Abstract: This study explores the patterns of Western media discourse and the strategies of its coverage of the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip that started on 7 October 2023, and analyses the Palestinian self-image and its dimensions within this discourse. The study aims to highlight the fallacies of Western media in constructing and shaping the image it presents to the audience, drawing on the concept of media modalities within the framework of discourse analysis as strategies to influence the recipient and direct public opinion. It also aims to present a narrative that contradicts the facts and opposes the realities of the war and its developments. The study concludes that the modality in Western media discourse worked to obscure facts and deceive both local and international public opinion; and that it presented a distorted narrative through persuasive and deceptive strategies, highlighting the Palestinian self as a "model of terrorism and brutality" while portraying the occupier as a "champion of humanity and moral values" and a "victim of violence" carried out by Hamas. The study suggests that these fallacies strip the Palestinian self of its human dimension, attempting to delegitimise Hamas in representing the will of the Palestinian people for liberation and independence. Consequently, it seeks to pave the way for creating an international political context that criminalises resistance against the occupier, obscuring the facts from the recipient and ignoring the violations and crimes committed by Israel. This includes the systematic destruction of infrastructure in Gaza, acts of genocide, ethnic cleansing and the forced displacement of Palestinians. Keywords: Modality, Media Discourse, Persuasion, Fallacy, War on Gaza.
Made with FlippingBook Online newsletter