Israel recently carried out airstrikes on inland regions of Iran. Many people, including civilians, scientists, and officials, were killed in targets around Tehran and Isfahan. Despite the attack, Western leaders and media defended the action as "self-defense." U.S. officials claimed that Israel was trying to prevent an "imminent Iranian threat."
According to Professor Joseph Massad of Columbia University, this stance reflects the long history of the West's unconditional support for Israel. Whenever Israel attacks or occupies, it is consistently portrayed in Western public opinion as a "small country defending itself."
1967: The Foundation of the "Victim Israel" Narrative
Massad points out that the 1967 Six-Day War was a turning point for this perception. In that war, Israel attacked Egypt, Jordan, and Syria, occupying Gaza, the West Bank, the Sinai Peninsula, and the Golan Heights. Western media and governments portrayed the offensive as a "struggle for survival." However, prior to the war, Israel had spent years laying the groundwork for the occupation through provocative actions.
For example, in 1966, the village of Samu in the West Bank was raided; 125 homes, a school, and a health clinic were destroyed. In 1967, Israel sent farmers and soldiers across the border into Syrian territory; when Syria responded, Damascus was bombed, resulting in the deaths of 100 people. In this way, Israel was laying the groundwork for its planned occupation.
The Erasure of Jerusalem and Palestinian Memory
After 1967, East Jerusalem was occupied. Israel targeted not only land but also memory. Centuries-old neighborhoods were emptied within hours. The 700-year-old Moroccan Quarter was demolished to provide easier access for Jewish visitors to the Western Wall.
Properties belonging to Islamic endowments were converted into synagogues and settlement projects. Under the pretext of archaeological excavations, many historic Muslim structures were demolished. The West either ignored this cultural destruction or labeled it as "modernization."
Occupation Rebranded as Settlement
After 1967, Israel began establishing Jewish settlements on the occupied territories. By 1977, more than 30 settlements had been built in the West Bank and 4 in Gaza. Around 50,000 Jews had been settled in East Jerusalem.
Over 10,000 Egyptians were displaced from the Sinai Peninsula; villages and mosques were demolished. More than 100,000 Syrians were expelled from the Golan Heights. By 1968, 75,000 Palestinians had been deported from Gaza. The West legitimized this process by framing it as a "land for peace" initiative.
A Victory of Civilization?
According to Massad, the West views Israel's aggression as a "victory of civilization." The Daily Telegraph described the 1967 War as a "victory of civilization," while Le Monde wrote that Europe was "freed from the burden of the Holocaust" thanks to Israel.
The forced displacement of Palestinians, the destruction of their villages, and the looting of their homes found no place in these narratives.
So-Called Negotiations, Actual Annexation
Although Israel claimed to the West that it was holding the occupied territories as "leverage for peace," in reality it annexed these areas. Palestinians in East Jerusalem were displaced and their properties confiscated. In contrast, Palestinian properties seized in West Jerusalem in 1948 were never returned.
In 1980, the Israeli government officially annexed East Jerusalem. Palestinian neighborhoods were erased through excavations, historic buildings were demolished under the name of "archaeological sites," and the demographic structure was altered with new settlements.
The West's Silent Approval
According to Prof. Massad, the West's frequent silence in the face of Israel's occupation, displacement policies, war crimes, and cultural destruction reflects modern colonialism. While the West defends every Israeli attack on Palestinians as "self-defense," it labels Palestinian resistance as "terrorism."
Massad summarizes his article with the following sentence: "Even as Israel massacres its victims, it is portrayed by the West as a victim itself. This is not just hypocrisy—it is the modern face of colonialism."
