WHEN was the last time a Palestinian unlawfully used a bulldozer to systematically kill Israelis? What compelled a Palestinian on Wednesday to plow a Caterpillar bulldozer into two buses, several cars and pedestrians in West Jerusalem? What did the Palestinian resident do for a living? Why the sudden rampage? These are just some of the analytical questions that much of the mainstream American television news media failed to ask in their coverage of the attack in Jerusalem on Wednesday.

Much of mainstream American press, including ABC, NBC, and CBS, focused on the “what, when and where” of the rampage without answering the other vital journalistic questions, “who and why.”

Though we do not know the attacker’s name or the motive behind his actions, we do know that he is a 30-year old Palestinian resident of East Jerusalem and works as a construction worker after conducting further research.

Palestinian construction workers are often tasked with building Israeli settlements and the attacker reportedly worked on a railway in Israel that will potentially link Israeli settlements to East Jerusalem by 2020.

The Middle East Quartet – comprised of the United States, United Nations, European Union and Russia – has called increased Israeli settlement activity in East Jerusalem illegal and has continually expressed deep concern on Israel’s decision to increase settlement activity in East Jerusalem.

Another important fact left out in Wednesday’s coverage is that bulldozers, specifically Caterpillar, are in some cases used to demolish Palestinian homes. One even killed American peace activist Rachel Corrie in March 2003 who risked her life to protest against the demolitions. This bit of information is significant in discussing Wednesday’s turn of events since the attacker used a Caterpillar bulldozer to kill innocent civilians.

Israeli media reported that the incident would be treated as a terrorist attack and said that the Israeli soldier who killed the bulldozer’s driver would be given a reward.

Though it is important to report what happened, it is also important to ask “who and why” it happened while the story is still developing. We, journalists, ask it in almost every other case, but seem to experience "memory loss" when it comes to the controversial Israeli-Palestinian conflict. To understand that situation, we must also think critically.

Rima Abdelkader is a New York-journalist based and can be reached at rima.abdelkader@gmail.com.