An Uncanny Guide to BBC Coverage of Israel
Warning: This post may contain high levels of absurdity, irony, and bloody nonsense.
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This is a guest post by Francisco J. Bernal, a British writer.
This project gathers a reference lexicon of how language is bent, euphemised, or selectively applied in BBC and adjacent media coverage, particularly in times of war.
The intention is not parody, though irony is inevitable, but clarity. It aims to expose the quiet mechanics by which meaning is shifted, patterns are blurred, and the moral framing of public discourse is subtly recast.
These entries are not only semantic critiques; they document how language is used to soften brutality, erase context, or conceal ideological choices. The goal is to show how the shaping of language becomes the shaping of perception, and how that, in turn, limits what the public is allowed to understand.
A–G
Academic Source
An expert who has previously compared Zionism to white supremacy and once taught a workshop titled “Revolution Through Poetry.” Always cited for “balance.”
Accusation (Substantiated)
A claim made against Hamas, which must be accompanied by the word alleged, unless corroborated by third-party militant sources.
Accusation (Unsubstantiated)
A claim made against Israel, regardless of evidentiary support, that is reported with gravity and urgency.
Aid Blockade
Israel’s attempt to prevent Hamas from resupplying via border control, reframed as collective punishment.
Aid Intercepted by Hamas
Phrase never printed. See Aid Blockade. If Hamas loots it, it’s “redistribution based on need.”
Al-Ahli Hospital
Sanctified site in media discourse. Still referenced as a symbol of grievance despite Palestinian Islamic Jihad’s rocket misfire being the cause.
Al-Aqsa
Always “a flashpoint”; its use by Jews = provocation. Hamas’ abuse of the site rarely noted.
Al Jazeera
Qatar-based broadcaster praised for its “exclusive access” to Gaza. Contributors with ties to Hamas provide “authentic local perspective.”
Al Jazeera Arabic
Broadcasts in Arabic for “local resonance.” Regularly features clerics, commentators, and poets offering theological commentary on Jewish blood.
Allegation
A term used exclusively when referring to war crimes committed by Israel. Never required when Hamas makes a claim.
Anglican-Run Hospital
Any medical site affiliated with Christianity. Heightens emotional stakes when damaged; Hamas presence usually omitted.
António Guterres
United Nations towel salesman whose main export is moral equivalence, sold damp. Opens every statement with “We are deeply concerned,” closes with silence on Jewish corpses. Currently auditioning for the role of “Narrator Who Learns Nothing” in every tragedy.
Anti-Hamas Protestor
A rare creature, native to Gaza and quickly endangered. When one appears — like Odai Nasser Saadi Al-Rubai — it is usually silenced before Western cameras arrive.
Antisemitism
A term used cautiously, if at all. Preferably replaced with “political motivation,” “religious grievance,” or simply omitted. Not to be spoken aloud when Jews are targeted.
Appeared in Video
Proof-of-life released by Hamas. Treated as emotionally significant, but not criticised as psychological warfare.
Arab Jews
Jews who lived in Arab lands for millennia, now largely invisible. Mentioned briefly in museum plaques and quickly skipped over in history syllabi. Their stories don’t fit the narrative, so best filed under “complicating factors.”
Armed Resistance
A romanticized term for shooting unarmed civilians at a rave. Repeated with flair by Western academics and retired newsreaders without a spleen.
Armed Group
Preferred term for designated terrorist organisations involved in mass murder.
See also: Militants
As a Jew
Credential used to criticise Israel while maintaining moral high ground. Identity of speaker never scrutinised.
Balance
An editorial method in which a massacre by Hamas is offset by a strongly worded UN press release. See: Objectivity.
Ballad for the Butchers
Artists once hailed for their conscience now lend harmony to horror.
BBC Verify
A modern-day oracle tasked with confirming the already-believed. Facts from certain sources are presumed true; others require satellite forensics and divine revelation.
Being Openly Jewish
A high-risk public activity in London. May provoke feelings in otherwise peaceful protesters chanting genocidal slogans. Advised response: go home, blend in, try not to sparkle.
