“It doesn’t really replace proper journalism though”
Yeah, that’s an even bigger problem that doesn’t really have much of a solution. Things like Fediverse might allow for the distribution of news outside the control of corporations but it doesn’t help in actually getting access to unbiased journalism.
I’ve always felt that we support Israel for the same reason we support Ukraine. They’re a friendly military force located in a region of the world where we have enemies. Ukraine helps counter Russia and the same for Israel during the Soviet Union era. Now Israel is a counter to Iran and various terrorist groups.