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Distorted narratives harm Israel and undermine the truth

The social-media echo chamber and even respected news sources often downplay the human cost of Hamas’s actions, including the hostage crisis.

U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew (second left) and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tour the IDF's Humanitarian Coordination and Deconfliction Cell in Beersheva, April 7, 2024. Photo by Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry.
U.S. Ambassador to Israel Jack Lew (second left) and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant tour the IDF's Humanitarian Coordination and Deconfliction Cell in Beersheva, April 7, 2024. Photo by Ariel Hermoni/Defense Ministry.

Widespread news and social-media bias, combined with conspiracy theories and false narratives, continue to distort public perceptions of the war Hamas launched against Israel. Some high-profile coverage is becoming even more damaging. Unbalanced reports undermine the public’s understanding, focusing on Israeli counter-terrorism actions while too often ignoring the role of Hamas as the aggressor.

The social-media echo chamber and even respected news sources often downplay the human cost of Hamas’s actions, including the ongoing hostage crisis. In an era of rampant misinformation and disinformation, distorted reporting too often amplifies anti-Israel sentiment, perpetuates harmful narratives and makes fact-based discussions challenging.

‘60 Minutes’: Missed opportunity for balanced journalism

A recent “60 Minutes” TV story, “The Gaza Policy,” focused heavily on Israel’s counter-terrorism operations in Gaza while ignoring the role of Hamas as the aggressor in the conflict. The report failed to address Hamas’s use of civilian areas for military purposes and its ongoing abuse of Palestinians and attacks against Israelis. There was little mention of the hostages who have continued to be held under brutal conditions for more than 15 months. Kfir Bibas, just 2 years old, has been held in captivity for the majority of his life without a single word from his captors about his condition as a “prisoner.”

“60 Minutes” has long been considered a gold standard of television journalism; it is currently airing its 57th season and reaches more than 10 million viewers. The recent broadcast included interviews with former U.S. State Department officials critical of American support for Israel but without properly including opposing viewpoints. Their opinions were presented as news. The officials alleged that the United States was directly responsible for the suffering of Palestinians in Gaza rather than its overlord, Hamas.

Distorted Media Coverage
Illustration showing distorted media coverage. Credit: Courtesy.

A former State Department official who resigned in protest only 10 days after the Hamas-led terrorist attacks in southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, told a “60 Minutes” producer that the Jewish state should have pursued a peace deal immediately afterward, rather than holding the terrorists accountable. He then joined an organization that supports the BDS movement against Israel’s existence and opposed the 2020 Abraham Accords normalization agreements between Israel, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Sudan and Morocco.

Another official served as a speaker at the Council on American-Islamic Relations events (CAIR). She has falsely accused Israel of committing genocide and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. CAIR was declared an unindicted co-conspirator by the U.S. Justice Department in a major Hamas terrorism financing case in 2008.

Criticism of anti-Israel bias: ‘Media needs to do better’

Jack Lew, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Israel, was highly critical of the news media’s coverage of Hamas and Israel in an interview before the “60 Minutes” story aired and warned about the impact of this war on future U.S. policymakers: “America has been fed a media coverage of this war” that Hamas has effectively controlled. “The American media uses language like, ‘the Palestinian Health Authority [Hamas] reports and the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] claims.’ I think ‘claims’ is a little bit arch for a trusted ally. You could say they ‘say.’”

John Spencer
John Spencer. Credit: Courtesy.

John Spencer, chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the U.S. Military Academy, condemned the “misinformation and vilification” of the Israeli military by “60 Minutes” and its use of data from a non-governmental organization that uses “unaccepted methods to determine casualty estimates.” The NGO admits that it assumes all deaths in Gaza are civilians unless there is evidence confirming they are militants. CBS News also relied on data from a prestigious British medical journal long known for its repeated anti-Israel bias. A recently debunked Lancet article reported more civilian deaths than even Hamas reported.

Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO and national director of the Anti-Defamation League said: “I’m outraged that CBS News’ ‘60 Minutes’ would air such a biased and one-sided piece, villainizing Israel and berating U.S. support for its ally. Where are the counter perspectives to those interviewed? Where is the mention of the nearly 100 hostages, including Americans, STILL in captivity!? What kind of journalism is that? Major media outlets all need to do better.”

Hamas continues its campaign of destruction

The Iranian-backed terror group Hamas is perpetuating the conflict and exacerbating suffering for Palestinians and Israelis. Hamas is reportedly recruiting new militants and rebuilding under the brother of slain senior leader Yahya Sinwar. The terror group is still firing rockets at Israeli civilians and killed a number of Israeli soldiers in recent weeks.

Hamas continues to use Palestinian hospitals, humanitarian zones and civilian homes to shelter its terrorists. Israel was condemned in late December for taking action against a Hamas command and control center in a Palestinian hospital and arresting its director—a doctor suspected of being a Hamas terrorist. An elite Hamas fighter who doubled as a hospital janitor revealed to Israeli authorities: “From the hospital, the grenades and mortars were given out, to attack the tanks, for ambushes and for tunnels because terrorists think the hospital is a safe shelter.”

Said Lew: “The media that is presenting a pro-Hamas perspective is sent out instantaneously telling a story. It tells a story that is, over time, shown not to be completely accurate.”

Points to consider:

  1. The media’s failure to present a balanced picture harms Israel and America.

A great deal of biased media coverage of the Hamas war against Israel created a skewed narrative starting on Oct. 8, often portraying Israel as the sole aggressor while downplaying or ignoring Hamas’s violations of international humanitarian law. Stories often highlight Israeli counter-terrorism actions while ignoring the provocations by Hamas, including (and especially) the Oct. 7 massacre of 1,200 men, women and children in Israel and the ongoing abuse of Palestinian civilians by Hamas terrorists. This selective framing diminishes Israel’s right to defend its citizens and obscures the role of Hamas as the aggressor. One-sided narratives are journalistic malpractice that undermines Israeli and American security in their fight against terrorism, Iran and its proxies.

  1. Biased reporting is amplified on social media to millions of followers.

Individuals and organizations propagate biased coverage, spreading misinformation and one-sided narratives at an alarming pace. Viral posts often depict scenes of destruction in Gaza without context—fueling outrage against Israel while ignoring the Hamas role in instigating violence—and algorithms prioritize emotionally charged content. Echo chambers increase hostility toward Israel and embolden anti-Jewish rhetoric. Accurate reporting and fact-checking are important. Social-media platforms must take more responsibility to limit the spread of misleading narratives that distort the truth.

  1. Hamas is directly responsible for suffering in Gaza.

Hamas’s actions are the root cause of the suffering in the Gaza Strip, including the hoarding of international aid intended for building Gaza, redirected to the construction of its terror tunnel infrastructure. The Iranian-backed terrorists embed themselves in civilian neighborhoods and humanitarian zones, store weapons in schools and hospitals, and divert humanitarian aid for military purposes. Hamas purposefully endangers its own citizens, using many as unwilling human shields. Hamas sparked the current conflict when it killed 1,200 people and took 251 hostages on Oct. 7, a clear and proven fact now often overlooked in news and social-media reports. Israel targets Hamas infrastructure to protect its citizens. Hamas terrorists continue to pursue violence and manipulate media narratives because this has proven to be a winning strategy, with truth made a global casualty.

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