Soft Media, Hard Borders: Football, Media Framing, and Ethnonational Tensions in Wartime Israel

Abstract

This study examines how Hebrew-language sports media framed Jewish and Arab football clubs in Israel during the 2023–2024 football season, amid the ongoing Israel–Hamas war. Focusing on the ultra-nationalist Jewish club Beitar Jerusalem, the established Arab club Bnei Sakhnin, and the emerging Arab club Bnei Reineh, the analysis reveals distinct patterns shaped by framing theory (Entman, 1993) and peace journalism (Galtung, 2002). Despite comparable visibility, Arab clubs—particularly Bnei Sakhnin—were frequently portrayed with suspicion, disloyalty, or decontextualized neutrality, reflecting selective inclusion and exclusion. In contrast, Beitar was depicted as a patriotic symbol, reinforcing nationalist narratives consistent with war journalism. Peace-oriented frames were rare, decontextualized, and easily overshadowed by dominant ethnonational discourses. Even ostensibly neutral reporting stripped Arab players of sociopolitical context, reinforcing their symbolic marginality. The findings highlight the role of “soft” media in shaping public discourse and national identity, emphasizing that sports journalism is not immune to wartime ideological pressures. Rather than fostering inclusion, it often amplifies existing hierarchies—missing opportunities to support dialogue, empathy, and coexistence in a deeply divided society.