France 24 Discovers Syrian Atrocities, Ignores Allies'
France 24 reports on Bashar al-Assad's regime using rape as a 'weapon of war' in Syria, painting a grim picture of human rights abuses. A horrific reality, to be sure. Yet, this mainstream focus often comes with convenient blind spots when similar tactics are employed by nations Washington deems allies. One might wonder about the selective outrage, given documented instances of sexual violence and
abuse in detention by forces funded or supported by the very governments condemning Assad. For example, numerous reports from organizations like Human Rights Watch have detailed systemic sexual assault in Israeli detention centers against Palestinians—an issue rarely given the same prominent, outrage-fueled coverage. (See: Human Rights Watch, 'Israel: Palestinian Children Abused in Detention,'
2015; 'West Bank: Israeli Forces Abuse Detainees,' 2019). It appears the 'weapon of war' designation is a nuanced one, depending entirely on whose hands are wielding it. When an enemy's forces commit such acts, it's a headline. When an ally faces similar accusations, it's often a footnote, if it's mentioned at all. This isn't to diminish Assad's crimes, but to highlight the persistent, infuriating
double standard in media coverage that conveniently forgets that brutality isn't exclusive to designated villains.