Beit Hanoun / Netzarim Corridor
Described as “civilian neighbourhoods.” Prior use by Hamas as tunnel hubs not mentioned.
Beyond Description
Emotionally overloaded phrase that forecloses scrutiny. Often invoked post-airstrike.
Both Sides
A reliable method of moral flattening.
British Hostage
A hostage whose plight deserves a candlelight vigil, unless abducted in Israel, in which case their passport is quietly filed under “context.”
Buffer Zone
Illegal if created by Israel; acceptable if by NATO, the UN, or Hezbollah.
Calls for Calm
Issued by states and agencies who provide funding to Hamas and then request everyone “pause for reflection” when that funding turns into bullets. See: Ceasefire Now.
Ceasefire
Period during which Hamas reloads and the BBC reboots its “cycle of violence” template.
Ceasefire Now
Chanted at rallies. Implies that the conflict began with Israel's response.
Child Death During Evacuation
Symbolic narrative device; rarely acknowledged if Hamas placed children in known strike zones.
Church of England Bishops
Quoted for moral authority on Gaza. Clergy critiques of Hamas are not.
Civilian Casualties
Always presumed Palestinian unless stated otherwise. Israeli civilian deaths are generally “Israeli deaths,” which may or may not include soldiers, dogs, or settlers, depending on the day's framing.
Civilians
May include militants if killed by Israel. Militants killed by Hamas or in internal conflict are not counted.
Colonialism
Universal accusation against Israel; not applicable to Iran, Turkey, Syria, or Hamas.
Complete End to Hostilities
Code for Hamas regrouping without disarmament. Framed as reasonable.
Completely Destroyed
Used even when footage shows partial structural or cosmetic damage.
Community Organizer
Term used when someone facilitates anti-Israel protests, distributes Hamas-friendly literature, and maybe tosses a Molotov cocktail or two. Still not “radicalized.”
Context
A mystical force which bends timelines to ensure that Hamas’s actions always follow, rather than precede, Israeli ones.
Correction
A theoretical concept. See also: No Breach, Due Accuracy, Shrug.
Critical Medical Shortages
Always blamed on Israel. Hamas stockpiles or blockades of aid are ignored.
Critics Say
Magical incantation that transforms fringe bloggers, disgruntled ex-staffers, or anonymous sources into authoritative dissent. Used to pre-empt facts and launder opinion as journalism. See also: Israel Says, Verified by Open Source Investigators, Balance.
Cruelly Paraded
Applicable to Western hostages dragged through Gaza. Israeli hostages rarely described this way.
CT Scanner
Iconic victim of Israeli strikes. Symbolises “targeting of healthcare” even if hospital dual-use confirmed.
Cycle of Violence
A circular timeline in which Hamas attacks are effects, not causes. Especially useful in headlines.
Dead Hostages Released
Mentioned briefly, typically after a 60:1 exchange. See also: Gesture of Goodwill.
Death Toll
A precise figure when cited by Gaza's health ministry. An unverified claim when provided by Israeli sources.
De-escalation
A process by which Israel is asked to stop retaliating while rockets are still in the air.
Debunked
Used when Israel releases footage. To debunk: repeat “Palestinian eyewitnesses say otherwise” and call it a day.
Deliberate Strike
Used for Israeli actions based on military intelligence. Any Hamas hit on civilians is either a “misfire” or “unexpected impact event.”
Detained Without Explanation
Phrase used if Israeli or Western authority is involved. Hamas detention of civilians is not phrased this way.
Dehumanisation
Applied to Israel. Hamas videos of hostages or mutilated bodies rarely framed as such.
Disarmament Condition
Radical demand when applied to Hamas. Not controversial when applied to any other armed group globally.
Disinformation
Incorrect facts which do not align with BBC editorial lines. See also: True facts spoken by Israelis.
Displacement
Caused by Israeli operations only, unless by Hamas, in which case: silence.
Disproportionate
A term never applied to the murder of 1,200 civilians in a single day. Reserved for the retaliatory response.
