Don, no country is above criticism.
Many many countries more-so that Israel, so why do you and Steve expect to see "substantial criticism" of Israel in the press?

The point is that substantial criticism of Israel in the press, especially in the US, is actively discouraged. This is not a level playing field here, Keith. The powerful Israel lobby ensures that criticism is muted at best and absent at worst, and not only in the press but in public life in general. There are millions of people like you the western world over who have been hoodwinked into thinking that Israel is just an ordinary democracy going about things in a decent way, with some troublesome Islamic neighbours getting in the way at times. That is the picture presented by a media that is either biased (aka Murdoch et al.) or suppressed by the Israel lobby. We want to hear the unvarnished truth, and we don't get it. The difference between you and those of us who oppose you is that you don't see this and we do. Actually, Keith, you don't want to see it.