The coverage of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is influenced by explicit and implicit factors that result in various elements being interchangeable, such as scapegoating Muslims and sensationalism, ultimately overshadowing the gravity of the situation.
By Ashraf Shaghil
NEW DELHI—While demonstrations against Israel’s attacks on Gaza are taking place in different countries including the US, Europe, and of course, Middle Eastern nations, there have been no significant public gatherings in the country. Instead, Muslim organizations and civil rights groups in India are expressing their support for the Palestinians through symbolic gestures like issuing press releases to condemn the killings of innocents.
It is not that the Indian government has prevented Muslims from holding protests, but they tend to take a cautious approach to avoid unfair scrutiny from a considerable portion of the mainstream media, especially television news channels.
The coverage of the Israel-Palestinian conflict is influenced by explicit and implicit factors that result in various elements being interchangeable, such as scapegoating Muslims and sensationalism, ultimately overshadowing the gravity of the situation. Precisely, the coverage of conflict with a focus on Hamas is intended for domestic consumption.
While it may not be directly influenced by the ruling party, there appears to be a mischievous depiction of the views expressed by a few Muslims vis-à-vis Hamas. It is incorrect to assume that the news presenters are under pressure from their paymasters or believe that extolling Israel will earn them ratings. Instead, the aim appears to be perpetuating divisive and diversionary tactics, which eventually go in the favour of the current dispensation.
This is not new to Indian Muslims, however. Whether it is the coronavirus pandemic, the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, or anything wrong, Indian TV news channels seem to relish the chance to dehumanize Muslims. Only a naive person would overlook the design in the dangerous depiction of Muslims in the media coverage of these events.
The news packages, mostly targeting Hamas, are presented in a manner that affects Indian Muslims. In almost every debate, Muslim guests are compelled to call Hamas a terrorist organization first, as if their failure to do so automatically labels them as terrorists. The other day, a defence expert stated: “If 1000 Israeli children are killed, then 10 lakh Palestinian children should be slaughtered.” He went on to suggest Israel “obliterate the Gaza Strip”.
While the defence expert was uttering the nonsense, popular TV anchor Deepak Chaurasia kept nodding in approval. It is an undeniable fact that some journalists are self-saffronized.
According to an Al-Jazeera analysis, Indian right-wing accounts are among the leading amplifiers of anti-Palestinian fake news. Fact-checking service BOOM found several verified Indian X users at the helm of a disinformation campaign. “These “disinfluencers” – influencers who have routinely shared disinformation – have been “mostly targeting Palestine negatively, or being supportive of Israel”, according to BOOM. They have peddled tropes that have sought to showcase Palestinians as fundamentally brutal, reported the news outlet.
The role of mainstream media is truly disheartening. Instead of bringing stories of ordinary people affected by the conflicts on both sides, the television news channels are aggressively disseminating pro-Israel narratives. The anchors in the TV newsrooms, along with their guests, prioritize creating noise and spectacle over meaningful analysis.
There is no denying the fact that propaganda in the age of social media is an integral part of any conflict these days. This holds to this war as well. Unfortunately, Indian journalists too have been influenced by misleading information. However, it is noteworthy that these journalists have selectively focused on information that portrays Palestine in a negative light.
For example, a journalist tweeted: “A pregnant woman in Southern Israel was found by Hamas terrorists. They dissected her body. Her stomach was cut open and they took the fetus out with the umbilical cord. And let the unborn child die slowly out of his mother’s womb. This is what inhuman savages Hamas do.” But X claimed that the incident dated back to 1982, when Israel-backed militias had targeted Lebanon, leaving nearly 500 Syrians and Palestinian refugees dead.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s prompt response, expressing solidarity with Israel is also partly responsible for this. It marks a departure from India’s cautious diplomatic policy toward the Middle East. However, five days later, in its official statement, the Indian government balanced this, reiterating India’s support for a sovereign state of Palestine that can coexist alongside Israel.
It is interesting to note that media outlets generally follow their respective country’s policies when it comes to labeling certain groups as “terrorists”. However, it is entirely different in this case. Here, the Indian government has not designated Hamas a terror organization, but most of the mainstream journalists consistently, and religiously, refer to the group as “terrorist”.
In contrast, Western governments such as the US and UK have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization, but notable outlets like the BBC, Wall Street Journal, New York Times, and Washington Post have displayed resistance to using the “terrorist” label for Hamas. The BBC, for instance, recently released a statement explaining their stance on this matter. Similarly, although US President Joe Biden has unequivocally blamed Hamas as a “terrorist” group for the crisis, these US outlets have predominantly used the term “militant” to describe Hamas.
A research paper by Zainab Sikander affirms the fact that since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in 2014, Islamophobia in India has risen. The paper underlined some events, including the portrayal of Muslims during the coronavirus pandemic.
While the proliferation of Islamophobic content on social media continues to fuel the right-wing’s inclination to target and smear Muslims, the development in the Middle East has offered the news media outlets an opportunity to further vilify Muslims.
Undoubtedly, the Indian media has played a key role in the process of othering Muslims. For over a decade, mainstream news channels have made Muslims ‘punching bags’, holding them accountable for all wrongs and opting for a simplistic binary approach in news coverage.
