Selective outrage, sexualized racism and the erasure of Palestinian suffering – parrotting Israeli propaganda creates consent for genocide

Helsingin Sanomat recently published an article on a report concerning allegations of sexual violence linked to the events of 7 October, using graphic descriptions and emotionally charged language. The article echoes reporting from CNN and the Jerusalem Post, without scrutinizing the original report or its political context. 

The report in question has already faced serious criticism for relying on recycled allegations and an author previously linked to fabricated claims related to 7 October. Many of the claims have been exposed as outright fabrications by Palestinian, Israeli and international sources. In this context, the lack of scrutiny by major media outlets is especially alarming.

When media amplify unverified atrocity narratives while minimizing the destruction of Gaza as “homes destroyed” or vague “human rights concerns”, they are not simply reporting, but actively participating in the production of consent for genocide.

The timing of the report’s publication also raises questions about image management. It was released as the Knesset moved to establish a special tribunal for Palestinians accused of participating in 7 October and to expand the use of the death penalty, and during Israel’s participation in the Eurovision Song Contest amid escalating boycott calls. 

At the same time, the systematic sexual violence against Palestinians by Israel rarely receives sustained media coverage, despite being long documented by Palestinian human rights organisations, the UN Special Rapporteur, OHCHR, NRC, Euromed, and others. For example, a recent report on Israeli prisons documented rape, sexual torture, assaults with objects, and the filming of abuse by security personnel as systematic practices aimed at inflicting severe physical and psychological harm.

This selective outrage does not happen in a vacuum. The portrayal of Arab and other racialized men as sexual threats to white women is rooted in long-standing colonial ideology and war propaganda, and continues to shape how violence is framed and whose suffering is believed.

Sumud has contacted Helsingin Sanomat, calling for a correction and additional context in the article, as well as reporting on the violence faced by Palestinians. We call for more accurate, ethical, and source-critical journalism: as readers, we need to actively point out errors and demand higher standards and accountability from the press.