The U.S. and Israel Are Winning. Why Do So Many People Think Otherwise?

Having been in Tel Aviv since the U.S.-Israeli campaign began, Jennifer Murtazashvili has noticed a chasm between what she has seen with her own eyes and the picture of the war her friends and family abroad receive from social media. Israelis are not fleeing, cities are not being laid waste, and in fact life continues at almost-normal—contrary to what various widely circulated reports and videos suggest. And traditional media may be just as bad: many of its consumers wouldn’t guess that the Islamic Republic is certainly not winning. In fact, Murtazashvili writes,