DOI: https://doi.org/10.14710/interaksi.14.2.285-304

The power of media narratives: Al Jazeera's influence on international solidarity for Palestine

*Wahdah Salsabillah  -  Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Arie Kusuma Paksi  -  Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta, Indonesia
Received: 14 Oct 2024; Published: 31 Dec 2025.
Open Access Copyright 2025 Wahdah Salsabillah, Arie Kusuma Paksi under https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/.

Citation Format:
Abstract

The media plays an important role in shaping public opinion and mobilizing global solidarity in the context of conflict. This study examines how Al Jazeera constructs an emotional narrative related to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict through its reporting on its official website to encourage global support. This study uses Robert Entman (1993) framing theory and Manuel Castells (2012) concept of global solidarity, with a descriptive qualitative approach. The main data were collected from 260 Al Jazeera news articles and 100 public comments from 10 YouTube videos related to the conflict, analyzed between 2023 and 2024. The articles were analyzed using NVivo 12 software to identify three framing strategies: (1) Call to Action, (2) Focus on Victims, and (3) Narrative of Injustice. Meanwhile, YouTube comments were analyzed using three classifications, covering expressions of: (1) Empathy, (2) Moral Outrage, and (3) Support for Palestine. The results show that Al Jazeera's framing was able to construct a narrative that was emotionally touching and encouraged cross-border solidarity. The public response showed a strong emotional impact on the narrative constructed, indicating the potential of digital media as a tool for transnational advocacy. This study concludes that the media not only conveys information but also plays an active role in shaping global public opinion through strategic and humanistic narratives. This research recommends further research into the long-term impact of media narratives on public opinion and international policies related to the Palestine-Israel conflict.

Fulltext View|Download
Keywords: Framing; Global Solidarity; Media Narrative; Palestine-Israel; Al Jazeera

Article Metrics:

