The right words can turn a non-story into international headlines. A war becomes a “genocide.” Shortages become “starvation.” A misfired Palestinian rocket at Al-Ahli hospital in October 2023 became “Israeli airstrike kills hundreds,” and the correction never caught up.
None of this is accidental. Some words describe; others convict. “Casualties” describes, “massacre” convicts. Choose the convicting word, and the verdict arrives before the evidence. Once Israel is labeled genocidal, its evidence is dismissed as propaganda and its supporters are shut down.
Take famine. A UNICEF-led survey this summer found acute malnutrition in Gaza at 0.2 to 0.8 percent, at or below pre-war levels. Few outlets that ran “famine” headlines gave it the same space.
Real suffering in Gaza deserves precise language, not inflated language. And friends of Israel must hold themselves to the same standard.
Next time, ask: What actually happened? How many? Who is counting? Is this a description, or a verdict dressed up as one?