Diversity
The presence of multiple groups within a space, real or imagined. May include Jews who are no longer there.
Douglas Murray / Andrew Fox
Voices rarely quoted. If cited, always accompanied by rebuttal or caveat.
See also: Far-Right
Due Accuracy
A state of metaphysical balance achieved when BBC reporting aligns with prevailing NGO narratives, regardless of countervailing evidence.
Elite Infantry Unit
Used to imply that captured IDF soldiers are fair game, not web designers or car salesmen reservists, expecting their third child.
Evacuation
Framed as “forcible transfer” when carried out by Israel. When Hamas forces civilians to stay, not mentioned.
Evacuation Order
A benevolent Israeli suggestion to leave an area before it is bombed, which when followed becomes evidence of forced displacement, and when ignored becomes evidence of deliberate targeting of civilians.
Eyewitness (Gazan)
A source of unquestionable authority and narrative coherence. Cannot be falsified.
Eyewitness (Israeli)
Unreliable, emotional, and likely to be grieving. Requires BBC Verify follow-up or a pixelated forensic frame-by-frame to challenge their account.
Fact-Checking
A postmodern ritual in which a BBC journalist emails an accused party for comment, receives no reply, and then states, “We asked them for comment,” as if this were accountability.
Far-Right
A catch-all term for anyone deemed impolite, security-minded, or sceptical of slogans like “From the River to the Sea.” May include centrists, liberals, or Jews with wrong opinions.
Francesca Albanese
UN expert on human rights for everyone except Jews. Her neutrality ends where the Israeli border begins. Describes Hamas atrocities as “complex expressions of frustration.”
Fifth Time Hit
Framing device to imply intent rather than repeated Hamas misuse.
Footage (Circulating)
Any video published by Hamas-linked groups that contradicts IDF claims. Presumed authentic. See also: Hamas-run health ministry.
Forcible Displacement of Patients
Used even if patients walk out on foot. Always framed as Israeli wrongdoing.
Gaza Health Authorities
Hamas-run health ministry. Cited as neutral, scientific source.
Gaza Health Ministry
A sacred oracle consulted hourly. Its casualty figures are printed without caveats, except when cited by the Israeli government.
Geneva Conventions (ICRC Edition)
Legal code cited only when accusing Israel, suitable for broad-spectrum interpretation as long as only applicable to the Jewish State.
Genocide
A crime that may be committed only by states recognised by the United Nations. Armed groups, theocracies, and death cults are immune.
Gesture of Goodwill
Phrase for Hamas releasing one hostage in return for hundreds of convicted terrorists and international legitimacy.
Graphic Content Warning
Used for Palestinian testimonies of violence. Rarely used for Israeli victim accounts.
Grassroots Campaign
A highly orchestrated, professionally branded protest movement funded by anonymous donors and supported by academic institutions.
H–N
Hamas
A “militant group,” never a terrorist organisation, even when it kidnaps children, murders festival-goers, or livestreams executions. See: Militants.
Hamas ‘Denies’
Always presented without scepticism, often outweighing Israeli intelligence or satellite imagery.
Hamas Finance Chief
Described as a “patient” when found in hospitals; rarely identified by his actual role until after airstrikes.
Hamas Negotiating Team
Murderers in suits, flown in from five-star exile to haggle over hostages like cattle. Treated as diplomats by people too polite to say “terrorist.”
Hamas-Run Health Ministry
Primary source for Gaza casualty figures; political incentive to inflate or misrepresent rarely acknowledged.
Hardliners
Israeli politicians who believe hostages should be rescued or that rockets should be stopped.
Hate Incident
Graffiti near a mosque. A Jewish man stabbed in London may qualify if intent is verified. Eventually.
Hell on Earth
Phrase reserved for Gaza when IDF operates; not used for Hamas tunnels, Syria, or Yemen.
Held in Israeli Detention
Cause for international outcry if it’s a medic, or an actor with a press vest; no comment when Hamas chains diabetics to tunnel walls for six months.
Hospital Attacked Before
Reminder of the October 2023 explosion, with Israeli evidence buried and Islamic Jihad’s failed rocket framed as “disputed.”