Article Info
Section: Articles
Language : EN
Recent articles
Political message disruption in family communication patterns on social media Unveiling public sentiment towards misogynism in the film a slightly different in X Integration of artificial intelligence in development communication More recent articles
Most cited articles
Faktor-faktor Penting Daya Tarik Stasiun Radio Bagi Pendengar Radio Di Kota Semarang FENOMENA PHUBBING DI ERA MILENIA (Ketergantungan Seseorang pada Smartphone terhadap Lingkungannya) Peranan Komunikasi Interpersonal Antara Guru Bimbingan Konseling (BK) dengan Siswa dalam Menangani Kenakalan Siswa (Studi Kasus di SMP Kristen 2 Salatiga) TINGKAT KETERGANTUNGAN PENGGUNA MEDIA SOSIAL DAN KECEMASAN SOSIAL Komunikasi Orangtua-Anak dalam Pengambilan Keputusan Pendidikan More cited articles
  1. Abu-Ayyash, S. (2015). The Palestine Solidarity Movement, Human Rights and Twitter. Networking Knowledge: Journal of the MeCCSA Postgraduate Network, 8(2). https://doi.org/10.31165/nk.2015.82.370
  2. Al Jazeera. (2023a). Protesters in Arab countries rally in solidarity with Palestinians in Gaza. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/12/8/protesters-in-arab-countries-rally-in-solidarity-with-palestinians-in-gaza
  3. Al Jazeera. (2023b). Tens of thousands rally around the world in solidarity with Palestine. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/10/15/palestinian-support-demonstrations-around-the-world
  4. Al Jazeera. (2023c). Worldwide rallies in solidarity with Palestinians, condemning Israel’s war. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/gallery/2023/11/30/photos-people-around-the-world-rally-in-solidarity-with-palestinians
  5. Al Jazeera. (2024a). Israel’s targeting of Gaza schools ‘eroding foundation for societal growth.’ Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/6/15/israel-targeting-of-gaza-schools-eroding-foundation-for-societal-growth
  6. Al Jazeera. (2024b). Nearly 70 percent of deaths in Gaza are women and children: UN. Al Jazeera. The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) published the report on Friday, having verified 8,119 of the more than 34,500 people reportedly killed during the first six months of Israel’s war in Gaza, finding that a high proportion were
  7. Al Jazeera. (2024c). Pro-Palestine protests: How some universities reached deals with students. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/5/7/pro-palestine-protests-how-some-universities-reached-deals-with-students
  8. Alia Chughtai, M. A. and D. N. (2023). Boycotts and protests – how are people around the world defying Israel? Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2023/12/15/boycotts-and-protests-how-are-people-around-the-world-defying-israel
  9. Amaireh, H. A. (2024). A Critical Discourse Analysis of Al Jazeera’s Reporting of the 2021 Israel-Palestine Crisis. International Journal of Arabic-English Studies, 24(1), 21–40. https://doi.org/10.33806/ijaes.v24i1.559
  10. Andy, S., M.Taufiq Kurniawan, Putri Imilia Amanda, & Daniyal Arkan. (2024). Social Media Instagram, Tiktok, dan X Dalam Pengungkapan Pelanggaran Hukum Dalam Konflik Antara Palestina Dan Israel. Jurnal Teknik Informatika dan Teknologi Informasi, 4(1), 14–27. https://doi.org/10.55606/jutiti.v4i1.3419
  11. Aouragh, M. (2018). PALESTINE ONLINE: Occupation and liberation in the digital age. In The Routledge Companion to Media and Activism (hal. 223–231). https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315475059-24
  12. B, M. N. H., Nurmandi, A., & Qodir, Z. (2022). Social Media Role to Support Palestinian on Palestine—Israel Conflict (2021). In Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Innovation on Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences (ICOSI-HESS 2022) (Vol. 1). Atlantis Press SARL. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-65-7
  13. Castells, M. (2012). Networks of outrage and hope : social movements in the Internet age. Cambridge, UK ; Malden, MA : Polity
  14. Dadoo, S. (2018). From jeni to johannesburg: The digital intifada and transnational advocacy for palestine. In Exploring the Role of Social Media in Transnational Advocacy (hal. 73–100). https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-2854-8.ch005
  15. Damanhoury, K. E., & Saleh, F. (2025). Mediated Clash of Civilizations: Examining the Proximity-Visual Framing Nexus in Al Jazeera Arabic and Fox News’ Coverage of the 2021 Gaza War. Digital Journalism, 13(1), 136–158. https://doi.org/10.1080/21670811.2024.2332614
  16. Danfulani, W. A., Leawat, J. J., & Dinshak, L. D. (2021). Israeli / Palestinian Conflict : A review of the Past and the Present. Journal of Business and Social Science Review, 2(September), 25–35. https://doi.org/10.48150/jbssr.v2no9.2021.a2
  17. Dr Sandy Inglis. (2024). As explosions rattle our Gaza field hospital, we brace for the wounded. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/features/2024/7/4/as-explosions-rattle-our-gaza-field-hospital-we-brace-for-the-wounded
  18. Efrati, A. (2017). Who’s Afraid of BDS? Economic and Academic Boycotts and the Threat to Israel. Strategic Assesment, 18(4), 43–56
  19. Elmasry, M. H., Shamy, A. E., Manning, P., Mills, A., & Auter, P. J. (2013). Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya framing of the Israel-Palestine conflict during war and calm periods. International Communication Gazette, 75(8), 750–768. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048513482545
  20. Entman, R. M. (1993). Framing: Toward Clarification of a Fractured Paradigm. Journal of Communication, 43(4), 51–58. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1460-2466.1993.tb01304.x
