Egyptian, Arab strategists address biased media narratives on Gaza war at Cairo conference - Foreign Affairs

Al-Ahram Weekly

26-02-2025

Prominent Egyptian and Arab strategists, politicians, and media experts addressed in a day-long conference titled "Gaza & the Future of Peace and Stability in the Middle East," held on Wednesday, the biased media narratives on the Israeli war on Gaza and the demographic impact of Palestinians' displacement.
The conference, organised by the Egyptian Centre for Strategic Studies (ECSS) and the Egyptian Council for Foreign Affairs (ECFA), explored Arab-led counter-initiatives and reconstruction plans in response to US-Israeli proposals to displace Palestinians from Gaza.
Western media's pro-Israel bias
In the third session, "The US Stance on the Gaza War and its Regional Implications," Ezzat Ibrahim, Editor-in-Chief of Al-Ahram Weekly and Head of the ECSS Media and Human Rights Unit, pointed to a clear pro-Israel bias in Western media coverage.
Speaking at a panel titled "US Media Bias in Covering the Gaza War: Analysing Key Biases in US Media and the Convergence of US and Israeli Right-Wing Narratives," Ibrahim argued that the Zionist lobby plays a significant role in shaping how the conflict is portrayed.
"Since the war began, about 75 percent of articles have framed it as a fight between Hamas and Israel," he noted, pointing out that Israeli events receive far more media attention than the suffering in Gaza.
"The conflict is being framed as a battle between two equal sides, with victimhood narratives exaggerated to justify the occupier's actions," he added, criticising the lack of scrutiny toward Israeli religious discourse.
He explained how the media crafts a pro-Israel narrative—by labelling Palestinian attacks as "unjustified" to strip them of context and by downplaying or omitting reports on Israeli aggression.
Ibrahim stressed the importance of engaging with major news outlets and using social media strategically to promote a more balanced portrayal of the Palestinian cause.
Egypt's role in Gaza reconstruction
During another panel, Abdel-Moneim Said, Member of the Egyptian Senate and Head of the ECSS Advisory Board, highlighted Egypt's deep experience in crisis management, calling it the key guarantor in any mediation efforts.
Speaking at "The Evaluation of US Efforts in Reconstruction Projects as Part of the Peacebuilding Process," Said argued that the two-state solution must remain at the heart of all Arab and international peace efforts.
"The US is the 'present absentee' in this crisis, yet it remains a key player in ceasefire agreements," he said, referencing its historical role in managing regional conflicts and ensuring commitments are upheld.
The demographic impact of displacement
In the fourth session, "Implications of Displacement and Resettlement Plans for Regional Security," Dr. Mohamed Megahed El-Zayat, Academic Adviser at the ECSS, outlined three competing political projects shaping the region.
The first, he said, is Israel's push to displace Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank while expanding further into Syria. The second is Turkey's ongoing efforts to alter Syria's demographics. The third is Iran's broader regional ambitions.
Meanwhile, Dr Khaled Hanafi, an ECSS expert, described the Middle East as one of the world's hardest-hit regions by forced displacement, with one in three global cases occurring there.
Speaking at "The Impact of Demographic Change on Crises in the Middle East," Hanafi explored how displacement fuels ethno-sectarian fragmentation across the region.
Gulf security amid displacement plans
In another session, "The Impact of Displacement and Resettlement on Security in the Gulf," Dr Hassan Abu Taleb, an ECSS Advisory Board Member, called forced displacement a war crime and stressed the need to focus on both its perpetrators and those enabling it.
"The displacement crisis has major security implications for the Gulf," he warned, noting that the region's stability is directly tied to the global economy and international interests.
Dr. Abdulaziz bin Othman bin Sager, Founder and Chairman of the Gulf Research Centre, reaffirmed Saudi Arabia's firm rejection of any plans to displace Palestinians, calling such actions a blatant violation of international law and Palestinian rights.
"The Kingdom views the two-state solution as the only viable path forward," he said, emphasising Saudi Arabia's steadfast support for Palestinian rights and its opposition to any forced resettlement schemes.
Held just days before the Cairo emergency Arab summit on Palestine, the event aims to counter US proposals for forced Palestinian displacement while showcasing successful regional and international post-conflict reconstruction efforts that protect native populations.
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