The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is one of the world’s most enduring and contentious disputes, with deep-rooted historical, political, and societal complexities. While the conflict itself still remains unresolved, it is important to examine how this conflict is portrayed in the media and how these representations influence people’s perceptions. In a time where mass media and digital technologies have encouraged global interconnection, media narrative’s play a crucial role in shaping the way people around the world understand and engage with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This source entry dives into the relationship between media representations and global public opinion, seeking to answer the fundamental question: How have media representations and narratives influenced international perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and to what extent do these representations impact global public opinion?  

Laura Albast, cat Knarr. “How media coverage whitewashes Israeli state violence against Palestinians”. The Washington post, April 28, 2022 

The article discusses how Western media coverage tends to downplay Israeli state violence against Palestinians. It points out that words like “clashes” and “tensions” are used to describe situations where there is a significant power imbalance between Israeli military forces and Palestinian civilians. The piece suggests that when the media these types of words, it makes it seem like both sides in the conflict are equal, even though there is a massive difference in power between the Israeli military and the Palestinian people. This way of talking about the conflict also tends to support views that are against Palestinians. The article then goes on to talk about how the media portrays conflicts like the one in Ukraine, and clearly calls out the aggressor, which is Russia, the Ukrainian people are shown as resisting. The article then argues when it comes to the Israeli- Palestinian conflict the aggressor is not usually pointed out. The article also emphasizes the important of language and context in reporting, pointing out that Palestinians are subjected to an unjust and unequal system. It calls out journalists to clearly identify the aggressor, the action they took, and who it was against in their reporting. the article then concludes by saying that media outlets need to hire Palestinian journalists and to center Palestinian voices in their reporting, to provide a more complete and accurate narrative.                                                         

I personally agree with the article. I’ve noticed it myself when seeing the conflict being talked about on western media compared to when I’m watching al Jazeera (middle eastern news) I find that I get informed way more about how Palestinian’s. Western media outlets tend to make the oppressor look oppressed. Even though the conflict just became a bigger issue it’s always been like that the western media never covered the real story and fully disregarding that the historical context of occupation and displacement of the Palestinians 

Julia Munslow. “Social media highlights shifting perceptions of Israeli-Palestinian conflict among young Americans”. Yahoo. May 19, 2021.

This article discusses how young Americans are changing their views on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, due to social media. It notes that more young people now see it as a human rights issue and are using platforms like TikTok and Instagram to show their support for Palestinians. However, it also mentions that social media can sometimes spread false information. The article highlights that there is a shift in the way younger and older generations view the conflict, with younger people being less emotionally attached to Israel. Munslow also suggests that the political landscape may change as more young Americans vote, potentially affecting the traditional support for Israel in politics. It notes that some politicians are advocating for conditional aid to Israel, but this is still a contentious issue in Congress. This article also acknowledges the problem of misinformation on social media platforms. It specifically mentions the case of a viral video that was inaccurately shared by an Israeli government official, emphasizing the prevalence of misinformation surrounding the conflict. Saying “One viral video investigated by the New York Times was shared by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s spokesperson, who claimed it showed Palestinians firing rockets at Israeli civilians. In reality, it was a 2018 video of an attack in Syria or Libya”.  

From reading this article I agreed with it a lot and I do notice how the Younger Americans are being exposed to media with the  generational gap between them and older generations being obvious . Unlike their older generation, younger individuals do not have a strong emotional attachment to Israel. Instead, they tend to form their opinions about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict based on their assessments of right and wrong. I also found it interesting when the article was talking about false information because in the contemporary media Israel lied about the beheading of 40 babies by Hamas which spread like wildfire. Everyone believed it even President Biden came out with a statement saying he saw pictures, when in reality it was all a lie. Not everything is fake, but you should do you’re research before gathering an opinion on something. 

 

Jacob kagon.“The Media’s Impact on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict”. Center for Israels study’s. March 9, 2018  

In this article written by kagon he suggests several reasons for the media’s focus on Israel, including its religious significance to Islam, Christianity, and Judaism, as well as the strong connection between the United States and Israel, the strong connection between the United States and Israel, given the  aid provided by the U.S. The media’s coverage intensifies during periods of conflict, as it recognizes the appeal of violence for viewership. The article concludes, the media’s consistent coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict intensifies its relative importance in the public’s mind because  the media knows that when there is a conflict or violent event, people are more likely to pay attention and engage with the news.

Personally, I agree with what kagon pointed out. The media is so invested in the Palestine –Israel conflict due to the United States having a strong connection with Israel and the importance of religions there but I think another factor there would be simply due to the fact of injustice in Israel and what Israel has done to Palestine which makes the media more interested in the topic. especially in the Arab world. Arab news outlets have different story’s compared to western media outlets. I feel like kagons article really only speaks for the US and the western world.