AIPAC Speeches (2006 & 2007) and Jerusalem Post & Haaretz articles (2006 & 2007)

This research examines the strategic use of speech acts in AIPAC policy speeches (2006–2007) and how these acts are recontextualized in media coverage by The Jerusalem Post and Haaretz. Employing a qualitative, discourse-pragmatic approach, it integrates Austin’s locution–illocution–perlocution framework with Searle’s speech act taxonomy to analyze how political discourse mobilizes audiences, asserts authority, and shapes public perception. Two AIPAC speeches and four corresponding media articles were analyzed for the distribution, sequencing, and pragmatic function of speech acts, categorized as assertives, directives, commissives, expressives, and declaratives. Findings reveal that political speeches emphasize directives, declaratives, and expressives to encourage engagement and solidarity, whereas media coverage prioritizes assertives to maintain objectivity. The study highlights how media recontextualizes political rhetoric, balancing persuasive messaging with factual reporting, and contributes to understanding the intersection of speech act theory, political pragmatics, and media framing.