Pakistan, June 20 -- The recent escalation between Iran and Israel has sent tremors through an already volatile Middle East, but beyond the visible military manoeuvres lies a quieter, more calculated battle: one fought through narratives, propaganda, and disinformation. At the heart of this information war stands an increasingly assertive Indo-Israeli nexus, exploiting regional chaos to further their own ideological and geopolitical designs.
Following Israel's provocative strikes on Iranian territory, the world braced for a regional conflagration. Yet, what surprised many was not just Iran's calibrated military response but also the synchronised media spin emerging from New Delhi and Tel Aviv. With no credible intelligence to validate their claims, Indian and Israeli state-aligned media began pushing a new storyline: Iran's resilience, they alleged, was being backed by a clandestine alliance involving Pakistan, China, and Russia. This narrative, though lacking in substance, has gained traction in certain circles, raising questions about its true intent. Why manufacture alliances that don't exist? The answer lies in diversion.
For both the Modi-led regime in India and Netanyahu's in Israel, global criticism is mounting over Gaza and Kashmir. Manufacturing external threats has become a go-to strategy for redirecting international scrutiny and bolstering domestic narratives.
For India, still smarting from diplomatic embarrassment following its failed military posturing during the May stand-off with Pakistan, the Middle East crisis is a timely distraction. The alignment with Israel serves multiple purposes: reinforcing a shared ideological affinity, testing the limits of hybrid warfare, and most crucially, exporting blame for internal and external failures. This alliance is not merely opportunistic. It is strategic, rooted in a disturbing ideological convergence. Both governments thrive on heinous rhetoric, suppression of dissent, and religious exclusion. Islamophobia is institutionalised in both regimes, where Muslims are demonised either as "terrorists" or "demographic threats." In IIOJK, New Delhi mirrors the Israeli settlement model by altering demographics through domicile laws, echoing Tel Aviv's policies in the West Bank and East Jerusalem. Moreover, both states are notorious for leveraging false flag operations to justify aggression. From the Pahalgam incident to fabricated reports of Pakistani nuclear site "leaks," India has often relied on disinformation to create moral pretexts for its actions. Similarly, Israel has long branded Palestinian resistance as terrorism while evading accountability for its disproportionate military campaigns. In both cases, the media becomes a weapon rather than a watchdog.
The pattern is unmistakable. When unilateral aggression is met with resistance-as seen in Iran's retaliation or Palestinian defiance-disinformation becomes the first line of defence. The Indo-Israeli information campaign aims to portray Iran as a node in an "anti-West axis," lumping Pakistan, China, and Russia into the narrative without a shred of credible evidence. This tactic serves multiple goals: vilifying adversaries, justifying escalations, and pressuring Western policymakers into choosing sides. But the cracks in this facade are beginning to show. Independent observers have widely dismissed the claims of foreign support to Iran as unsubstantiated. Pakistan's stance, meanwhile, remains consistent and principled: support for regional stability, respect for sovereignty, and rejection of entanglement in externally orchestrated conflicts.
By pushing unfounded accusations, New Delhi and Tel Aviv are not only undermining their credibility but also endangering regional peace. Their propaganda machinery is not interested in de-escalation or diplomacy. Rather, it seeks to inflame tensions, delegitimise resistance, and silence critical voices. What we are witnessing is not just narrative manipulation but a broader erosion of norms in international relations. The glorification of military might, suppression of dissent, and denial of war crimes under the veil of "security" and "self-defence" is setting a dangerous precedent. If unchallenged, this disinformation-led diplomacy will deepen divisions, polarise global opinion, and fuel further instability across Asia and the Middle East.
It is essential, therefore, for the global community, especially independent media, human rights organisations, and diplomatic actors, to dissect these narratives with critical rigour. Transparency, factual reporting, and accountability are the only antidotes to this hybrid warfare. In a world already grappling with overlapping crises, the deliberate construction of false enemies and phantom alliances by nuclear-armed states is not just reckless-it is perilous. The Indo-Israeli disinformation campaign may serve short-term political goals, but its long-term consequences will be borne by the region's civilians. Truth, not propaganda, must shape the path forward.
No comments:
Post a Comment