Khaberni - The Italian magazine "L'Espresso" in its latest issue released last Friday featured an extensive file on what it called "Greater Israel", under the prominent headline: "The Abuse: What does the new issue of L'Espresso magazine hold?"
The article, written by journalist Angela Codacci Pisanello, links the concept of "abuse of power" and "political exploitation" with current events in the Middle East.
The magazine cover sparked a storm of outrage in Israeli circles, as it featured an image of an illegal Israeli settler in military attire, photographing a distressed Palestinian woman.
The image was accompanied by a text summarizing an escalatory trajectory in the region, stating: "The occupation of the West Bank was carried out with the assistance of soldiers cooperating with settlers. Gaza was destroyed. Expansion into Lebanon. Borders were violated in Syria. Iran was fought. Ethnic cleansings and massacres were committed. This is how the Zionist right shapes Greater Israel."
As the cover image spread on social platforms, the Israeli ambassador in Rome, Jonathan Peled, quickly commented, saying: "We strongly condemn the manipulative use of the latest cover of L'Espresso magazine. The image distorts the complex reality faced by Israel, and fosters stereotypes and hatred. Responsible journalism should be balanced and accurate."
Israeli journalist Barak Ravid also questioned the reality of the image via the X platform, saying: "The image isn't real? Is it artificial intelligence?"
One of the followers responded: "So this image isn't real? Does it not embody what happens every day in the occupied territories? The answer is yes, and that's what scares you, because this image is worth more than a thousand journalistic articles."
Meanwhile, activists posted another image from 2025 of the same soldier and woman, under the title: "Israeli settler violence disrupts the olive harvest season in the West Bank and is met with Palestinian resilience."
The Palestinian Embassy in Cyprus commented on the Israeli ambassador's statements, saying the cover "is not misleading, but a representation of reality." They added in a statement: "The occupation documents its own violence. The Zionist right shapes (Greater Israel), which is the project of expansion at any cost."
They pointed out that "Ambassador Jonathan Peled speaks of distortion, while the Israeli government reveals itself. On April 9, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced a plan to expand Greater Israel, coincidentally when the magazine reached the newsstands. The security narrative is used as an excuse for land grabs: settler violence, genocide in Gaza, and policies of Benjamin Netanyahu. The truth cannot be muzzled by diplomatic protests; when the image hurts, the mirror should not be blamed."
Netizens observed that the cover image "summarizes a small part of what is happening in the West Bank," while others commented that "Ambassador Peled's outrage stems from L'Espresso's cover exposing the genocide in Gaza, the illegal occupation of the West Bank, the criminal war on Iran, and the incursion into Lebanon."
Activists noted that "soldiers and settlers comfortably publish images far more harsh and distorted than this," considering that "what should embarrass them is what they are doing on the ground, not the cover image."
Some asked: "Why has the Israeli army killed more journalists than all other armies combined?"
