Project 10/7: 'An acknowledgement of public opinion turning against Israel'

A project titled 10/7 and initiated by prominent Israeli lobbying organisations appears to be a desperate attempt to divert attention away from Israel's actions both before and after the ongoing war in Gaza, analysts say.

The 10/7 project, launched by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) in collaboration with the American Jewish Committee, The Jewish Federations of North America, the Anti-Defamation League (ADL), and the Conference of Presidents of Major American Jewish organisations, aims to ensure bipartisan support for Israel's brutal war in Gaza by influencing media coverage.

The project's website says it will highlight the casualties resulting from Hamas's October 7 surprise attack on southern Israel and focus on promoting Israel's perspective of the war.

It is, however, silent on the death of over 17,000 Palestinians – most of them children and women – in two months of indiscriminate Israeli aggression in besieged Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

"Over many years, Israel has been able to persist with its harsh treatment of Palestinians, often without significant objection from other countries, particularly Western nations. This long-standing dynamic, however, has seen a notable change recently," Gloria Shkurti Ozdemir, a researcher at a think-tank called SETA Foundation, tells TRT World.

The ongoing protests in Western capitals are not only making an impact in countries like the US and the UK but also unnerving the Israeli state.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu recently shared his concerns regarding street protests in the West morphing into major anti-Israel movements and therefore posing a danger to the weapons supply coming from the US.

The Hamas-led surprise attack on Israel resulted in the death of 1,200, and approximately 240 hostages were taken into Gaza.

Israel's response, an indiscriminately brutal bombardment and ground invasion, has turned Gaza into a rubble-strewn wasteland, besides resulting in a staggering number of civilian deaths.

As per its website, the project also plans to offer journalists access to "expert commentators" and individuals affected by the events of October 7, providing a specific perspective on the ongoing conflict.

"I think the Zionist lobby is just very aware that public opinion now in the US and elsewhere in Europe is just moving against Israel. And the only justification they have is to try and emphasise the brutality of Hamas through October 7 to try and continue generating public support," Marc Owen Jones, a disinformation expert and professor at Hamad bin Khalifa University in Qatar, tells TRT World.

"So I think it's just an acknowledgement that the public opinion is turning against Israel."

Strategic name

From a discourse analysis perspective, the term "10/7" presents a conspicuous parallel to the widely familiar concept of "9/11", according to Ozdemir.

"This apparent similarity appears to be a calculated decision, strategically chosen to draw connections between the two events. The project's terminology, "10/7," suggests a deliberate effort, from an Israeli standpoint, to portray the incident as an assault by a "terrorist organisation".

The September 11 attack, also called the 9/11 attacks, was a series of airline hijackings and suicide attacks committed in 2001 by 19 militants in America's New York City.

"This naming strategy seems geared towards eliciting a sympathetic response, particularly from a global audience, and notably, from the United States," Ozdemir further said.

'Weaponise Jewish grief'

The US House of Representatives recently passed a resolution equating anti-Zionism with antisemitism, drawing criticism from politicians, advocates for Palestinians, and some Jewish groups.

This move has raised concerns about potential restrictions on free speech rights in the country.

"It's clear the pro-war, pro-Israel camp knows that they lose in any discussion of violence and the actions of the Israeli government and military. So they're trying—like the ADL and AIPAC and others have been since October 7—to try and keep the battleground on language and Hamas," Ari Bloomekatz, the executive editor of In These Times magazine, said on the social media platform X.

"Part of maintaining that battleground is trying to keep the spotlight on the October 7 Hamas massacre and weaponise Jewish grief and fears about safety and antisemitism as a means to continue the genocide unfettered."

Last month, Türkiye's Communications Directorate unveiled more than 100 fake news stories related to Israel's attacks on Gaza, according to the director Fahrettin Altun.

Altun said the irresponsible dissemination of disinformation about Gaza's suffering, even by high-ranking officials, highlights its negative impact on society's access to reliable information and decision-making processes.

He condemned Israel's actions in Gaza as war crimes, depicting them as manifestations of fascism and racist imperialism.

Since Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel, there has been a surge in reported antisemitic incidents in the US, occurring amid a broader crackdown on pro-Palestinian voices in the country.

"It's crucial to actively counteract the potential spread of disinformation resulting from this project," says Ozdemir, who is also an assistant editor at an academic journal called Insight Türkiye.

"Engaging in informed discourse and ensuring the dissemination of accurate information is key to challenging such one-sided narratives."