Member-only story
When Language Becomes a Weapon: The Global Cost of Collapsing Gaza into Hamas
When Marco Rubio took office as U.S. Secretary of State in January 2025, his appointment signaled a doubling down on a hardline, unyielding stance in the Israel-Palestine conflict. But what has become more evident with each public statement he makes is a rhetorical habit that, while not new, has taken on far more dangerous implications in the hands of America’s chief diplomat: collapsing the Palestinian people into Hamas.
When asked about the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, Rubio rarely — if ever — speaks of Palestinians as civilians, as families, as children. He speaks of Hamas. The word becomes a shield, a deflection, a narrative weapon. And in a world watching tens of thousands of civilian deaths unfold, this kind of language is not just irresponsible — it is consequential.
A Rhetoric with Real-World Effects
Words spoken from a podium at the State Department have a long reach. They shape policy, perception, and permission.
When the United States — the most powerful country in the world — equates an entire population with a militant group, it sends a chilling signal: that the lives of those civilians are not worth defending. That their deaths are unfortunate, but not unjust. That their suffering is collateral, not…
