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Israeli Channel 13 News ‘axed show for PM Netanyahu,’ UK protesters say

Israeli Channel 13 News ‘axed show for PM Netanyahu,’ UK protesters say
Britain's second richest man, Leonard Blavatnik, has a majority stake in Channel 13 News in Israel. (AFP/File)
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Updated 21 July 2024
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Israeli Channel 13 News ‘axed show for PM Netanyahu,’ UK protesters say

Israeli Channel 13 News ‘axed show for PM Netanyahu,’ UK protesters say
  • Group plans protests on Sunday at 2 locations in UK  
Updated 21 July 2024
Arab News
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LONDON: The second wealthiest man in the UK is facing protests following claims that his TV network is undermining press freedom in Israel.

Leonard Blavatnik has a majority stake in Channel 13 News in Israel and owns most of Warner Music Group.

Channel 13 News, which is known for its criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government and its onslaught on the Gaza Strip, canceled its popular program “Warzone” last week.

The decision came after a leadership shake-up in June, which saw Yulia Shamalov-Berkovich, reportedly an ally of the prime minister, appointed as chief executive, The Guardian reported.

The popular investigative news program “Warzone” was hosted by the journalist Raviv Drucker, who had exposed a series of scandals about Netanyahu.

The channel’s staff slammed the move as “political meddling,” and the Israeli newspaper Haaretz described it as “purely a political decision, contravening all financial and journalistic logic.”

Britons claiming the show was axed for the Israeli prime minister announced plans to protest on Sunday at the Tate Modern’s Blavatnik wing and the University of Oxford’s Blavatnik School of Government.

WeDemocracy, the group organizing the protest, said in a post on the social platform X that it was staging the event as a “solidarity move with News 13 journalists and (the) defense of press freedom in Israel.”

The protest also aims to put pressure on Blavatnik to “change the improper appointment of Yulia Shamalov-Berkovic as chairman of the channel,” the group added.

Netanyahu’s government, in retaliation for a deadly Hamas attack on Oct. 7, launched a deadly bombing campaign on Palestine’s Gaza Strip, killing over 38,800 people, according to the health authority in Gaza.

Ukraine-born Blavatnik is worth £29.24 billion. He was brought up in the US, where his parents emigrated when he was a child.

He has received a knighthood in recognition of donations to British institutions such as the Victoria and Albert Museum, the Courtauld Institute of Art, and the National Portrait Gallery.

Topics: Channel 13 press freedom

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Journalist working for AFP released by pro-Turkiye Syria factions

Journalist working for AFP released by pro-Turkiye Syria factions
Updated 04 September 2024
AFP
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Journalist working for AFP released by pro-Turkiye Syria factions

Journalist working for AFP released by pro-Turkiye Syria factions
  • Bakr Al-Kassem was detained for questioning by authorities, but no official charges were filed against him
Updated 04 September 2024
AFP

BEIRUT: Syrian journalist Bakr Al-Kassem, who works with media outlets including AFP, has been released a week after pro-Turkiye factions detained him in rebel-held northern Syria, he told AFP on Tuesday.
“I was released late Monday and I am well. I am now with my family,” said Kassem, 28.
“I will return to my work as a journalist as soon as possible.”
Local police from pro-Turkiye factions detained Kassem on August 26 in the city of Al-Bab, some 30 kilometers (20 miles) from the Turkish border.
He had been covering an event in the city with his wife Nabiha Taha, who is also a journalist.
Taha was released shortly afterwards and said their house was searched and Kassem’s computer, cameras and mobile phone were confiscated.
Kassem said he was questioned about his work as a journalist in areas controlled by Ankara-backed factions, and that no official charges were brought against him.
“We are relieved that Bakr has been freed and we thank all the colleagues and organizations that expressed their solidarity with him during his detention,” said AFP’s Global News Director Phil Chetwynd.
“We hope that he will be able to resume his work without any restrictions.”
Kassem has worked as a photographer and correspondent for AFP since 2018 covering Syria’s civil war, as well as a deadly earthquake in February 2023 in which he lost 17 family members.
He has also worked for Turkiye’s official Anadolu news agency and local Syrian media outlets.
AFP, the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) had called for his immediate release.
RSF in a statement on X welcomed “the good news” of Kassem’s release, saying it was “relieved” he was free, but noting “72 reporters remain detained or missing in Syria.”
The country is ranked second-last in the world on RSF’s press freedom index.
Local journalists and activists had organized sit-ins in the region demanding Kassem be freed, some holding signs reading “journalism is not a crime.”
Syria’s war began after the repression of anti-government protests in 2011 and spiralled into a complex conflict drawing in foreign armies and jihadists, killing more than 500,000 people and displacing millions.
Turkish troops and Turkiye-backed rebel factions control swathes of northern Syria, and Ankara has launched successive cross-border offensives since 2016.

