Israeli Regime’s Media Strategies for Legitimizing Military Actions

Mohsen Fayyazi, in an interview with the website of the Strategic Council on Foreign Relations, stated: “The Zionist regime uses two main strategies to justify its military actions in Gaza. First, the use of military censorship, which limits the publication of operational details, including objectives and weapons used. For example, in attacks on schools that were sheltering displaced people, key information is not published without military authorization. This approach allows the Israeli regime to present its desired narrative.”

From the perspective of this senior Palestinian affairs analyst, “The second strategy involves presenting an official narrative by military spokespersons in Hebrew and Arabic, which, by relying on selective images and information, attempts to make the military actions believable.” According to him, the Israeli regime’s military emphasizes keywords such as “intelligence dominance,” “operational precision,” “human shielding of targets,” and “military ethics.” These keywords, alongside media marginalization, such as the incident of the pagers’ explosion in Lebanon, are designed to divert attention from the core actions, like mass killings. This approach overshadows the main story with secondary issues and helps legitimize the military operations.

Role of Western Support in the Continuation of the Israeli Regime’s Inhumane Policies

Mohsen Fayyazi believes that “Western powers’ support for the Israeli regime is manifested more in negative approaches than in positive actions.” In his view, “The lack of effective diplomatic actions and the control of mainstream media flows in the West have allowed the Israeli regime to continue its policies in Gaza, including killings and creating famine, without serious obstacles. Although critical statements are issued by Western officials or the European Union, due to the absence of practical actions, these criticisms practically give Tel Aviv the opportunity to continue its path.”

This Palestinian affairs analyst notes that “The West’s implicit coordination in refraining from applying effective and decisive pressure, such as sanctions or cutting military support, has allowed the Israeli regime to continue its operations with ease. For instance, while the United Nations has reported the killing of over 1,300 Palestinians near aid distribution sites, the West, instead of taking practical action, has contented itself with issuing condemnatory statements.” This approach, in Fayyazi’s opinion, “amounts to a green light for the continuation of the Israeli regime’s policies in Gaza.”

Ineffectiveness of International Criticism on the Israeli Regime’s Decision-Making

The senior Palestinian affairs analyst believes that “international criticism, including accusations of ethnic cleansing, has had little impact on the Israeli regime’s strategies. Developments after October 7, 2023, such as the attack on Rafah and the starvation campaigns, show that these criticisms have failed to change Tel Aviv’s policies.” Therefore, Fayyazi emphasizes that “The Israeli regime manages international pressures by using media justifications and marginal actions, such as apparent plans to reduce starvation. For example, in response to the global campaign against famine in Gaza, the Israeli regime proposed ideas like creating safe corridors for aid distribution. Still, these measures are designed within the framework of the main strategy of causing social collapse in Gaza and weakening Hamas.” According to Fayyazi, “Even internal criticism within the Israeli military regarding these approaches, which have dangerous political and social consequences for the future of this regime, has failed to bring about a significant change in policies. Consequently, the Israeli regime, relying on implicit Western support and media management, continues on its current path.”