MSM: Echo Chamber for Israeli Propaganda

The old 'Arabs strike/Israel retaliates' propaganda meme strikes again:

"Distorting the timelines of events is a longtime Israeli strategy to make its enemies look like the aggressors and pass itself off as the victim. Israel's massive aerial attacks earlier today on [alleged]* Iranians and Syrians - its most extensive cross-border strikes in decades - are carrying out this propaganda strategy to perfection...

"Here's the actual order of events: Just one hour after Donald Trump violated the Iran nuclear deal on May 8, Israel launched missiles against targets south of Damascus, Syria, reportedly killing 15 people, at least 8 of them [allegedly] Iranians.

"In response, Iran early this morning apparently struck back with 20 rockets aimed at the Golan Heights (which is occupied by Israel since 1967 but is still legally part of Syria).

"Hours later, Israeli warplanes attacked dozens of allegedly Iranian targets in Syria.

"The mainstream Western media is falling into Israel's propaganda trap. Most reports are treating the Iranian rockets as the original provocation, and framing Israel's massive air strikes as the (understandable) response... (Israel distorts timeline of events to play victim in the dangerous escalation with Iran and Syria, James North, mondoweiss.net, 10/5/18)

North illustrates with reference to the NYT, WAPO and BBC, but the same formula is used in The Australian/AP of 11/5/18:

"Israel yesterday attacked 'dozens' of  [alleged] Iranian targets in neighbouring Syria in response to an [alleged] Iranian rocket barrage on Israeli positions in the [Israeli-occupied] Golan Heights... " (Israel hammers Iran in Syria)

(NB: The initial Israeli provocation isn't mentioned until paragraph 10: "Israel is suspected of striking an Iranian outpost near Damascus late on Tuesday, killing 15 people, at least 8 of them Iranians."

And in the Sydney Morning Herald/Reuters of the same date:

"Confrontation between Israel and [alleged] Iranian forces sharply escalated yesterday after [alleged] Iranian forces launched a rocket attack on Israeli army bases in the [Israeli-occupied] Golan Heights, Israel said, prompting one of the heaviest Israeli barrages in Syria since the conflict there began in 2011." (Rocket duel sends loud message, Stephen Farrell)

(NB: The initial Israeli provocation isn't mentioned until paragraph 17.)

[*My square brackets throughout.]