Citizens refer to the citizens who bear some measure of responsibility for the political consequences that the deception by omission has produced across decades. The deception is not the audience’s fault. The deception is the architecture’s operational signature. But the deception has produced political consequences for which the audience bears, in their capacity as citizens authorizing what their government does, some measure of responsibility.
The systematic non-coverage of Israeli military operations against Palestinian civilians has created a situation where Western citizens, particularly in the United States, have been largely unaware of the scale and nature of these operations. This lack of visibility has allowed continued political and financial support for Israeli policies that have resulted in significant human suffering and displacement. As a result, citizens are complicit in the continuation of these operations, not through direct involvement, but through their tacit approval of policies and actions taken in their name.
The role of citizens in this context is complex. While they may not have been directly involved in the planning or execution of these operations, their support—whether through funding, political backing, or the absence of public dissent—has been crucial in maintaining the status quo. This complicity is not limited to any one group or ideology but spans across the broader political spectrum, including both supporters and critics of Israeli policy.
The current period since October 2023 has seen a partial breaking of this systematic non-coverage. The scale of what has been done in Gaza has exceeded the media ecosystem’s capacity to fully suppress coverage. Social media platforms have permitted Palestinian voices and footage to reach Western audiences that the mainstream gatekeepers had previously excluded. This shift has led to a generational change in American attitudes toward Israel, particularly among younger Americans and including substantial portions of younger American Jews, reflecting a changing information environment.
As citizens, individuals are now faced with the responsibility of confronting the realities of these operations and the role they have played in enabling them. This includes engaging in political discourse, supporting transparency, and holding their governments accountable for the actions taken in their name.
Related: masud.md, foreign-policy.md
See Also
collective-humanity.md doubled-guilt.md legitimacy-through-omission.md operational-signature.md visibility-threatens.md