Major US cable channels ran friendly Birthright Israel segments the same week they ignored harder news out of Gaza and the West Bank — a sign, critics say, that mainstream TV news is functioning as PR for a foreign government.

• MS Now, Fox News, and CNBC all aired promotional interviews with Birthright Israel's CEO, unlabeled as advertising.
• The same channels made no room for an Israeli colonel who ordered the drone strike that killed seven World Central Kitchen aid workers, including an American, and who says he is not sorry.
• Also missing: a bombed desalination plant that cut off fresh water in Gaza, daily killings in the West Bank, and reports of amputations and abuse among thousands of Palestinians held without charge.
• The push comes as Israeli officials openly worry that young Jewish Americans are drifting away from supporting Israel.
• About 80% of Democratic voters disapprove of Israel, leaving a wide gap between a channel branded as left-leaning and its own audience.

Outlook: Expect more Israel-friendly outreach aimed at young Americans, and more of them tuning it out as trust in cable news keeps sliding.