Tikrit University

A Pragmatic Study of Political Tweets: The Posts of Netanyahu in Israel – Gaza War as a Case Study

Document Type : Original Article

Author

Department of English, College of Arts, Tikrit University, Tikrit, Iraq

Abstract
This study conducted to explore the real uses of speech acts on chosen posts in the X platform in English by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu during the Israel-Gaza war (20232025). The research examines how posts by Netanyahu can be seen as an assertion, declaration, and direction, expression, and commitment but at the same time the establishment of political legitimacy and the shaping of public opinion. Between October 7, 2023, and January 31, 2024, an empirical dataset of English-language posts by Netanyahu was sampled. The posts were divided into the main and secondary type of speech act (assertion, instruction, command, expression, and declaration). This study hypothesizes the use of speech acts in Netanyahu’s posts in X systematically changes across different stages of the war in response to involving communicative and political demands. The data of the current study have been collected from Netanyahu’s English posts in X platform during the period from October 7, 2023 to January 31, 2024. A qualitative and quantitative pragmatic research design will be used in this study. Culpeper (2011) will assist the researcher to analyze the impoliteness strategies, while the speech acts theory by Searle (1969, 1975) will be used to analyze the speech act categories. In the results, one can see that the statements made by Netanyahu throughout the war were dominated by statements and declarations that immediately followed October 7, including the phrase “We are at war”, which is a declaration and assertion at the same time. The use of directives (e.g., Leave now) and promises (e.g., We will bring our hostages home) became more common over time and compared to the communicative needs, which changed: the crisis response was replaced by the need to justify and reassure. This paper finds that the application of the X by Netanyahu is indicative of how digital platforms re-orient the force of discourse and into performative acts of governance.

Keywords

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Volume 10, Issue 2, Part 1
Spring 2026
Pages 502-515

  • Receive Date 03 December 2025
  • Accept Date 27 January 2026
  • Publish Date 01 June 2026