Hostage
Sometimes mentioned, preferably in paragraph 12 or lower; de-prioritised unless Western or dual-national; often outscored by paragraph count on Gaza bakery closures.
Human Shields
Frequently placed in quotation marks when referencing Hamas; evidence often downplayed or ignored.
Humanitarian Crisis
A recurring news event that arises only when Israel retaliates. Not to be used in coverage of Hamas-controlled conditions before the war.
IDF
A military organisation whose every action must be “examined,” “verified,” or “contradicted by emerging footage.” Only statements in the passive voice may be attributed to it. See also: Israel says…
IDF Declined to Comment / Referred to Ministry
Framed as evasive or suspicious; Hamas refusals to comment seen as non-notable.
IDF Statement (Unverified)
Attached to any claim made by Israel, even when it’s backed by drone footage, satellite intel, and three field reports. A Gazan text message, however, is “evidence from the ground.”
Inadvertent Strike
An Israeli missile that hits the wrong building. Must be described with active verbs and full death counts. Compare: Unverified Report of Israeli Strike and Gazan Ministry Footage.
Infant Mortality
A legitimate tragedy, selectively emphasized. Babies killed by Hamas: unfortunate collateral. Babies killed by Israeli airstrikes: cover photo with poetic subheading.
International Community
A rotating cast of countries that includes Iran, Turkey, and Venezuela when condemning Israel, but never when addressing Hamas abuses.
International Law
Strict code applied uniquely to Israel; others enjoy plausible deniability.
Iranian Dissident
Often discredited as CIA-linked or regime-change cheerleader; not extended the same sympathy as Palestinian activists. Their deaths spark no vigils, their names no hashtags.
Islamophobic Comment
Any statement that paints Islamist terrorism in too realistic a light.
Israeli Air Strike
Any explosion in Gaza, including those caused by Hamas rockets, misfires, or internal accidents.
Israeli Hostages
A term used selectively. Israeli hostages are simply “held,” while Palestinian detainees are often “languishing,” “detained without charge,” or “jailed under occupation.”
Israeli Offensive
A war resumed, a ceasefire broken. Never a response to murdered citizens.
Israeli Proposal
Almost always followed by framing it as “unreasonable” or “unlikely to be accepted.”
Israeli Propaganda
Footage of Hamas tunnels, hostage rescues, or verified atrocities.
Israel Admits
Used when Israel confirms what it already stated plainly two weeks ago. Treated as breaking news.
Israel Says
Precedes any factual statement from Israeli sources to cast doubt.
It Will Haunt Us for Generations
Narrative climax; the piece ends not on the 1,200 murdered Israelis, but on moral indictment of their defenders. See also: You Cannot Undo the Suffering.
Jeremy Bowen
BBC’s Middle East bard. Known for mournful tones, selective outrage, and newfound sympathy for Syria’s post-jihadist leadership: proof that even al-Qaeda alumni deserve a second chance, so long as they’re not Israeli.
Jew
A person whose suffering must be mourned historically, but not geopolitically. See: Syria Diversity Segment, No Breach, Erasure.
Jewish Anger
A social discomfort. Loud, inconvenient, and best met with calls for “de-escalation.”
Journalist in Gaza
A noble truth-teller, regardless of affiliation. If armed, this is never relevant. If embedded, this proves war crimes.
Killing Field
Term borrowed from Cambodian genocide, now casually applied to IDF warzones.
Liberal
A term that once meant open-minded and tolerant, now often used to describe anyone blind to ideological extremism if the extremism comes with good PR.
Lost Contact
Euphemism used by Hamas for hostages likely killed by its own munitions or in booby-trapped areas.
Malnutrition Crisis
Always blamed on Israel, regardless of stored Hamas rations, looted UN warehouses, or ransacked aid convoys.
Martyr
Not used unless quoting Hamas directly; otherwise: “local youth.”
Mass Casualties
Any number above zero; no distinction made between civilian and combatant or cause of death.
