifada almost two years ago and the end of June, the war had killed 561 Israelis and 1,499 Palestinians. But a new study claims that these numbers obscure the reality of the conflict, combining combatants with the non-combatants and suicide bombers with their civilian victims. As much of the case swinging world opinion against Israel hinges on the perception that Israel has killed far more Palestinian innocents than vice versa, these numbers possess a political importance beyond simple accounting. If they are accurate and not just propaganda, their implications for public opinion worldwide could be far-reaching.