Integrating Argumentation Features for Enhanced Propaganda Detection in Arabic Narratives on the Israeli War on Gaza

Sara Nabhani, Claudia Borg, Khalid Al Khatib, Kurt Micallef


Abstract
Propaganda significantly shapes public opinion, especially in conflict-driven contexts like the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This study explores the integration of argumentation features, such as claims, premises, and major claims, into machine learning models to enhance the detection of propaganda techniques in Arabic media. By leveraging datasets annotated with fine-grained propaganda techniques and employing crosslingual and multilingual NLP methods, along with GPT-4-based annotations, we demonstrate consistent performance improvements. A qualitative analysis of Arabic media narratives on the Israeli war on Gaza further reveals the model’s capability to identify diverse rhetorical strategies, offering insights into the dynamics of propaganda. These findings emphasize the potential of combining NLP with argumentation features to foster transparency and informed discourse in politically charged settings.
Anthology ID:
2025.nakbanlp-1.14
Volume:
Proceedings of the first International Workshop on Nakba Narratives as Language Resources
Month:
January
Year:
2025
Address:
Abu Dhabi
Editors:
Mustafa Jarrar, Habash Habash, Mo El-Haj
Venues:
NakbaNLP | WS
SIG:
Publisher:
Association for Computational Linguistics
Note:
Pages:
127–149
Language:
URL:
https://aclanthology.org/2025.nakbanlp-1.14/
DOI:
Bibkey:
Cite (ACL):
Sara Nabhani, Claudia Borg, Khalid Al Khatib, and Kurt Micallef. 2025. Integrating Argumentation Features for Enhanced Propaganda Detection in Arabic Narratives on the Israeli War on Gaza. In Proceedings of the first International Workshop on Nakba Narratives as Language Resources, pages 127–149, Abu Dhabi. Association for Computational Linguistics.
Cite (Informal):
Integrating Argumentation Features for Enhanced Propaganda Detection in Arabic Narratives on the Israeli War on Gaza (Nabhani et al., NakbaNLP 2025)
Copy Citation:
PDF:
https://aclanthology.org/2025.nakbanlp-1.14.pdf