logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
34m 46s

Language, the Media, and Palestine

JEWISH CURRENTS
About this episode

In the public sphere, the discursive battle over Israel and Palestine often comes down to language, with one’s willingness to use individual words and phrases like “apartheid” and “settler colonialism,” or “the right to exist” and “human shields,” usually offering a pretty reliable indication of their worldview. Since October 7th, mainstream and independent media alike have been faced with endless choices about how to represent the unfolding events: Which words are used to describe the Hamas attacks and which ones are used to describe those of the Israeli military, for example, and what does it say about the perceived humanity of each group of victims? What should reporters do with words like “genocide” or “war crimes,” which will take some time to adjudicate legally, but which also serve a function in naming unfolding events? This isn’t just a question about words, but also grammar and syntax: In a pattern reminiscent of reporting on police attacks on Black Americans, headlines often employ the passive voice when dealing with Israeli military action, obscuring the culpability of those responsible for attacks on Palestinians. 

In this episode, Jewish Currents editor-in-chief Arielle Angel talks to Intercept senior editor Ali Gharib, independent journalist Dalia Hatuqa, and former New York Times Magazine writer Jazmine Hughes about the decisions that newsrooms are making regarding the language they use to discuss Israel/Palestine, and what these decisions mean about the state of journalism today.

Thanks to Jesse Brenneman for producing and to Nathan Salsburg for the use of his song “VIII (All That Were Calculated Have Passed).” 

Articles Mentioned and Further Reading:

Coverage of Gaza War in the New York Times and Other Major Newspapers Heavily Favored Israel, Analysis Shows,” Adam Johnson and Othman Ali, The Intercept

CNN Runs Gaza Coverage Past Jerusalem Team Operating Under Shadow of IDF Censor,” Daniel Boguslaw, The Intercept

Between the Hammer and the Anvil: The Story Behind the New York Times October 7 Exposé,” Jeremy Scahill, Ryan Grim, and Daniel Boguslaw, The Intercept 

In Internal Meeting, Christiane Amanpour Confronts CNN Brass About ‘Double Standards’ on Israel Coverage,” Daniel Boguslaw and Prem Thakker, The Intercept

This War Did Not Start a Month Ago,” Dalia Hatuqa, The New York Times

Jazmine Hughes on Democracy Now

‘There Has Never Been Less Tolerance for This’: Inside a New York Times Magazine Writer’s Exit Over Gaza Letter,” Charlotte Klein, Vanity Fair

Words About War guide

A Poetry of Proximity,” Solmaz Sharif, Kenyon Review

Notes on Craft: Writing in the Hour of Genocide,” Fargo Nissim Tbakhi, Protean Magazine

Up next
Jun 18
Netanyahu Gets His War on Iran
On Friday, June 13th, just days before the sixth scheduled round of US–Iran talks over the country's nuclear energy program, Israel carried out a series of punishing airstrikes in many different parts of Iran. The bombings were unprecedented in targeting Iran’s nuclear energy inf ... Show More
32m 26s
Jun 12
The Return of the American Council for Judaism
This episode of On the Nose comes from a live Zoom conversation between associate editor Mari Cohen and Rabbi Andrue Kahn in February, in which they discussed the anti-nationalist tradition of the American Reform movement and the American Council for Judaism (ACJ), the anti-Zioni ... Show More
44m 31s
May 29
Kneecap and the Politics of Language Reclamation
Last year saw the release of Kneecap, a fictionalized account of the real-life West Belfast-based Irish language rap group of the same name. The group is know for their bombastic, irreverent take on politics in the North of Ireland and their advocacy for the Irish language, which ... Show More
44m 10s
Recommended Episodes
May 2
After Nonviolence and What Comes Next in Palestine: A conversation with Ben Ehrenreich
In this episode of Occupied Thoughts, FMEP Fellow Ahmed Moor and author Ben Ehrenreich cover a range topics reflecting Ben's reporting and analysis on Israel/Palestine and U.S. policy, including West Bank Palestinians' relationships to affecting change through nonviolent action, ... Show More
57m 30s
Jun 17
Palestinian Photojournalist Who Exposed Gaza’s Genocide to the World | Motaz Azaiza 153
Motaz is a Palestinian photojournalist and humanitarian storyteller who became one of the most recognized voices documenting life under siege in Gaza. With his camera as his witness, Motaz risked everything to shed light on the brutal realities faced by his people sharing unfilte ... Show More
1h 29m
May 8
World Press Freedom Day: Palestinian Voices Under Fire
In Palestine, journalism is not just a profession, t’s an act of survival, resistance, and memory. This episode, released for World Press Freedom Day, explores the brutal reality Palestinian journalists face under Israeli occupation: targeted killings, censorship, and the erasure ... Show More
18m 24s
Nov 2023
Antisemitism. Everywhere.
Next week we will release the new book by Saul Singer and me: "The Genius of Israel: The Surprising Resilience of a Divided Nation in a Turbulent World", which you can order now at: www.amazon.com/Genius-Israel-Small-Nation-Teach/dp/1982115769/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3LKV3ZLWLBOL1&keywor ... Show More
52 m
Jan 2024
Humanitarian Catastrophe in Gaza #Palestine | Mara Kronenfeld | UNRWA-USA
Mara Kronenfeld, the Executive Director of UNRWA-USA, gives context about the humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza right now and the devastating impact the 17-year-long blockade has had on Palestinian life.This episode was recorded on October 20 at 15:30 Palestine time.Hosted by: Mik ... Show More
52m 41s
Oct 2024
Rapper Lowkey Debates Israel, Hezbollah and Palestine With Piers Morgan
British rapper Lowkey’s music has been entwined with activism since he first picked up a mic, and true to form, he joins Piers Morgan Uncensored with political fire in his belly. Openly anti-Zionist and pro-Palestine, Lowkey lays the blame for the ongoing conflict in the Middle E ... Show More
36m 27s
Mar 2025
'You Called Me a NAZI!" Rabbi Shmuley vs Pro-Palestinians | Israel Cuts Power To Gaza
In the remnants of a supposed ceasefire, the fighters of Hamas and the IDF continue to engage each other and create more destruction; though with a strong advantage to the Israelis. In an effort to force Hamas to release all the remaining hostages, Israel has cut off the power su ... Show More
59m 45s
Jul 2024
Protests In Israel: 9 months Of War
Piers Morgan hosts a debate on the ongoing conflict in Gaza, in light of a new report that suggests the Israeli army invoked its controversial 'Hannibal Directive' during October 7 - meaning many civilian lives would have been put in danger. The protocol was invoked at three mili ... Show More
50m 50s
Dec 2024
The Brutality of War - with Yossi Klein Halevi
🔗 Subscribe to watch video episodes of Call me Back on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CallMeBackPodcast🔗 Visit our website to sign up for updates, access transcripts and more: https://arkmedia.org/🔗 Dan on X: https://x.com/dansenor🔗 Dan on Instagram: https://www.instagram. ... Show More
50m 48s
Jan 2024
Israel’s war on Gaza: What constitutes genocide?
With the International Court of Justice deliberating over South Africa’s genocide case against Israel, we look at how the proceedings could affect reporting on the war. Contributors: Qaanitah Hunter - Journalist, News24 Nimer Sultany - Editor-in-Chief, The Palestine Yearbook of I ... Show More
24m 51s