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Sympathy to Scorn: The Fight Against Anti-Israel Media Coverage Since October 7
Partygoers at the Supernova Psy-Trance Festival who filmed the events that unfolded on Oct. 7, 2023. Photo: Yes Studios
There are few words left that can fully encapsulate the sheer horror of October 7, 2023 — the day when Hamas terrorists, alongside Palestinian civilians, unleashed an unfathomable wave of barbarity and bloodlust on defenseless men, women, and children.
The brutality they inflicted is almost unspeakable, and the fear and anguish endured by the victims continue to haunt those who survived.
Some survivors, along with those held hostage in Gaza and later freed in prisoner exchanges, have bravely shared their stories, while many remain too traumatized to speak. Heartbroken families who exchanged their final words with loved ones trapped inside their homes by armed terrorists have also shared their grief. First responders and emergency personnel who rushed to the scene have detailed, in raw terms, the atrocities they witnessed and the lives they struggled to save.
But the voices we will never hear belong to those who endured the very worst of Hamas’ barbarism — those who were tortured, sexually assaulted, mutilated, and murdered in cold blood.
Many of these horrific acts were captured by the body cameras of the terrorists themselves, who filmed not only the slaughter but also their sickening pride in committing such violence. Their actions, and the sadistic glee they reveled in, reveal the depth of cruelty and hatred that October 7 has come to represent.
October 7th marked the single deadliest day for the Jewish people since the Holocaust. In those immediate hours, there was a fleeting moment when the world — or at least the media — seemed united in grief. As Israelis and Jews across the Diaspora wept over the unfathomable brutality inflicted upon their community, it appeared that the world too was mourning.
However, for some in the media, the words “Never Again,” or the resonant “Never Again is Now,” echoed in the aftermath of October 7, were not to be taken literally.
Once Israel began its defensive response against Hamas — a genocidal terrorist group openly committed to repeating the October 7 massacre until Israel and its people are wiped from the earth — the backlash from certain corners of the media was swift, disproportionate, and relentless.
The narrative shifted from grief and horror, to harsh criticism of Israel’s right to defend itself, betraying the brief sense of solidarity that had momentarily surfaced.
Indeed, barely 72 hours had passed since the first wave of Hamas terrorists crossed the border, when the media began laying the foundation for what would soon become a widespread and reckless accusation: that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
The “genocide libel” is not new — far from it.
However, the speed and ease with which it was embraced by those who should know better was staggering.
Take Reuters on October 10, when they published a piece with a headline quoting the Palestinian UN envoy accusing Israel of launching a “genocidal campaign against Gaza.”
This accusation, made by Riyad H. Mansour, was based on false claims — none of the alleged actions amounting to genocide had occurred, including the use of “starvation as a method of warfare” or an “attempt to eradicate their national existence.” Yet, Reuters ran with the incendiary headline regardless. From that moment, the dye was set, and the narrative began to take shape. Despite all facts to the contrary, the genocide accusation would take on a life of its own, stubbornly persisting in public discourse.
The Attempted Mainstreaming of October 7 Revisionism
One of the key tactics used to delegitimize Israel’s right to self-defense — and, by extension, its very right to exist — is the spread of October 7 revisionism. This campaign either denies aspects of Hamas’ crimes or downplays the massacre altogether. While these narratives didn’t necessarily originate in the media, those seeking Israel’s destruction have found willing enablers — whether unwitting or deliberate — within mainstream outlets to advance their cause.
This campaign has centered on three main points: denying the sexual violence committed by Hamas terrorists, framing the attack as a legitimate act of resistance, and claiming that Israel is exploiting October 7 to “occupy” Gaza.
Denial of Hamas Sexual Violence
The denial of Hamas’ well-documented sexual crimes began with conspiracy outlets like The Intercept and The Grayzone, but these narratives gained some legitimacy through a minority of mainstream media coverage.
