Misrepresentation of Palestinian suffering in Western media

*This column represents the opinion of the author.

Ideally, we would like to believe that the media and news we watch is objective and unbiased to understand the world around us. It has become increasingly evident that this is simply not the case, especially concerning Western media’s coverage of Israel’s illegal invasion of Palestine.

The coverage of Israeli attacks on Palestinian families, civilians and children has been biased. The horrific
case of Muhammed Bhar, a young Palestinian man who had Down syndrome and autism, and required constant care from his family, reveals Western media bias against Palestinian suffering and killings. The Israeli military raided his home on July 3, 2024 and let their militant dog attack him. They then locked him in a secluded room and drove his family away at gunpoint. His family returned to his decaying body a week later.

Middle East Eye headlined this, saying “Gaza: Palestinian with Down syndrome ‘left to die’ by Israeli soldiers after combat dog attack.” Turkish news network Anadolu Agency wrote, “Gazan man with Down’s syndrome mauled by Israeli army dog, left to die, family says.” The BBC headline read “The lonely death of Gaza man with Downs syndrome.” In the BBC’s headline, it was phrased as if it was an unfortunate turn of events.

Data scientists Dana Najjar and Jan Lietava conducted a study on the BBC, observing hundreds of articles posted by the BBC, and noticed a “systematic disparity in how Palestinian and Israeli deaths are treated.” Diction like “massacre”, “slaughter” and “murder” were solely used for Israeli deaths, while the words “killed” and “died” were almost always used for Palestinian deaths. Family relations, such as “mother”
or “son” were more inclined to be associated with Israelis rather than Palestinians.

The constant lack of context and proper coverage reveals blindspots in reporting by Western media. The Israeli government has repeatedly said that their goal is to “eliminate terrorists,” and Western media re-
peats their claim regarding “self-defense.” However, that is not the case.

“[The Israel Defense Forces] would beat people, including women … for being out,” said Maya, a Palestinian Muslim with family in the West Bank. “They’d sometimes shoot people [down]. [I] would try to sleep, and [I’d] hear people screaming for their lives. [Sometimes,] they’d break into houses. They killed one of my cousins when I was there. One time, my mom was trying to come back from my uncle’s house, they [aimed a] sniper at her in the taxi, and then threw a smoke bomb at them.”

Similarly, Western media primarily reports on Palestine resistance groups attacks over Israeli assaults. The displacement of Palestinian people by Israeli violence is downplayed and normalized with language
that primarily portrays them as aggressors. A 2003 analysis by media law scholar Susan Dente Ross found that in the two years after Sept. 11, one-fifth of New York Times editorials expressed a belief that both sides were equally harming innocents while also disproportionately blaming Palestinians for causing violence. That pattern has echoes today.

“As the genocide has been going on [I’ve been] hearing about news from [my family],” said Yasmeen Sultan, a Palestinian-Iraqi teenager who has family in Gaza. “[I’ve] been hearing [stories about] buildings dropping on them [and] them having to evacuate their homes and live in tents, and then hearing that … as they were hiding out in a school, it got bombed and some of them died … It’s constantly portrayed, not even just the media, [but] in school [as well], as a two-sided thing. Palestinians are [portrayed as] terrorists, and that Israel had to defend themselves … Propaganda … has changed the way everyone views it, so now everyone’s scared to speak about the truth.”

Furthermore, stereotypes about Palestinians fit neatly into already established anti-Islam and Arab narratives preached by Western media, including misconceptions about Islam, especially regarding violence.

“Don’t answer violence with violence,” said Sheikh Ala Al Deen Al-Bakri, a prominent Muslim religious leader in the Bay Area. “Allah said to push a bad deed with a good deed, and it shall push back with good
deeds … We should not whatsoever get involved in violence to make our points … we don’t answer wrong
with wrong.”

Muslims are not allowed to harm any animals, non-combatants, use fire, cut trees, burn homes or harm civilians. The only justification for any violence is self-defense initiated by another party intending to harm or kill as written in the Quran.

Fight in the cause of Allah only against those who wage war against you, but do not exceed the limits. Allah does not like transgressors. (Surah Baqarah, aya 190 “‘The Cow, verse 190’”, “The Quran”)

By bombing hospitals, cutting off electricity, water, food, Israel is implying that the entire population is a threat and full of terrorists and implicitly calling all Muslims and Islam itself a threat. Since Palestine is a majority Muslim country, Western media has taken advantage of the already established negative reputation of Islam and Muslims, and used it to justify Israel’s actions.

In the end, every nation, republic, democracy and dictatorship built on racism and facism will fall. The current ceasefire would have not been possible without boycotts, protests and awareness. The Israeli and American governments would not put as much effort to silence pro-Palestinian voices if they did not matter. Western media would not incorrectly report and cover up the truth of Palestinian suffering if their stories were not powerful. Boycott, protest, have productive and respectful conversations with oppos-
ing sides, be understanding and most of all, trust in Allah (The All-Mighty). I leave with a beautiful quote of the Quran, which has given me, and many others, hope in times of great distress.

Good and evil cannot be equal. Respond to evil with what is best, then the one you are in a feud with will be like a close friend. (Quran, 41:31)