​Comparing the Conflict Narrative of Palestinian and Israeli Journalists through Instagram Posts: A Multimodal Analysis

Abstract

This study explores how the Israeli–Palestinian conflict is visually and ideologically framed in Instagram posts by two prominent journalists, Motaz Azaiza from Palestine and Gili Yaari from Israel. Drawing on Kress and van Leeuwen’s Visual Grammar, the research adopts a qualitative multimodal discourse analysis to examine the representational, interactive, and compositional meanings embedded in the journalists’ posts. This research also critically engages with UN Resolutions 242 and 338 as a political backdrop, assessing how grassroots visual narratives align with or critique the principles of these resolutions and the peacekeeping role of the UN. Ten Instagram posts (five from each journalist) were selected based on their multimodal richness, thematic relevance, and audience engagement. The analysis reveals stark contrasts in how each side represents victimhood, agency, and justice. Motaz Azaiza’s content foregrounds the suffering of civilians in Gaza, using emotionally charged imagery, captions, and direct appeals to the global conscience. Conversely, Gili Yaari’s posts emphasizes national solidarity, civic protest, and hostages’ rights, presenting a more structured and institutionally aligned narrative. The findings show that while UN Resolutions 242 and 338 call for peace, withdrawal, and negotiation, they are largely absent from real-world implementation and visual representations. This study contributes to the broader discourse on visual activism, digital counter-narratives, and the growing importance of individual agency in shaping the global understanding of conflict on social media.