‘Free Palestine’ – Airman self-immolates outside Israeli embassy
WINFeb 26
The Facts
An active member of the US Air Force has died after he set himself ablaze outside the Israeli embassy in Washington on Sunday.
The act appeared to be in protest against Israel's bombardment of Gaza, which has reportedly killed about 30K Palestinians since conflict broke out after the Oct. 7 Hamas attack.
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
By the airman's own admission, this was an extreme act of protest. His action stemmed from a misunderstanding of what's taking place in Gaza, and the reality that the tragedy and loss of life in this conflict is unavoidable. With Hamas vowing to wipe out Israel, Israel is the one fighting for its survival.
Pro-Palestine narrative
This dramatic act of protest underlines the growing unrest at Israel's attacks on Gaza. Close to 30K Palestinians have been killed, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is still discussing launching a military operation into Rafah. This must end before more innocent lives are lost.
Nerd narrative
There's a 65% chance that Israel will have de facto power in the Gaza Strip on Jan. 1, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.