Political podcaster Brianna Joy Gray, for example, suggested that believing Israeli women were raped was an “overreach” because none had “offered testimony.” Gray was later fired from The Hill after rolling her eyes at Yarden Gonen, the sister of hostage Romi Gonen, who was appealing for her to believe the accounts of Israeli victims.
Masha Gessen contributed to this narrative in The New Yorker, with a feature that purported to “investigate” the sexual violence on October 7, only to ultimately accuse Israel of “weaponizing” these crimes.
While Gessen did not outright deny that sexual violence occurred, the piece downplayed its extent and gravity, casting doubt on a UN investigation led by Pramila Patten and dismissing witness testimony.
#MashaGessen Tells #BigLies About #10/7 #Rapes
In the New Yorker, Gessen, a freakish anti-Zionist, claims that the #IDF also allegedly rapes Arabs, that all wars involve rapes–there’s nothing to see here. Move right on.
Not so fast. Rape has always been a spoil of war, not a…
— Phyllis Chesler (@Phyllischesler) July 21, 2024
However, organizations like HonestReporting countered this denial early on, preventing the falsehood from gaining a foothold or becoming widespread in mainstream media.
Claiming to be a “report on eight months of claim & counter-claim” about the sexual violence against Israelis on Oct 7, @thetimes foreign correspondent @scribblercat & @gabrielle_siviais’ story is nothing more than a muddle of victim-blaming & bias. https://t.co/hDoKgnyjc0
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) June 9, 2024
Framing the Hamas Massacre as a Legitimate Act of “Resistance”
Another narrative that originated in the antisemitic corners of the Internet has been amplified by sections of the mainstream media: the claim that Hamas’ October 7 attack was a legitimate act of resistance.
The BBC, in particular, has come under significant scrutiny.
An analysis of four months of its coverage, starting on October 7, uncovered a staggering 1,500 breaches of its own editorial guidelines.
This investigation, led by UK lawyer Trevor Asserson and his firm, involved a team of around 20 lawyers and 20 data scientists. It exposed systemic failures in maintaining impartiality and accuracy. Among the findings was the BBC’s frequent portrayal of Hamas in sympathetic terms, particularly as a “resistance movement,” with its fighters referred to as “soldiers.” One of the most egregious examples was a headline that described Hamas’ October 7 assault as a “spectacular” operation.
Numerous other mainstream outlets have also echoed this narrative of “resistance.” However, continued efforts to counter this grotesque framing have been effective in pushing back against the spread of this dangerous revisionism.
Hinting Israel is Using October 7 as a Pretext to Occupy Gaza
From CNN to the BBC, parts of the media have pushed the narrative that Israel will use the Hamas massacre as an excuse to seize Gaza.
This misleading claim relies on statements from a small group of right-wing Israeli politicians, who do not represent the broader Israeli population or government, to imply that Israel’s long-term strategy is to occupy the Strip.
Guardian columnist Owen Jones, who has also cast doubt on Hamas’s sexual violence, falsely claimed on Good Morning Britain that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had laid the first stone of a new settlement in Gaza.
After HonestReporting revealed that Jones had mistranslated Netanyahu’s speech — he was actually referring to a destroyed kibbutz in the Gaza Envelope, outside of Gaza — Jones issued a correction.
More lies from @OwenJones84 who falsely claimed on @ITV‘s @GMB that Israeli PM Netanyahu was in northern Gaza “laying a rock” for a new settlement & talking about rebuilding Gaza settlements.
Actually, Netanyahu was in the south of Israel, not northern Gaza, laying the… pic.twitter.com/AuLW5ALeSt
— HonestReporting (@HonestReporting) December 3, 2023
Just want to correct an error I made on @GMB on Thursday.
On my way to the studios, I read this tweet which was widely circulated and understood as Benjamin Netanyahu committing to building new settlements on the Gaza Strip.
