Competing narratives. The ideological and media instrumentalization of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict

This article critically analyzes the instrumentalization of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict by political actors and transnational social movements. Drawing on framing theory and Bourdieu's concept of symbolic capital, it argues that legitimate solidarity with the Palestinian cause is frequently co-opted to serve as a signifier within broader ideological narratives (anti-Western, anti-capitalist). Through a qualitative analysis of cases such as the Sumud Global Flotilla and the rhetoric of public figures, it demonstrates that this appropriation generates selective solidarity, simplifies the conflict's historical and ethical complexity, and ultimately obscures the path toward sustainable peace. The paper concludes by underscoring the need for an ethics of solidarity based on factual accuracy and a universal recognition of the humanity of all parties, rejecting Manichean simplification.