ISRAËL PERSPECTIVE

Israeli media coverage reveals a deeply defensive and victimizing perspective, structured around the absolute legitimacy of military retaliation against "Iranian attacks." The Times of Israel and the Jerusalem Post construct a narrative where Israel is subjected to aggressions ("over 100 injured," "failed to intercept," "strikes on cities") while conducting what is presented as a defensive and targeted military campaign. There's massive emphasis on Israeli civilian victims (precise details about injuries, ages of children, family testimonies) in contrast with the technical and dehumanized description of Israel-US strikes against Iran.

The narrative framing systematically positions Iran as the initial aggressor and Israel as legitimately reacting to "terrorist attacks." The coverage minimizes or euphemizes the Israeli-American offensive ("Operation Epic Fury" becomes simply a “campaign,” 8000 targets hit are presented as "military successes"), while Iranian actions are dramatized with alarming vocabulary. Significantly, the violence of settlers in the West Bank is relegated to brief factual mentions, revealing a clear hierarchy of narrative priorities.

The tone oscillates between security alarmism and strategic justification, with rhetoric of determination ("we will continue striking our enemies on all fronts") that normalizes military escalation. Israeli media amplifies Iranian threats ("obliterate power plants," "threatens infrastructure") to legitimize disproportionate responses, while portraying Israeli leaders as rational and measured in the face of a “terrorist” Iranian regime.

Structural silences are revealing: lack of critical analysis on escalation, minimization of humanitarian consequences in Iran, avoidance of questions about the international legality of preventive strikes. The coverage also ignores global economic impacts in favor of focusing on national security. This media perspective reflects national cohesion imperatives during wartime and the need to maintain public support for an unprecedented scale military campaign while preserving strategic alliance with the United States amid growing international criticism.