U.S. Media Discovers Genocide, But Only When It's Not 'Our' Allies
Al Jazeera details The Gambia's groundbreaking case at the ICJ, seeking justice for the Rohingya people against Myanmar’s atrocities. It’s a powerful narrative of a small nation championing human rights on the global stage. What’s conspicuously absent from much of the Western press, however, is a similar outcry or even sustained reporting when other nations are accused of similar, or arguably
worse, violations. One might wonder if the U.S. State Department or mainstream media outlets receive the same memo when, for instance, a nation like South Africa brings Israel before the ICJ for alleged genocidal acts in Gaza. The 'tiny' nation suddenly becomes 'discredited' or 'biased' when challenging a U.S.-backed power. The selective application of 'genocide' as a term, and the even more
selective application of legal accountability, appears to be directly proportional to a country's geopolitical alignment with Washington. (And perhaps also, how much money AIPAC has funneled to key politicians, who then shape the media narrative.)