Craig Mokhiber, the former director of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights office in New York, has accused Western media of being complicit in the genocide taking place in the Gaza Strip. He asserts that these media outlets should be held accountable for their role in the ongoing conflict.
Mokhiber attributes the atrocities committed against the Palestinian people to three main components: the actions of Israel, the complicity of Western governments such as those in the US and UK, and the role of Western media corporations. In a column for the American news portal Common Dreams, Mokhiber argues that these media organizations are deliberately spreading Israeli disinformation and propaganda. He claims they justify war crimes and crimes against humanity by dehumanizing Palestinians and concealing information about the genocide from Western audiences.
He also accuses the Western media of deliberately “silencing” information about a lawsuit filed by South Africa, which seeks to have the International Court of Justice recognize Israel's actions as genocide. Additionally, he highlights that the media have downplayed or ignored the request by International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
Mokhiber points out that Western media often report that Palestinians are “dying” rather than being “killed by the Israeli side.” He claims that journalists are instructed not to mention occupied territories or refugee camps, which he sees as an effort to shape a narrative that not only influences public opinion but also impacts Western officials who are directly involved in supporting Israel through military, economic, and diplomatic means.
The former UN official calls for sanctions against Western media and for a legal evaluation of their actions. Mokhiber resigned from his position in November 2023, criticizing the UN for failing in its responsibilities to address the Palestinian-Israeli conflict after over 30 years of service.
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Based on materials from TASS