Topics: Syria Journalists

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Republicans focus on Muslim voters with ads spotlighting Harris’ support for Israel

Republicans focus on Muslim voters with ads spotlighting Harris’ support for Israel
Updated 04 September 2024
Arab News
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Republicans focus on Muslim voters with ads spotlighting Harris’ support for Israel

Republicans focus on Muslim voters with ads spotlighting Harris’ support for Israel
  • Social media ads appear to target Muslims and Arabs in Michigan
  • Democrats condemn campaign as a ‘dirty trick’ intended to sway voters away from Harris
Updated 04 September 2024
Arab News

LONDON: Republicans have allegedly launched a new digital advertising campaign aimed at Muslim voters, which emphasizes Vice President Kamala Harris’ support for Israel amid the ongoing military action in Gaza.

First reported by the Huffington Post, the ads appear to target voters alienated by the Biden administration’s response to the Gaza conflict.

The campaign runs on platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Snapchat, specifically targeting areas in Michigan with significant Arab and Muslim populations, a demographic deeply affected by the situation in Gaza.

The ads are focused on ZIP codes including Dearborn, the only Arab-majority city in the US, known for its “uncommitted” movement that declined to back President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic primaries.

While the spending on these ads has been modest, according to disclosures from Meta and Snapchat, they direct users to a video highlighting Harris’ support for Israel.

In the 30-second clip, a female narrator says: “Vice President Harris has chosen a side — the right side.” The narrator adds: “Harris has made herself clear: She stands with Israel and the Jewish people.”

The video also portrays Harris as opposing supporters of a free Palestine, with the narrator adding: “When supporters of a free Palestine stood up for Gaza, Harris put them in their place. And supporters of a free Palestine? They hate her.”

The Future Coalition Political Action Committee, a GOP group associated with Pennsylvania Republican operative Ray Zaborney, has been identified as the sponsor of the ads.

Michigan Democrats have criticized the ads, describing them as a “dirty trick” intended to sway Arab-American and left-leaning voters away from Harris.

A Democratic operative in Michigan has criticized the campaign and accused the GOP of using underhand tactics to exploit sensitive political issues.

Both parties are intensifying their efforts to secure votes as the election approaches, especially in critical battleground states like Michigan, which was pivotal to Biden’s success in 2020.

Harris’ campaigners confirmed on Sunday they were embarking on the largest digital ad campaign in US political history, with plans to spend $370 million on television and digital advertising.

The development comes as Harris faces increased scrutiny over whether she will distance herself from Biden’s approach and take a tougher stance on Israel and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Topics: War on Gaza Kamala Harris Michigan Dearborn

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US-funded broadcaster Alhurra lays off 160 staff, merges Iraq channel

US-funded broadcaster Alhurra lays off 160 staff, merges Iraq channel
Updated 03 September 2024
Reuters
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US-funded broadcaster Alhurra lays off 160 staff, merges Iraq channel

US-funded broadcaster Alhurra lays off 160 staff, merges Iraq channel
  • “We’ve said goodbye today to 160 of our colleagues. We’ve reduced our workforce by 21 percent,” MBN Acting President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin said
  • “Congressionally mandated budget cuts have forced us to reduce company costs by nearly $20 million”
Updated 03 September 2024
Reuters

BAGHDAD: The parent company of US government-funded Arabic language broadcaster Alhurra has cut 160 jobs and is merging its Iraq channel after a 20 percent budget cut mandated by the US Congress, its CEO said in a note to staff.
“Today is a sad day. We’ve said goodbye today to 160 of our colleagues. We’ve reduced our workforce by 21 percent,” MBN Acting President and CEO Dr. Jeffrey Gedmin said in a note to staff on Monday.
“The moves we are making are obligatory. Congressionally mandated budget cuts have forced us to reduce company costs by nearly $20 million,” he said.
MBN comprises two satellite TV channels — Alhurra and Alhurra Iraq — as well as two radio stations and several websites.
Headquartered in the US state of Virginia, Alhurra began broadcasting in February 2004 as part of a US effort to connect with audiences in the Middle East amid rising anti-American sentiment following the 2003 US invasion of Iraq.
It aims to “accurately represent America, Americans, and American policies,” and engage in independent journalism, according to the MBN website.
MBN said it was merging Alhurra Iraq with Alhurra TV “to provide viewers with the best of both networks” and said “Iraq remains a priority — a vital part of the MBN region and ecosystem.”
A company spokesperson said 30 of the staff laid off were in Iraq and 130 were in other parts of the region and the US.
MBN said it was moving away from a costly brick-and-mortar presence and would instead prioritize multimedia journalism by employees while exploring new technologies, such as artificial intelligence.

