During the recent demonstrations in Iran, reports indicated tens of thousands were killed as the regime shut down the internet and tried to hide the scale of the crackdown.

But when Israel becomes part of the story, the focus shifts. Instead of the regime’s repression, much of the outrage is redirected toward the U.S., Israel, or “Western imperialism,” while the government responsible for the violence fades into the background. Then the conspiracy theories follow. Claims of hidden plots and secret manipulation spread online with no evidence, casting Israel as the unseen puppet master. 

When politics becomes “enemy of my enemy,” moral clarity disappears, and even regimes that brutalize their own people begin to get a free pass.