“Press R2 to Ethnically Cleanse Palestine”: Video Games and The Digital Occupation of Palestine

The game series “Tom Clancy Splinter Cell” and “Metal Gear Solid” glorify Israeli intelligence agencies, omit Palestinian presence in Jerusalem, and distort historical events in Israel's favor.

by Derek Laffan

The “conflict-dominated” Middle East has been an appealing setting for video game designers for the past three decades. Popular game developers have repeatedly incorporated the colonial wars such as the Crusades (“Assassins Creed”), civil wars (“Syrian Warfare”), and world wars (“Battlefield 2”) into game plots and narratives to maintain …