Dehumanisation: Tactics of Israel and the Mainstream Media

In the name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful.

When mainstream media willfully turns a blind eye to the historical hardships faced by Palestinians, labeling legitimate resistance as "unprovoked," hope dies. There is an expectation for Palestinians to remain passive, confined like animals in their cages and endure their oppression. Yet, this isn't the ultimate goal of the Israeli government and the complicit media; their aim is the complete dehumanisation of the Palestinian people.

How are they achieving this?

In the aftermath of October 7, the Israeli military and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his office propagated unverified claims that Hamas had beheaded babies—a narrative that was spread throughout global headlines before being retracted due to a lack of evidence. President Joe Biden echoed this narrative, and while the White House later corrected it, the damage had been done.

This dehumanisation is also propagated through mainstream media. Palestinians and their representatives are interorgated on Western media regarding their stance on Hamas, as if they bear the burden of the events of October 7. Yet, these same media outlets never question Israelis about condemning historical events such as the Nakba, the ongoing occupation, or indiscriminate bombings of civilians.

Israeli officials openly use genocidal language against Palestinians, invoking biblical references like the destruction of Amalekites. Despite severe restrictions on essential resources to Gaza, officials employ degrading terms such as "human animals." In the U.S., Senator Lindsey Graham suggests flattening Gaza, while Nikki Haley urges Netanyahu to "finish them." In this world of dehumanisation, crimes against Palestinians are disregarded, their suffering becomes normalized, and they are unjustly blamed for their own deaths.

What's their end goal?

Stripped of their humanity through stwisted narratives, Palestinians are left helpless, subject to the whims of their occupiers. The justification for ongoing genocide is met, and the value of life for the people of Gaza becomes obsolete. The dehumanisation tactics employed by the Nazis before and during World War II, are unfolding before our very eyes.