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Coverage of Ceasefire Rejection Paints Israel as Aggressor, Whitewashes Hamas
The personal belongings of festival-goers are seen at the site of an attack on the Nova Festival by Hamas terrorists from Gaza, near Israel’s border with the Gaza Strip, in southern Israel, Oct. 12, 2023. Photo: REUTERS/Ronen Zvulun
More than 100 days into the war between Israel and Hamas, media outlets have apparently forgotten who started it.
The headlines this week on Israel’s rejection of a Hamas proposal for a ceasefire made the terror group look like an anti-war movement, while the Jewish state has been painted as the aggressor that wishes to prolong everyone’s suffering.
This impression was created by news outlets that have taken at face value Hamas’ suggestion of a ceasefire or its justification for the October 7 attack on Israel that sparked the war, while completely ignoring the group’s genocidal ideology and its leaders’ statements.
Wire Services Ignore Hamas’ Ideology
Reuters, AP, and AFP led with the Israeli refusal to end the war. Their reports appeared to be merely informative:
Reuters quoted senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
AP produced a video package showing a statement by Netanyahu, along with some background and details.
AFP published a short report, and also referred to a Hamas document distributed over the weekend “justifying its October 7 attack on Israel.”
But none of these agencies — that are responsible for distributing information to thousands of media outlets worldwide — mentioned that Hamas is ideologically committed to a permanent war against Israel, not a ceasefire.
These wire services should have included, at the very least, some background explaining that Hamas is sworn to the destruction of Israel and that its founding charter calls for holy war against the Jewish state.
Without this context, Hamas is presented as a legitimate political actor making legitimate claims.
Echoing Hamas Propaganda
The coverage of the Hamas document mentioned above is another example of how media sanitized the terror group while making Israel look like a warmonger.
The professionally produced document is an 18-page English pamphlet titled “Our Narrative … Operation Al-Aqsa Flood,” produced by the Hamas media office with an eye to a Western audience.
It includes virulent anti-Israeli propaganda and denials of the atrocities of October 7, when Hamas killed 1,200 people inside Israel, brutalized innocent civilians, and took around 240 hostages into Gaza.
The document justifies the monstrosity of this attack with claims like:
The battle of the Palestinian people against occupation and colonialism did not start on Oct. 7, but started 105 years ago, including 30 years of British colonialism and 75 years of Zionist occupation.
Most mainstream media outlets rightly ignored the document.
But, sadly, the AFP was not alone in wrapping it into their report on Israel’s rejection of a ceasefire.
Voice of America, in a piece titled “Netanyahu Rejects Hamas’ Call to End Gaza War,” echoed exactly what Hamas wanted the media to disseminate:
Hamas on Sunday defended its October 7 terror attack on Israel but admitted to “faults” and called for an end to “Israeli aggression” in Gaza.
In its first public report on the attack that began the war, the militant group said it was a “necessary step” against Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories, and a way to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners.
Giving any kind of platform to Hamas’ “first public report” on its October 7 attack is not only bad journalism, but also an appalling normalization of evil.
Ignoring Hamas’ Arabic Rhetoric
Meanwhile, no media outlet reported that almost in parallel to the distribution of the deceiving talking points in English, Hamas has conveyed completely different messages in Arabic.
In early January, Hamas leader abroad Khaled Meshaal publicly said on a Kuwaiti podcast that “October 7 proved that liberating Palestine from the river to the sea is realistic and has already begun.”
In the same interview, Meshaal also categorically rejected a two-state solution and stated that any Palestinian state is going to be a replacement for Israel.
Yet media that criticized Israel for rejecting a ceasefire also bashed Israeli politicians for coming out against a two-state solution, without mentioning that Hamas publicly opposes it.
Aren’t Meshaal’s statements worth highlighting? Were they deliberately ignored?
Why were global headlines focused on Israel’s rejection of a ceasefire but not on Hamas’ reiteration of its unwavering commitment to war?
Why do journalists seem to lose their sense of hearing when terrorists speak Arabic?
These questions deserve answers because news outlets employ Arabic-speaking producers responsible for monitoring Middle East channels and social media.
But whether media omitted necessary background on Hamas’ genocidal ideology, echoed its propaganda, or ignored what its leaders have said, the result is the same: The continuation of the war has been blamed on the Israelis, not on the bloodthirsty murderers who are devoted to it.
The author is a contributor to HonestReporting, a Jerusalem-based media watchdog with a focus on antisemitism and anti-Israel bias — where a version of this article first appeared.
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Brooklyn Nets Select Israeli Basketball Players Ben Saraf, Danny Wolf in NBA Draft
The opening tip between the Brooklyn Nets and Washington Wizards, at Barclays Center, in Brooklyn, New York, Dec. 13, 2020. Photo: Wendell Cruz-USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect
In a landmark night for Israeli basketball, Ben Saraf and Danny Wolf were selected in the first round of the 2025 NBA Draft by the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first time two Israeli players have been drafted in the same year.
Saraf, a 19-year-old guard known for his explosive athleticism and creative playmaking, was taken with the 26th pick. A standout with Maccabi Rishon LeZion and a rising star on Israel’s youth national teams, Saraf gained international attention with his electrifying scoring and commanding court presence.