Mass Grave
A term reserved exclusively for sites uncovered after Israeli strikes. When discovered in areas previously controlled by Hamas or UN agencies, reclassified as “burial under difficult conditions.”
Meaningful Dialogue
A process by which Israelis are asked to understand, concede, and remain silent.
Medical Workers Killed
Always assumed innocent; potential militant ties or dual roles not examined.
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Quotable moral authority when condemning Israel; almost never questioned when operating near Hamas sites.
Middle Eastern (Anyone but a Jew)
Inclusive term for everyone from Marrakesh to Mosul, except the Levant’s oldest minority.
Militants
A neutral, non-pejorative figure who may fire rockets into civilian areas, tunnel under kindergartens, or launch surprise massacres, but must never be called a terrorist; sounds dynamic, rebellious, and vaguely admirable.
Misstatement
A BBC term for reporting something factually incorrect that advances a certain narrative. See: No breach.
Moderates
Anyone willing to reward Hamas with concessions.
Morag Axis / Philadelphia Corridor
Historic Israeli security terms often presented as obscure or illegitimate.
Martyr
Only used in quotes from Hamas. Otherwise: “local youth,” even if armed or engaged in attacks.
Memory Blackout
The selective amnesia that follows jihadist attacks in the West. Characterised by a rush to depoliticise, decontextualise, and deny ideological motive in favour of more comfortable narratives.
Negev Bedouins
Brave when aiding Jewish neighbours; ignored by Western media unless recast as politically useful symbols of marginalisation.
Negotiations Continue
Euphemism for Hamas dragging talks while hostages rot. Implies diplomacy, conceals extortion.
Neutrality
The sacred principle of treating a genocidal death cult and a liberal democracy as morally equivalent, provided the latter is Israeli.
No Breach
The BBC’s ultimate talisman against correction. A phrase used to dismiss valid complaints about historical erasure, factual inaccuracy, or context manipulation. May also be issued by the Executive Complaints Unit with the solemnity of a Roman augur reading chicken entrails.
No Casualties Reported, But...
Evacuation death still blamed on Israel despite prior warning.
No Independent Verification
A BBC clause meaning “we haven’t tried that hard,” especially when Israeli evidence is involved. Doesn’t apply to shaky Hamas TikToks with emojis and explosions.
No Safe Place
Used exclusively in the context of Israeli evacuation orders, not Hamas preventing evacuations or operating in shelters.
Nuclear Deal
Framed as progress even when it enriches the Iranian regime and empowers proxies like Hamas.
O–Z
Objectivity
The sacred BBC principle of ensuring every atrocity by Hamas is followed by a quote from a UN official condemning Israel. Also known as “both-sidesing,” but with the balance beam tilted just so. See also: Balance, Critics Say, Fact-Checking.
Occupation
Israel’s presence anywhere Palestinians claim.
Occupied
A magic word applied only to Israeli-controlled territory. Turkish-occupied Cyprus, Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara, or Russian-occupied Crimea do not activate the same semantic urgency.
Occupied East Jerusalem
The term used for the Jewish quarter. Even if Jews lived there 3,000 years ago. Especially if they did.
October 7th
The one date mentioned in passing before returning to casualty stats from Gaza.
Open-air Prison
Media-favoured metaphor for Gaza, where tunnel networks, beachfront villas, and a steady rocket supply coexist with victimhood chic. Suggests captivity, omits the captors.
Orthopaedic Surgeon Quote
Humanised soundbite from FPLP-linked doctor never cross-checked for affiliations.
Palestinian Authority
A quiet administrative presence, mentioned only when it criticises Israel. Its repression, corruption, or lack of elections are filed under “background context,” if at all.
Palestinian Official
See: Hamas Spokesman.
Palestinian Prisoner
A category that includes everyone from teenagers who threw stones to convicted bombers of school buses. The BBC generally refrains from clarification unless forced.
Paramedics Shot
Story ends at the accusation; rarely explores whether they were carrying stretchers or RPGs.
Peace Talks
Held after Jews are dead. Suspended once they defend themselves.
