Palestinians Share Their Views on Media Narratives of Israel-Hamas War

The Western media portray us as terrorists, a Palestinian living in the US tells The Media Line, while another, living in Germany, says that Palestinians do not trust any treaty proposed by the West

The Israel-Hamas war that broke out on Oct. 7 has brought diverse media narratives and protests around the world. The Media Line reached out to Palestinians in several countries to gather their viewpoints on the conflict and on the news outlets they rely on.

Jennifer Jaser, a 36-year-old Palestinian American photographer in New York, told The Media Line that since the outbreak of the war, she has been following news from Palestinian journalists in the Gaza Strip, who have been providing firsthand accounts of events.

“I follow Wizard Bisan, Motaz Azaiza, and a bunch of other reporters who are on the ground in Palestine, because I feel like that is the most reliable news that you can get, because it’s literally directly off the ground and it’s not a lie,” Jaser said.

Asked whether she turns to news outlets that present the other side of the conflict, she said she does, but she questioned how Palestinians were depicted in them.

“I don’t just keep to one, because I know it can be one-sided and propaganda-based. I always must read the other side’s point of view so that I can see how other people are being radicalized, how other people are seeing us,” she said.

Nadera Faham Diaz, a 25-year-old Palestinian American living in New York, said she mostly got her news from social media.

Western media portrays to the world that Palestinians are terrorists, which is why it is hard for a lot of Americans to disassociate Hamas from innocent civilians

“My main sources are through social media, mostly Instagram. I have been following direct sources in Gaza, like Motaz Azaiza, Bisan, and Plestia Alaqad,” she said.

“However, Western media portrays to the world that Palestinians are terrorists, which is why it is hard for a lot of Americans to disassociate Hamas from innocent civilians.”

William Salhab, a 22-year-old British Palestinian studying at the University of Manchester, spoke to The Media Line about the week-long cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in November, when 105 Israeli and foreign hostages held in the Gaza Strip, mostly women and children, were released in exchange for Palestinian security prisoners held in Israeli jails.

“The cease-fire was encouraging, although it was only six days long, and the exchange of hostages was obviously lovely to see as well, and it’s good that Palestinian prisoners were freed,” he said.

“However, I do completely believe that the war should come to a permanent cease-fire. I really struggle to see how anyone could be against that and still consider themselves a decent human being who upholds world standards of decency.”

I was relieved when there was a cease-fire because it meant that people could have a second to breathe in Gaza, and also the hostages were able to go back home to their families, so the cease-fire kind of set a sense of relief for both sides

Mahmoud Zatari, a 27-year-old Palestinian student living in East Jerusalem and enrolled at the Azrieli College of Engineering in Jerusalem, said the cease-fire had brought relief to both sides, albeit temporarily.

“I was relieved when there was a cease-fire because it meant that people could have a second to breathe in Gaza, and also the hostages were able to go back home to their families, so the cease-fire kind of set a sense of relief for both sides,” he said.

Asked about the impact of the war on their identity as Palestinians, one Christian Arab living in West Jerusalem who asked to remain anonymous said that the war had not heightened his sense of Palestinian identity.

“I think I was close to my identity even before the war, and even if nothing had happened, or violent interactions occurred, I don’t need a war to change my perspective on my Palestinian identity,” he said.

I’m Palestinian before I’m American, and whatever happens to people here, it’s going to be the same for me, because it’s a part of me

Naziha Aysheh, a 19-year-old Palestinian American living in Ramallah in the West Bank, said she has consistently maintained a profound connection to her Palestinian identity.

“I’m Palestinian before I’m American, and whatever happens to people here, it’s going to be the same for me, because it’s a part of me,” she said. “The way I’ve been feeling for the past two months is just literally sad and numb. Is there no humanity for what’s happening to the people in Gaza?”

Since the outbreak of the war, protests advocating for a cease-fire have erupted around the world, drawing thousands of people.

“The UK protests have been unreal,” Salhab said. “They’ve been completely unprecedented. It’s by far the biggest pro-Palestine protest in the history of the UK. And in terms of what they were advocating for, they were advocating immediately for a cease-fire.”

Both Jaser and Faham Diaz said there had been peaceful protests in New York.

“There have been several peaceful protests in New York City in support of Palestinian people. Thousands of people have gotten together while chanting, marching, demanding to end the genocide,” Faham Diaz said.

Protest led by Within Our Lifetime and Muslims for Progress Against Northrop Grumman, in Bethpage, New York, Nov. 26, 2023. (Courtesy Jennifer Jaser)

Khaled, a 23-year-old Palestinian German medical student, said that in his view, based on past events, any treaty that would be signed would not be advantageous for the Palestinian people.

“Palestinians, we don’t have any trust in the treaties that people in the West are proposing or that they want us to sign. Even if they promised us heaven and earth, people wouldn’t believe it,” he said. “Because after Oslo, after all the misery and all the tragedies that we as a people went through, even after Arafat, at the end of the day, we were at a huge disadvantage.”

My greatest concern for the future of Palestinians and Israelis is our ability to get along

And Salhab said, “My greatest concern for the future of Palestinians and Israelis is our ability to get along.”

Lana Ikelan is a recent graduate of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and an intern in The Media Line’s Press and Policy Student Program.