Israeli media confirmed in different reports that the Al-Arabiya news channel, owned by Saudi Arabia, is directly collaborating with Israel in shaping a pro-Israeli image amid the ongoing war in Gaza.
In a report put out this Sunday, Israel’s Kan News Agency revealed that the Al-Arabiya satellite news channel, owned by Saudi Arabia, is directly bedding with the Israeli army in shaping a false and pro-Israeli image of what is happening in Gaza.
“The Saudi-owned channel receives exclusive information from Israel in exchange for presenting a positive image of the Israeli army to its viewers in the Arab world,” the report said.
“When Israel assassinated Khalil al-Maqdah, a commander in the armed wing of the Palestinian faction Fatah, in a strike on his car in Lebanon on 22 August, Al-Arabiya reported he was the target of the strike even before those on the ground could identify him. This is only possible if the Israeli military provided information to the Saudi channel,” the report revealed.
So soft on reporting Israel’s invasion in Gaza!
The report noted that the Al-Arabiya’s support for Israel is quite evident from the headlines and breaking news it broadcasts. “While most Arab media outlets use the word ‘captive’ for the Israelis captured by Hamas on 7 October during Operation Al-Aqsa Flood, Al-Arabiya instead uses the word ‘hostage’,” the report said.
Other Arab news outlets frequently refer to Israel as “the occupation” or the “Zionist entity” and its army as the “occupation army” or “Israeli occupation forces.” However, Al-Arabiya omits this phrase and simply refers to “Israel” or the “Israeli army.”
“Other Arabic news outlets use the title ‘martyrs’ for Palestinian victims of the Israeli army, while Al-Arabiya uses the term ‘killed’. Likewise, Arabic news outlets often use the term ‘Palestinian resistance’ when referring to Hamas. Al-Arabiya instead refers to it as the ‘Hamas movement’ or ‘Hamas organization’,” the report also said.
Al-Arabiya’s pro-Israeli approach has a history!
Sunday’s report by Kan was not the only case of reveling Al-Arabiya’s pro-Israeli approach in broadcasting Gaza news. Back in August this year, the Israeli newspaper Haaretz also reported on the pro-Israel bias of this Saudi-owned news channel.
Haaretz noted that Al-Arabiya supported Israel by giving a platform to Israeli army spokesperson Daniel Hagari in June to rebuke the Lebanese resistance movement, Hezbollah.
After a visit to Lebanon by Amos Hochstein, a senior adviser to US President Joe Biden, Hagari also appeared live on Al-Arabiya and said that “I’m here in the north,” also claiming that Hezbollah was “exploiting the Lebanese people.”