Photojournalist
A frontline witness unless found embedded with Hamas on 7 October. In such cases, treated as a freelancer unaware of context, or gently rebranded as a “media worker.” See also: Press Vest.
Pogrom
Word of choice for Israeli settler violence; never used for October 7th.
Press Vest
A wearable talisman that converts RPG launchers into “contextual misunderstandings.”
Proportionality
The moral obligation to respond to slaughter with symbolic gestures, strongly worded statements, or precision empathy.
Protester
A term of convenience. If blocking a highway in Tel Aviv, a secular progressive. If burning a swastika in London, a passionate youth. If Jewish and waving an Israeli flag, a potential Far-Right extremist.
Provocative Footage
Any video where an Israeli exists in public. Walking, praying, or not dying fast enough counts.
Qatar
The Middle East’s Switzerland, if Switzerland funded mass murder and ran Al Jazeera.
Qatargate
The story of how Hamas’s sponsor bought airtime in Israel—briefly noticed, then politely forgotten.
Raised in the U.S.
Disqualifying label for Jews with American accents. Palestinian returnees from Doha exempt.
Red Crescent
A humanitarian organisation of unquestioned neutrality, even if its vehicles are later found to be transporting militants. Claims from its spokespeople are reported without scrutiny. See also: Circulating Footage.
Refugee
Any Palestinian displaced after 1948, but not any Jew expelled from Arab lands in the same period. One remains a refugee for generations; the other, forgotten.
Removed from the Narrative
Describes Israeli hostages, Arab-Israeli victims, or anything that doesn’t serve the prevailing emotional arc. Memory-holed for narrative consistency.
Reports from the Ground
Anything said by a UN agency or stringer affiliated with Hamas
Resistance
A valorous act, applicable only when violence is directed at Israeli civilians. Throwing a Molotov cocktail at a synagogue in Paris may also qualify, depending on the paragraph.
Resistance Fighters
Masked men with AKs shooting babies; civilians if killed by Israel.
Residents Said
Eyewitnesses quoted with reverence when criticising Israel, never identified by faction.
Reports from the Ground
Selectively sourced from freelancers with Gazan cousins in Hamas.
Resumed the War
Implies Israel is the one perpetuating conflict, not responding to broken ceasefire.
Return in Coffins
Terrorist death threat presented without critique, as legitimate “negotiating pressure”.
Rising Star
Title awarded to activist-poets who write slam verse about stabbing Jews. Often featured in Western arts festivals and college panels on “intersectional resistance.”
Samidoun
Described as “Palestinian prisoner support network,” not linked to the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine or armed action.
School
A structure that may double as a weapons depot, tunnel entrance, or command post—but must always be described as a place of learning, even when storing RPGs, martyr posters, or maps without Israel.
School (Strike on)
A location where the BBC will report deaths primarily of women and children, mention that Israel claimed the site was a Hamas base, and then reassert that the site was a school. Repeat as needed.
Security Buffer Zone
Unilateral Israeli presence inside Gaza to prevent future massacres, framed as annexation.
Security Fence
Described as a “segregation barrier” unless it's built by Egypt or Jordan, in which case it's “border control” for stability and peace.
Seized Territory
Land temporarily controlled to prevent rocket fire, never framed as previously militarised by Hamas.
Self-determination
Applies to Palestinians; for Jews, see Colonialism.
Shocking Footage
Only truly shocking if it implicates Israel. If it’s Hamas livestreaming executions, it’s "circulating but unverified."
Shrug
The BBC’s final defence when caught misreporting: an internal review, no breach of guidelines, and a vague commitment to “continue monitoring.” Often accompanied by a statement that the editorial team “stands by its journalism,” even when that journalism forgot the Jews again.
So-Called Security Zones
Only “so-called” when Israeli; never used for Hezbollah’s buffer in Lebanon.
Student Activist
Any 35-year old foreign national advocating the political dismantling of Israel, regardless of immigration status or security concerns.
Syria Diversity Segment
A BBC feature highlighting Syria's rich tapestry of communities: Muslim, Christian, and the ever-present Jewish quarter, despite the near-total absence of Jews. Celebrated as a testament to coexistence, even when the coexistents have long since departed.
