As harsh as it is, the color aspect definitely plays into it, but part of it is also expectations. Israel is expected be a developed place that’s at peace and not committing genocide. “Country X in Africa is in a state of {war, civil war, Warlord war, genocide, famine}” happens so frequently that it feels like “county X in Africa is currently stable and prosperous” would be newsworthy. That’s probably not reality, but that’s common perception, I think.