EDITORIAL

MISSING: The Other Side of the Coin

In October 2023, Hamas ruthlessly attacked Israel, ending thousands of lives and kidnapping several others. As a result, Israeli forces retaliated through a series of bombings in the Gaza Strip, claiming more lives of Hamas and other Palestinians. Resources such as electricity, water, gas, and food were cut off in Gaza.

‘Hamas are Palestinians. Hence, Palestinians deserve what happened to them. No single soul is innocent,’ was the message that the media framed the Israel-Hamas conflict to be. Israel apologizers are all over the world, justifying their retaliation to every single Palestinian they see in Gaza. But Palestinians say otherwise. ‘The land is theirs to claim. They demand their houses back. They deserve food and water. They deserve freedom from decades of oppression from Israel,’ was what it looked like on the other side of the coin. Public establishments such as hospitals were bombed due to the assumption that Hamas was hiding in them. Children were not spared in the bombings. Palestinians were manipulated into coming together in one area just to be killed on the way. The Israel-Hamas war is clearly a genocide, not a conflict.

Many media networks downplayed these facts. They framed the news in favor of the internationally-recognized side of the coin. Media organizations not only dehumanize Palestinians but also legitimize Israeli violations of international law. They stood for oppressors for months, hiding decades of abuse. For a while, the truth was forced to raise the white flag as truth-bearers kept their voices shut. The biased framing of this issue posits that it was used by media organizations or networks to feed their viewers’ and readers’ existing views for more engagement, influenced by economic considerations, instead of telling the whole 75-year history of Palestine and Israel. While Hamas’ attack was called a massacre, Israel’s series of bombings were justified as retaliation for it. This is only one of the many situations that should remind the media of the dangers of wealth, influence, and power. It can mum cry for help, clean dirty hands, and throw stones at the wrong people. It can once again close the eyes of the awakened.

However, no secret can be kept forever. The truth will bite oppressors back with a more powerful attack. Hence, Israel may have received various forms of support from different countries over the years, but individuals or groups critical of Israel’s policies and actions choose to participate in boycotts as a form of protest. The Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement is one of the movements encouraging boycotts of companies or products associated with Israel, either due to their perceived support for Israeli policies or their business activities in the region. On the other hand, some individuals and groups strongly support Israel and counter-boycott products or companies that they see as being targeted unfairly. The filtering and alteration of truth result in nothing but catalytic outcomes. Thus, painting the Palestinians as the “bad guy” and the others as a “victim” resulted in hatred, discrimination, and ruthless action towards the humans, who are not being treated as humans.