Weaponizing the Word: How Israeli Media Fuels War and Demonizes Palestinians

Watan-The Israeli occupation state is not content with using deadly and internationally banned weapons to carry out massacres in Gaza—among the most horrific crimes in modern times—but also continues to employ its media platforms for incitement and racist rhetoric against the Palestinian people.

A recent monitoring report by the Palestinian News and Information Agency (WAFA) highlighted prominent examples of such incitement in Israeli media over the past week. Notably, an article by Zvika Yehezkeli, published on Maariv, opposed the hostage deal not only politically, but stripped it of its humanitarian dimension, portraying it as merely a “security threat” rather than a moral imperative. Yehezkeli presented any negotiation efforts as “dangerous concessions,” promoting further continuation of the war.

Calls to Continue the War

In Makor Rishon, Meir Ben Shabbat—ahead of the Israeli PM’s visit to the U.S.—wrote an article titled “As Opportunities Grow, So Do the Challenges”. In it, he not only rejected the Palestinian Authority’s legitimacy but reimagined the regional map without any role for it.

Ben Shabbat described any link between Arab normalization with Israel and support for the Palestinian Authority as a “suspicious gamble,” implying that even acknowledging the Palestinian political existence is a threat. He called for completely denying the PA any influence and blaming it for the failure of all peace processes, promoting its exclusion from international engagement.

The article’s most dangerous aspect was its lack of any political alternative, instead promoting a militarized vision: strikes, coercion, weakening enemies, and imposing new realities. He urged the Israeli government to pressure Washington to assassinate Hamas leaders in Qatar and Turkey, and to continue pushing for voluntary emigration from Gaza.

In another piece titled “Inverted Morality, Fear of Occupation, and Preference for the Individual: Why Doesn’t Israel Win in Gaza?”, former military rabbi Aviad Gadot incited violence against Palestinians, presenting force not as a military necessity, but as a moral duty. He granted religious legitimacy to the occupation, portraying it as fulfillment of Jewish redemption.

Gadot wrote:“The Jewish people have thousands of years of operational experience in wars against cruel nations… with Torah, the Israeli army is the most moral, avoiding the dark corners of killing, rape, theft, or looting. The highest moral value is to defeat and kill the enemy.”

This deliberately whitewashed Israeli war crimes in Gaza.

Religious Incitement

Also in Makor Rishon, Rabbi Chaim Navon wrote “Three Reasons the Army That Beat Hezbollah and Iran Is Stuck in Gaza”, describing Palestinians as “enemies who kidnapped Jews,” while entirely ignoring the political and humanitarian context. Instead of advocating peace, Navon called for decisive military action at any cost—even risking the lives of Israeli hostages, thereby promoting institutionalized cruelty and justifying ongoing violence as a result of Israel’s strategic failures.

Similarly, columnist Ari Shavit, in an article titled “Between the Humiliating Defeat in Gaza Envelope and the Glorious Victory in Iran”, completely ignored the Palestinian presence, reflecting a deeply ideological view of Palestinians as a “void” to be conquered or reshaped by force.

Normalization of Colonial Expansion

In Maariv, columnist Avraham Bloch published “Repeating the Mistakes of Oslo and the Disengagement”, openly advocating full Israeli control over Gaza and rejecting any external administration. This was a direct call to restore annexation discourse, quoting six coalition MKs urging Netanyahu to eliminate Hamas and impose total Israeli sovereignty over Gaza.

In Yedioth Ahronoth, Avi Issacharoff published “The War in Gaza Became a Goal in Itself”. While advocating for a political solution to end the war, he undermined it by reducing the Palestinian Authority to a functional tool rather than a legitimate political partner.

Incitement on “X” (Formerly Twitter)

The report also monitored rampant incitement and racism on the platform X, especially from senior members of the Israeli government:

• Itamar Ben Gvir, Minister of National Security and head of Jewish Power, wrote:

“We must tell the truth, even if it’s unpleasant: The final order to subdue Hamas hasn’t been given yet. Stop dithering—subdue now.”

• Tzvi Sukkot, MK from Religious Zionism, said:

“Ending the war without achieving its goals is a spit in the face of our soldiers and fallen families. It’s also a major threat to the entire state.”

• Limor Son Har-Melech, MK from Jewish Power, attacked Arab MK Ayman Odeh for celebrating hostage releases, writing:

“Fire him now!”

She also accused the World Health Organization of being “anti-Semitic,” alleging it seeks to override Israeli sovereignty under the guise of pandemic cooperation.

• Yulia Malinovsky, MK from Yisrael Beiteinu, accused the government of trading with Hamas instead of destroying it. Party leader Avigdor Lieberman made similar claims.

• Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself wrote:“There will be no Hamas. There won’t be a second Hamas. We won’t return to that. We’ll continue until we achieve victory.”