In fact it was a Google Translate error which… https://t.co/8BgBLVpbWF
— Owen Jones (@owenjonesjourno) December 3, 2023
Exposing and Confronting October 7 Distortion
The battle against the distortion of October 7’s atrocities has demonstrated that swift, decisive action is essential to stopping dangerous falsehoods from taking root. The screening of Bearing Witness –– a film that reveals Hamas’ body cam footage of the massacre — was an unflinching and effective way of showing the brutal reality to journalists and key figures. The film struck a careful balance between honoring the memories of the victims and survivors, while ensuring the truth was communicated to the wider public.
Organizations like mine — HonestReporting — have been relentless in exposing those who spread revisionist lies, actively shaming individuals and media outlets that seek to downplay or distort the reality of Hamas’ brutality. Left unchecked, these falsehoods risk becoming entrenched in public consciousness, much like the insidious “genocide libel.”
But HonestReporting’s efforts show that it is possible to stop these distortions before they metastasize into accepted narratives. The truth is not just a countermeasure — it’s a weapon against the lies proliferating online, in social media, and in print.
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.
The post Sympathy to Scorn: The Fight Against Anti-Israel Media Coverage Since October 7 first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Iran Rejects US Nuclear Proposal, Says ‘Counteroffer’ Coming as Talks Stall Over Uranium Enrichment, Sanctions
Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei speaks during a meeting in Tehran, Iran, May 20, 2025. Photo: Office of the Iranian Supreme Leader/WANA (West Asia News Agency)/Handout via REUTERS
Iran has denounced the latest nuclear proposal from the United States as “unprofessional and untechnical,” reaffirming the country’s right to enrich uranium and announcing plans to present a counteroffer in the coming days.
“After receiving the American proposal regarding the Iranian nuclear program, we are now preparing a counteroffer,” Ali Shamkhnai, political adviser to Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said in an interview on Wednesday.
Shamkhani criticized the White House draft proposal as “not well thought out,” emphasizing its alleged failure to address sanction relief — a key demand for Tehran under any deal with Washington.
“There is no mention whatsoever of lifting sanctions in the latest American proposal, even though the issue of sanctions is a fundamental matter for Iran,” Shamkhnai said.
The Iranian official also warned that Tehran will not allow the US to dismantle its “peaceful nuclear program” or force uranium enrichment down to zero.
“Iran will never relinquish its natural rights,” Shamkhani said.
Washington’s draft proposal for a new nuclear deal was delivered by Omani officials — who have been mediating negotiations between Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and US Special Envoy to the Middle East Steve Witkoff — during last month’s talks in Rome.
On Wednesday, Khamenei dismissed such an offer, saying it “contradicts our nation’s belief in self-reliance” and runs counter to Iran’s key objectives.
“The proposal that the Americans have presented is 100 percent against our interests,” the Iranian leader said during a televised speech.
“The rude and arrogant leaders of America repeatedly demand that we should not have a nuclear program. Who are you to decide whether Iran should have enrichment?” Khamenei continued.
After five rounds of talks, diplomatic efforts have yet to yield results as both adversaries clash over Iran’s demand to maintain its domestic uranium enrichment program — a condition the White House has firmly rejected.
In April, Tehran and Washington held their first official nuclear negotiation since the US withdrew from a now-defunct 2015 nuclear deal that had imposed temporary limits on Iran’s nuclear program in exchange for sanction relief.
Since taking office, US President Donald Trump has sought to curtail Tehran’s potential to develop a nuclear weapon that could spark a regional arms race and pose a threat to Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran seeks to have Western sanctions on its oil-dependent economy lifted, while maintaining its nuclear enrichment program — which the country insists is solely for civilian purposes.
As part of the Trump administration’s “maximum pressure” campaign against Iran — which aims to cut the country’s crude exports to zero and prevent it from obtaining a nuclear weapon — Washington has been targeting Tehran’s oil industry with mounting sanctions.
Amid the ongoing diplomatic deadlock, Israel has declared it will never allow the Islamist regime to acquire nuclear weapons, as the country views Iran’s nuclear program as an existential threat.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged to uphold any agreement that prevents Tehran from enriching uranium.