  21. Fuchs, C. (2012). Some reflections on Manuel Castells’ book networks of outrage and hope. Social movements in the internet age. TripleC, 10(2), 775–797. https://doi.org/10.31269/triplec.v10i2.459
  22. Henarni, N. H., & Surwandono, S. (2024). FRAMING HAMAS: A COMPARATIVE DISCOURSE ANALYSIS OF WESTERN AND MIDDLE EASTERN MEDIA Nabila. al-Balagh : Jurnal Dakwah dan Komunikasi, 9(1), 31–54. https://doi.org/10.22515/albalagh.v9i1.8474
  23. Huda, M. N., Nurmandi, A., Qodir, Z., Sutan, A. J., Misran, Utaminingsih, N., & Suswanta. (2022). Social Media Role to Support Palestinian on Palestine—Israel Conflict (2021). In Proceedings of the International Conference on Sustainable Innovation on Humanities, Education, and Social Sciences (ICOSI-HESS 2022) (hal. 901–913). Atlantis Press SARL. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-2-494069-65-7_71
  24. Johansen, M.-L., Sandrup, T., & Weiss, N. (2018). Introduction : The generative power of political emotions. Conflict and Society, 4(1), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3167/ARCS.2018.040101
  25. Joye, S. (2015). Domesticating distant suffering: How can news media discursively invite the audience to care? International Communication Gazette, 77(7), 682–694. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048515601560
  26. Lee, S. Y., Lim, J. R., & Shi, D. (2024). Visually Framing Disasters: Humanitarian Aid Organizations’ Use of Visuals on Social Media. Journalism and Mass Communication Quarterly, 101(3), 749–773. https://doi.org/10.1177/10776990221081046
  27. Maharani, N. A. M. (2024). Social media as a primary source of information: Exploring its role in disseminating the current situation in Palestine. Gema Wiralodra, 15(1), 275–281. https://doi.org/10.31943/gw.v15i1.628
  28. Mahwati, T., & Nanda, A. R. (2022). Analysis of the Palestinian and Israeli Conflict in the Perspective of International Humanitarian Law. International Law Discourse in Southeast Asia, 1(1), 23–42. https://doi.org/10.15294/ildisea.v1i1.56873
  29. Meek, A. (2018). Trauma in the digital age. In Trauma and Literature (hal. 167–180). https://doi.org/10.1017/9781316817155.013
  30. Milojevich, J., & Beattie, P. (2018). The pull of humanitarian interventionism: Examining the effects of media frames and political values on people’s choice of resolution. International Journal of Communication, 12, 831–855. https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85041580328&partnerID=40&md5=f695b9ec31a5059f9326e2d3333ab844
  31. Prakoso, M. P. (2023). The Development of Mass media in International Relations: In case of Al-Jazeera Effects in Middle East. Jurnal Ilmiah Hubungan Internasional, 19(2), 144–155. https://doi.org/10.26593/jihi.v19i2.3825.144-155
  32. Qasem, A., & Hussein, A. Bin. (2018). “Law and Order” vs. “Injustice and Defiance”: Al Jazeera and CNN Framing of the 2017 Temple Mount/Al Aqsa Mosque Crisis. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 9(1), 25–34. https://doi.org/10.2478/mjss-2018-0002
  33. Reinhart, E. (2013). Al-Jazeera and Al-Arabiya framing of the Israel-Palestine conflict during war and calm periods. International Communication Gazette. https://doi.org/10.1177/1748048513482545
  34. Reinhart, E. (2024). The solidarity of shared trauma: De-exceptionalising Gaza. Al Jazeera. https://www.aljazeera.com/opinions/2024/4/11/the-solidarity-of-shared-trauma-de-exceptionalising-gaza
  35. Sarwar, H., Malhi, A. T., & Naz, I. (2023). Representation of Israel and Palestina Issue in International Media: An Analysis of BBC and Al-Jazeera Coverage in 2022. Annals of Human and Social Sciences, 4(3). https://doi.org/10.35484/ahss.2023(4-III)34
  36. Shahzad, F., Qazi, T. A., & Shehzad, R. (2023). Framing of Israel and Palestine Conflict in RT news, Al-Jazeera, CNN & BBC News. Global Digital & Print Media Review, VI(II), 1–14. https://doi.org/10.31703/gdpmr.2023(vi-ii).01
  37. Soffer, O. (2013). The Internet and National Solidarity: A Theoretical Analysis. Communication Theory, 23(1), 48–66. https://doi.org/10.1111/comt.12001
  38. Stephansen, H. C. (2013). Connecting the peripheries: Networks, place and scale in the World Social Forum process. Journal of Postcolonial Writing, 49(5), 506–518. https://doi.org/10.1080/17449855.2013.842773
  39. Sulistyanto, A., & Jamil, A. (2023). Trends of Agenda Setting Research: A Bibliometric and A Thematic Meta-Analysis. Komunikator, 15(1), 1–18. https://doi.org/10.18196/jkm.18166
  40. Sultan, M. I., & Amir, A. S. (2023). Charting The Digital Odyssey: Exploring Challenges and Unleashing Opportunities for Journalism in The Digital Era. Warta ISKI, 6(2), 153–162. https://doi.org/10.25008/wartaiski.v6i2.254
  41. Suwarno, S., & Sahayu, W. (2020). Palestine and Israel Representation in the National and International News Media: A Critical Discourse Study. Jurnal Humaniora, 32(3), 217. https://doi.org/10.22146/jh.52911
  42. Trenz, H.-J. (2020). New Opportunities for Transnational Solidarity Mobilisation: The Role of the Media. In Transnational Solidarity: Concept, Challenges and Opportunities (hal. 350–373). https://doi.org/10.1017/9781108766593.017
  43. Warshagha, A. Z. A., Ang, P. S., & Huan, C. (2024). Comparative Framing of the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict in Newspapers: An Analysis of Affect. GEMA Online Journal of Language Studies, 24(3), 112–130. https://doi.org/10.17576/gema-2024-2403-07
  44. Zanotti, J., Weiss, M. A., & Ann Ruane Legislative Attorney Jennifer Elsea, K. K. (2017). Israel and the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) Movement Specialist in Middle Eastern Affairs. www.crs.gov

Last update:

No citation recorded.

Last update:

No citation recorded.