Tens of Per Cent of Gaza
Any portion of territory retaken from Hamas.
Tension
A mysterious atmospheric force that suddenly rises whenever Jews go near a religious site. Does not apply to rocket fire or civilian massacres.
Terrorist
Word so dangerous it must be quarantined in scare quotes unless used for lone Israeli gunmen. See: Militant.
The Thing That Devours
Not a monster, but a mindset that feeds on memory, youth, and the rituals of vengeance.
True Facts Spoken by Israelis
A rare and unstable isotope in BBC reporting. Requires triple verification, two satellite images, and a counter-quote from a Gazan resident with a cousin in Hamas. May still be labelled “unverified claims.”
Tunnel Network
Sometimes mentioned; downplayed when explaining why hospitals are targeted.
Unprecedented Attack
The polite euphemism for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.
United Nations
An impartial global body whose pronouncements are universally respected, especially when condemning Israel. Its ties to Hamas, mismanagement of aid, or failure to investigate sexual violence against Israeli hostages are categorised as “unverified concerns.”
UN Figures
See: Hamas-run Health Ministry.
UN Human Rights Office Warns
Always quoted when criticising Israel, never asked about silence on Hamas.
Unexpected Explosion
Euphemism for a Hamas rocket misfire. Frequently updated with “unverified Israeli claim” until memory fades.
Uninvolved
Masked men strangling babies.
United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees
The world’s only eternal refugee agency. Praised for its “humanitarian work,” never examined for its school curricula, tunnel-adjacent classrooms, or employees moonlighting with RPGs.
Unverified Claims
Applied to anything Israel says with a map; not to Hamas videos with burning babies cropped out.
Useful Idiot
A passionate advocate for causes they don’t fully understand, provided their confusion helps reframe terrorism as liberation and totalitarianism as resistance. Found frequently in faculty lounges, op-eds, and arts segments. See also: Critics Say, Student Activist, Meaningful Dialogue.
Verified by Open Source Investigators
Phrase that confers absolute authority on a screenshot cross-posted by three Reddit mods and one grad student in Denmark.
Video Evidence
Footage released by Palestinian sources that appears to contradict Israeli accounts. Treated as definitive, even if filmed by a participant in the conflict. See also: Circulating Footage.
Video Under Duress
Acknowledged when hostages appear, but the content is still often used to criticise Israel. See also: Bibi’s Fault.
Victim
Inverts based on headline position: Gazan if lead, Israeli if unavoidable.
War Crime
An accusation made confidently against Israel. When Hamas is said to have executed hostages or used human shields, referred to as “alleged abuses,” “claims Israel says,” or “unconfirmed reports.” See also: Disproportionate Response.
West Bank Settler
Can be a pregnant woman, a child, or an off-duty nurse. Always implied to be a colonial aggressor with dubious humanity.
Whataboutism
The rhetorical sin of mentioning another conflict or context, unless it's used to downplay Jewish suffering.
Wounded
A media term to elicit sympathy. Often includes those injured in combat, but rarely disaggregated between civilians and fighters. Civilian Israeli wounded are occasionally listed but often subsumed in “retaliatory airstrikes.”
Writer and Photographer
Career path of every Gazan casualty with a laptop or phone.
You Cannot Undo the Suffering
Poetic flourish licensed only for the Gaza side of the story. See also: It Will Haunt Us for Generations
Zero Context Journalism
An esteemed editorial practice whereby events begin when Israel reacts, history is optional, and Hamas is a mood, not an actor.
Zionist
Once a descriptor of Jewish self-determination, now a term used ambiguously to imply nationalism, racism, or colonialism. Often appears in academic segments or vox pops. When preceded by “hardline,” denotes presumed moral deviance.
A brilliant lexicon of unambiguous moral reasoning. This alphabetical essay is a definite keeper! 🤙
This is fantastic! The BBC is funded by the public! It’s disgusting we are expected to pay for this! The BBC is teaching the country to be antisemitic. I despise it.