“But in any case, Israel maintains the right to defend itself from a regime that is threatening to annihilate it,” Netanyahu said in a press conference last month, following reports that Jerusalem could strike Iranian nuclear sites if ongoing negotiations between Washington and Tehran fail.
The post Iran Rejects US Nuclear Proposal, Says ‘Counteroffer’ Coming as Talks Stall Over Uranium Enrichment, Sanctions first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Day After Colorado Attack, Founder of Anti-Israel Group Chides Activists Who Are Insufficiently ‘Pro-Resistance’
Nerdeen Kiswani, founder of WithinOurLifetime (WOL), leading a pro-Hamas demonstration in New York City on Aug. 14, 2024. Photo: Michael Nigro via Reuters Connect
Nerdeen Kiswani, the founder of the radical anti-Israel organization Within Our Lifetime, chastised those within the pro-Palestinian movement who only support “resistance” in the abstract but not in practice following Sunday’s antisemitic attack in Boulder, Colorado.
“A lot of people who call themselves anti-Zionist or pro-resistance don’t actually understand what resistance is,” Kiswani posted on X/Twitter on Monday. “They support it in theory, but when it shows up in practice, they hesitate, distance themselves, or shift the conversation entirely.”
She continued, “And it makes it even harder for those of us who are principled to take public stances. We’re already marginalized, already painted as extreme or dangerous and that isolation only deepens when others in the movement won’t stand firm when it counts.”
Kiswani’s comments came the day after a man threw Molotov cocktails at a Boulder gathering where participants were rallying in support of the Israeli hostages who remain in captivity in Gaza — which resulted in 15 injuries, including some critically, in what US authorities called a targeted terrorist attack. Her tweets also came less than two weeks after a gunman murdered two Israeli embassy staffers in Washington, DC, while they were leaving an at the Capital Jewish Museum hosted by the American Jewish Committee. In both attacks, the perpetrator yelled “Free Palestine” as they targeted innocent civilians, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).
After Kiswani’s social media posts sparked some backlash among pro-Israel users on X, she provided limited pushback on the idea that it was an expression of support for the prior day’s attack in Colorado.
“Zionists are freaking out in the QTs about this, insisting it’s about Colorado,” she wrote. “Newsflash: the world doesn’t revolve around you. Resistance hasn’t stopped in Gaza, look at what just happened in Jabalia [where three IDF soldiers were killed] for instance. The perpetual victimhood is getting old.”
However, Kiswani did not say her comment had no connection to the attack in Colorado, and she did not say that she opposed the firebombing.
Kiswani and her group, Within Our Lifetime (WOL), have been at the forefront of anti-Israel and pro-Hamas activism since Hamas-led Palestinian terrorists killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages during their invasion of southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, a massacre that started the war in Gaza.
On Oct. 8, 2023, one day after the biggest single-day slaughter of Jews since the Holocaust, WOL organized a protest to celebrate the prior day’s attack, which it described as an effort to “defend the heroic Palestinian resistance.” Kiswani notably refused to condemn Hamas and the Oct. 7 massacre following the atrocities.
Then, in Apil 2024, Kiswani refused to condemn the chant “Death to America” and organized a mass demonstration to block the “arteries of capitalism” by staging a blockade of commercial shipping ports across the world in protest of Western support for the Jewish state. That same month, she was banned from Columbia University’s campus in New York City after leading chants calling for an “intifada,” or violent uprising.
The following month, Kiswani led a demonstration in Brooklyn, New York in which she lambasted the local police department, claimed then-US President Joe Biden will soon die, and called for the destruction of Israel.
That proceeded the activist saying she does not want Zionists “anywhere” in the world while speaking in defense of a person who called for “Zionists” to leave a crowded subway car in New York City.
WOL, which planned a protest last year to celebrate the one-year anniversary of the Oct. 7 massacre, was also behind demonstrations at the Nova Music Festival exhibit, which commemorated the more than 300 civilians slaughtered by Hamas while at a music festival.
