Important shift

I extensively researched the Western media scene to monitor Western public opinion towards the brutal Israeli aggression on Gaza, but I couldn't find a comprehensive reliable analysis of the matter.

However, a friend forwarded to me a concise report that turned out to be quite telling. It used an artificial intelligence software to analyse the Western media scene, based on what is written or said, including on social media content.

The report clearly underscores the following findings:

The official Western media, unfortunately, remains biased towards Israel, despite significant breakthroughs here and there in favour of the Palestinian cause. This is not surprising as the Zionist state has invested extensively in manipulating the stance in its favour, using all means at its disposal, including twisting facts and bribery, to gain sympathy and influence.

The Western official media, represented by all major media outlets, including those claiming to be "global", are generally unobjective and unprofessional in their stance towards the Palestinian issue. This is regrettable and harmful, and our countries and influential institutions in our part of the world should think of creative ways to expose and penetrate such outlets, demanding that they be more balanced and fair.

By contrast, the report concludes that the situation in social media is entirely different. The majority, at least three to one, condemns Israel’s brutality, denounces its crimes, and rejects its wanton use of force.

This is a very important development, indicating that social media is largely beyond Israel’s control, supporting human positions that reject occupation, colonisation and war crimes, and advocating for the Palestinians' right to live in dignity, security, and peace, and to establish their long-awaited state like any other people in the world.

The report also emphasises that the youth, in particular, are the most understanding of the issue and the most opposed to aggression, advocating for the full rights of Palestinians. This point is crucial because the youth are the future, and therefore, the future points towards the Palestinian cause and the issues of the Arab world.

This noticeable change, both in social media in general and in the youth's stance specifically, did not come all of a sudden. It is, at least in part, a natural outcome of the sincere efforts and hard work of our leadership, institutions and individuals, who have invested in good relations and in honest human discourse with the world's countries and in the various forums since the beginning of the Arab-Israeli conflict.

This shift in public opinion is significant, and it is a testimony to the fact that investment in honesty and the truth, as opposed to manipulation and falsehoods, does eventually pay. And so does investment in non-violence and peace.

But it is also a testimony to the fact that people in the West are no longer hostage to the hypocritical discourse of their politicians and to that of most of their misguided and misguiding media outlets.

To be sure, there is still a lot of violence and horror in our world, instigated by corrupt and evil politicians, but there is also, at the same time, a lot of decency and commitment to human dignity, justice and peace by many good human souls out there whose numbers are growing and who are becoming much more vocal than before.

Eventually, right and not might will prevail.