With the 27th pick, the Nets selected 7-foot center Danny Wolf out of the University of Michigan. Wolf, who holds dual US-Israeli citizenship and represented Israel at the U-20 level, brings a versatile skill set, including sharp passing, perimeter shooting, and a strong feel for the game. After his name was called, Wolf grew emotional in an on-air interview, crediting his family for helping him reach the moment.
“I have the two greatest brothers in the world; I have an unbelievable sister who I love,” Wolf said. “They all helped me get to where I am today, and they’re going to help me get to where I am going to go in this league.”
The historic double-pick adds to the growing wave of Israeli presence on the NBA stage, led by Portland Trail Blazers forward Deni Avdija, who just completed a breakout 2024–25 season. After being traded to Portland last summer, Avdija thrived as a starter, averaging 16.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 3.8 assists. In March alone, he posted 23.4 points, 9.8 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game, including two triple-doubles.
“I don’t think I’ve played like this before … I knew I had it in me. But I’m not really thinking about it. I’m just playing. I’m just free,” Avdija told reporters in March
With Saraf and Wolf joining Avdija, Israel’s basketball pipeline has reached unprecedented visibility. Israeli President Isaac Herzog called the moment “a national celebration for sports and youth,” and Israeli sports commentators widely hailed the night as “historic.”
Both Saraf and Wolf are expected to suit up for the Nets’ Summer League team in July. As the two rookies begin their NBA journey, they join a growing generation of Israeli athletes proving that their game belongs on basketball’s biggest stage.
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Iran Denies Any Meeting With US Next Week, Foreign Minister Says
Iran’s Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi attends a press conference following a meeting with Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov in Moscow, Russia, April 18, 2025. Photo: Tatyana Makeyeva/Pool via REUTERS
Iran currently has no plan to meet with the United States, Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said on Thursday in an interview on state TV, contradicting US President Donald Trump’s statement that Washington planned to have talks with Iran next week.
The Iranian foreign minister said Tehran was assessing whether talks with the US were in its interest, following five previous rounds of negotiations that were cut short by Israel and the US attacking Iran’s nuclear facilities.
The US and Israel said the strikes were meant to curb Iran’s ability to create nuclear weapons, while Iran says its nuclear program is solely geared toward civilian use.
Araqchi said the damages to nuclear sites “were not little” and that relevant authorities were figuring out the new realities of Iran’s nuclear program, which he said would inform Iran’s future diplomatic stance.
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Ireland Becomes First European Nation to Advance Ban on Trade With Israeli Settlements
A pro-Hamas demonstration in Ireland led by nationalist party Sinn Fein. Photo: Reuters/Clodagh Kilcoyne
Ireland has become the first European nation to push forward legislation banning trade with Israeli communities in the West Bank and East Jerusalem — an effort officials say is meant “to address the horrifying situation” in the Gaza Strip.
On Wednesday, Irish Foreign Affairs and Trade Minister Simon Harris announced that the legislation has already been approved by the government and will now move to the parliamentary Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade for pre-legislative scrutiny.
“Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza,” Harris said during a press conference.
The Irish diplomat also told reporters he hopes the “real benefit” of the legislation will be to encourage other countries to follow suit, “because it is important that every country uses every lever at its disposal.”
Today Ireland becomes the first country in Europe to bring forward legislation to ban trade with the Occupied Palestinian Territories.
Ireland is speaking up and speaking out against the genocidal activity in Gaza.
Every country must pull every lever at its disposal. pic.twitter.com/Z4RTjqntEY— Simon Harris TD (@SimonHarrisTD) June 24, 2025
Joining a growing number of EU member states aiming to curb Israel’s defensive campaign against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas, Ireland’s decision comes after a 2024 advisory opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s presence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem illegal.
The ICJ ruled that third countries must avoid trade or investment that supports “the illegal situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.”
Once implemented, the law will criminalize the importation of goods from Israeli settlements into Ireland, empowering customs officials to inspect, seize, and confiscate any such shipments.
“The situation in Palestine remains a matter of deep public concern,” Harris said. “I have made it consistently clear that this government will use all levers at its disposal to address the horrifying situation on the ground and to contribute to long-term efforts to achieve a sustainable peace on the basis of the two-state solution.”
“Israeli settlements in the Occupied Palestinian Territory are illegal and threaten the viability of the two-state solution,” the Irish diplomat continued. “This is the longstanding position of the European Union and our international partners. Furthermore, this is the clear position under international law.”
Harris also urged the EU to comply with the ICJ’s ruling by taking a more decisive and “adequate response” regarding imports from Israeli settlements.
“This is an issue that I will continue to press at EU level, and I reiterated my call for concrete proposals from the European Commission at the Foreign Affairs Council this week,” he said.
Last week, Ireland and eight other EU member states — Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain, and Sweden — called on the European Commission to draft proposals for how EU countries can halt trade and imports with Israeli settlements, in line with obligations set out by the ICJ.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar condemned the latest move by European countries, calling it “shameful” and a misguided attempt to undermine Israel while it faces “existential” threats from Iran and its proxies, including Hamas.
“It is regrettable that even when Israel is fighting an existential threat which is in Europe’s vital interest — there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession,” the top Israeli diplomat said in a post on X.
It is regrettable that even when Israel fighting an existential threat which is in Europe vital interest – there are those who can’t resist their anti-Israeli obsession.
Shameful! https://t.co/lxm9qm8sM1— Gideon Sa’ar | גדעון סער (@gidonsaar) June 19, 2025
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