The latter protest prompted widespread condemnation, including from Biden and even progressive members of the US Congress who are outspoken against Israel.
US Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), for example, posted on social media that the “callousness, dehumanization, and targeting of Jews on display at last night’s protest outside the Nova Festival exhibit was atrocious antisemitism – plain and simple.”
The post Day After Colorado Attack, Founder of Anti-Israel Group Chides Activists Who Are Insufficiently ‘Pro-Resistance’ first appeared on Algemeiner.com.
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Israel’s Defense Exports Hit Record $15 Billion in 2024 Despite European Pressure, Calls for Arms Embargo
Israeli troops on the ground in Gaza. Photo: IDF via Reuters
Israel reached a new all-time high in defense exports in 2024, nearing $15 billion — the fourth consecutive year of record-breaking sales — despite mounting international criticism over the war in Gaza and growing pressure from European countries to suspend arms deals.
In a press release on Wednesday, Israel’s Defense Ministry announced that defense exports reached over $14.7 billion last year — a 13 percent increase from 2023 — with more than half of the deals valued at over $100 million.
According to the ministry, Israel’s military exports have more than doubled over the past five years, highlighting the industry’s rapid expansion and growing global demand.
“This tremendous achievement is a direct result of the successes of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces] and defense industries against Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Houthis in Yemen, the Ayatollah regime in Iran, and in additional arenas where we operate against Israel’s enemies,” Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz said in a statement.
“The world sees Israeli strength and seeks to be a partner in it. We will continue strengthening the IDF and the Israeli economy through security innovation to ensure clear superiority against any threat – anywhere and anytime,” Katz continued.
In 2024, over half of the Jewish state’s defense contracts were with European countries — up from 35 percent the previous year — as many in the region have increased their defense spending following Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Despite increasing pressure and widespread anti-Israel sentiment among European governments amid the current conflict in Gaza, this latest data seems to contradict recent calls by European leaders to impose an arms embargo on the Jewish state over its defensive campaign in Gaza against the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas.
On Wednesday, Germany reversed its earlier threat to halt arms deliveries to Israel, reaffirming its commitment to continue cooperation and maintain defense contracts with Jerusalem.
“Germany will continue to support the State of Israel, including with arms deliveries,” German Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul told lawmakers in parliament.
Last week, Berlin warned it would take unspecified measures against Israel if it continued its military campaign in Gaza, citing concerns that exported weapons were being used in violation of humanitarian law.
“Our full support for the right to exist and the security of the State of Israel must not be instrumentalized for the conflict and the warfare currently being waged in the Gaza Strip,” Wadephul said in a statement.
Germany would be “examining whether what is happening in the Gaza Strip is compatible with international humanitarian law,” he continued. “Further arms deliveries will be authorized based on the outcome of that review.”
Spain and Ireland are among the countries in Europe that have threatened or taken steps to limit arms deals with Israel, while others such as France have threatened unspecified harsh measures against the Jewish state.
According to the Israeli defense ministry’s report, since the outbreak of war on Oct. 7, 2023, after the Hamas-led invasion of and massacre across southern Israel, the operational successes and proven battlefield performance of Israeli systems have fueled strong international demand for Israel’s defense technology.
Last year, the export of missiles, rockets, and air defense systems reached a new high, making up 48 percent of the total deal volume — up from 36 percent in 2023.
Similarly, satellite and space systems exports surged, accounting for 8 percent of total deals in 2024 — quadrupling their share from 2 percent in 2023.
While Europe dominated Israel’s defense export market in 2024, significant portions also went to other regions. Asia and the Pacific made up 23 percent of total sales — slightly lower than in previous years, when the region approached 30 percent.
Exports to Abraham Accords countries fell to 12 percent, down from 23 percent in 2022, while North America remained stable at around 9 percent.
The post Israel’s Defense Exports Hit Record $15 Billion in 2024 Despite European Pressure, Calls for Arms Embargo first appeared on Algemeiner.com.