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15 May, 2018 14:46

'Appalled & disgusted': Twittersphere slams 'pro-Israel' US media coverage of Gaza protests

'Appalled & disgusted': Twittersphere slams 'pro-Israel' US media coverage of Gaza protests

The Gaza protests have been making headlines across the world, but many people have hit back at US media outlets for a lack of coverage and an alleged pro-Israel bias.

A total of 60 Palestinians were killed on Monday during protests against the relocation of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Israel, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Most of the fatalities resulted from Israeli sniper fire.

Children were among the dead, including an eight-month-old baby who inhaled Israeli tear gas. However, many US media outlets are now under fire for not covering the deadly situation at the Gaza border, instead reporting with a pro-Israel slant. The term "58 Palestinians," a previous death toll reported by the ministry, was trending on Monday, with Twitter users responding to mainstream media coverage.

"MSM remains largely uncritical of Israeli actions. However, social media is appalled and disgusted," one person wrote on Twitter, referring to the situation as a "murderous killing spree."

Some called for the names and faces of the deceased Palestinians to be published. "They're human beings, individuals. They should not be talked about as mere statistics," Islam & Liberty founder Iyad el-Baghdadi wrote.

Others commented on the vague language used by media outlets which they claim is designed to skirt around the truth.

Fair.org contributing analyst Adam H. Johnson said that kind of vague language is a "formula" which you can "set your watch to."

Meanwhile, human rights advocate @eemanabbasi remarked that the US media is painting Palestinians as "equal aggressors," despite only being armed with "rocks and tennis rackets" – not "bombs and drones" like Israel.

Twitter users also slammed media outlets for not giving Palestinians a chance to speak.

Another person noted that if the situation was reversed, presumably with Israelis losing their lives, the coverage would be far different.

One Twitter user hit out at the media for caring more about First Lady Melania Trump's kidney procedure than the killing of Palestinians.

And a Palestinian writer, by the name of Lina, suggested that the actions of Palestinians would be framed as "Hamas violence" by Western media no matter what – even if they sent balloons filled with "glitter and confetti."

Much like many on the mainstream media critics, the Palestinian government has dubbed the violence a "massacre" by Israeli forces, and has called for international intervention to prevent more deaths. But despite that, professor James Petras told RT that the protests, along with "massacres" by Israel, will likely continue indefinitely.

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