Part 1: Introduction and Disclosures
Bias disclosure: I have very strong personal views about the ongoing conflict, which are informed by information that I try very hard to ensure is accurate and truthful. I make every effort to approach the issue from a neutral position when reporting on it.
AI disclosure:
This is a big, controversial subject. I am an independent journalist with limited access to research staff, and use AI Deep Research to give me the initial leads when doing research.
With limited access to editors, I also use AI to find grammar, spelling, and other defects in the draft article. The final draft is always written and reviewed by me in its entirety before publication.
This is a difficult subject to cover objectively. Depending on who you talk to, many of the sources you can find information from will be considered biased or “controlled” by one side or the other. And there are sides. The two largest “sides” are the pro-Palestinians and the pro-Israelis, though, as with most things, there are untold variations within each side and no two people hold exactly the same views.
Even if you are someone who insists on not keeping up with recent events and doesn’t get involved in politics, you have likely heard about what is happening in Gaza right now. Depending on which side you are on, your viewpoint of the current situation and what has led up to it is likely different from the viewpoints of others.
The news you watch, listen to, or read, the people you talk to about it, even where you are physically located can affect how you see the conflict. Some of the more entrenched folks on either side will even ignore objective facts or dismiss them as “propaganda” from “the other side”. When we no longer can agree on an objective truth and everyone’s reality is different, that is the perfect environment for mis- and dis-information to spread.
So what can you do about it? Who do you turn to? Where do you get objective, factual information instead of talking points and propaganda? No one place in particular. This article required many, many sources and hours of exhaustive research, not something most folks have the luxury of putting themselves through.
The journalists you rely on to digest an endless stream of news from around the globe are barely touching the conflict and are afraid to say too much to one side or the other. Most are owned by investors, wealthy private owners, or businesses that all have profit and ratings concerns, causing them to self-censor on the more controversial subjects.
Doing your own research can lead to mixed results and confusion on what is true. The internet is filled with bile and garbage, making real information difficult to find. I will be linking all my sources and providing links for you to use to verify what I am saying is accurate and true. Because I don’t want you to just take my word for it. I want you to be informed, not compliant and unquestioning.
In Part 2, I will be covering the history of the conflict from the creation of Israel and the first Nakba to the present day.