Topics: US Arabic language broadcaster Alhurra Alhurra TV

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US voters targeted by Chinese influence online, researchers say

US voters targeted by Chinese influence online, researchers say
Updated 03 September 2024
Reuters
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US voters targeted by Chinese influence online, researchers say

US voters targeted by Chinese influence online, researchers say
  • Fake personas denigrate US politicians, push divisive messages
  • Intelligence company Graphika identified 15 Spamouflage accounts on social media platform X and one account on TikTok
Updated 03 September 2024
Reuters

LONDON: A Chinese social media influence operation is impersonating US voters, denigrating US politicians and pushing divisive messages ahead of the Nov. 5 presidential election in the United States, new research by intelligence company Graphika showed.
The campaign is part of a known Chinese state-linked effort analysts have dubbed “Spamouflage” or “Dragonbridge,” which pushes a mixture of spam and targeted propaganda onto the Internet.
Spamouflage has been active since at least 2017 but has stepped up its activities as the election approaches, according to experts. It has leveraged thousands of accounts across more than 50 websites, forums and social media platforms.
“The key takeaway from this report,” said Jack Stubbs, who manages Graphika’s research team, is that Spamouflage has “become more aggressive in its efforts to infiltrate and sway US political conversations.”
“This matters because it shows Chinese influence operations targeting the US are evolving, engaging in more advanced deceptive behaviors, and directly targeting these organic but hyper-sensitive rifts in society,” Stubbs added.
In one example highlighted by Graphika, the Chinese operation impersonated American anti-war activists. Using multiple accounts on X, the operatives created memes that labeled Trump a “fraud,” showing him in an orange prison uniform, and called Biden a “coward.”
In halting English, a different account asked: “the present American still our America?“
Liu Pengyu, a spokesperson for China’s embassy in Washington, said, “China has no intention and will not interfere in the US election, and we hope that the US side will not make an issue of China in the election.”
Facebook previously attributed the campaign to Chinese law enforcement, calling it “the largest known cross-platform covert influence operation in the world.”
Spamouflage’s messaging does not appear to favor one side of the political spectrum – either Democrats or Republicans – but rather aims to amplify existing criticisms toward American society and government.
Historically, the group had limited success engaging with actual Americans, but that began to change in mid-2023 when the operatives increasingly targeted genuine supporters of former President Donald Trump, according to the Institute for Strategic Dialogue, which has done its own research into Spamouflage.

TRACKING INFLUENCE OPERATIONS
Graphika identified 15 Spamouflage accounts on social media platform X and one account on TikTok, all claiming to be US citizens or media outlets. It also highlighted other profiles associated with those accounts on YouTube and Instagram that were suspended by the time it finished its report.
X did not respond to a request for comment.
A YouTube spokesperson said, “The channel flagged by Graphika was previously identified and terminated as part of our investigations into coordinated influence operations, and had a very small number of views at the time it was removed.”
The Tiktok account, named Harlan Report, was among the group’s most successful assets. It posted a single video in July which garnered 1.5 million views.
That video, which was removed from TikTok last week, mocked a Biden press conference at NATO’s 75th anniversary summit where he stumbled over a speech. Like similar social media posts shared widely at the time, it transcribed Biden’s words erroneously to suggest that he had made a sexual reference, according to a Reuters Fact Check.
A Reuters review of the Harlan Report account on TikTok showed that it posted its first video in May. Other recent videos posted by the account racked up hundreds of thousands of views, including one shared last week showing CNN panelists discussing the network’s interview with Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris.
A TikTok spokesperson said the company permanently banned the Harlan Report account for violating its community guidelines.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, confirmed that it had removed Spamouflage activity from its platforms in two places as part of its ongoing enforcement against the operation. Neither was able to gain much traction with authentic audiences, a Meta spokesperson said.
The US government is investigating foreign efforts to interfere in the election.
In July, the US Office of the Director of National Intelligence, released a report on election interference, noting that China was “approaching this US presidential election more cautiously ... and probably does not plan to influence the outcome.” However, “we are tracking efforts to influence the US public more broadly.”

Topics: US Election 2024 China

Tunisia’s election authority bars journalists from press briefing

Tunisia’s election authority bars journalists from press briefing
Updated 03 September 2024
Arab News
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Tunisia’s election authority bars journalists from press briefing

Tunisia’s election authority bars journalists from press briefing
  • Reporters from state-run outlets were permitted into event
  • President Kais Saied will face Zouhair Maghzaoui, Ayachi Zammel in presidential election on Oct. 6
Updated 03 September 2024
Arab News

LONDON: Tunisia’s Independent High Authority for Elections excluded journalists from a press conference on Monday, drawing fresh criticism over its increasingly strained relationship with the media.

The press briefing was held to present the final list of candidates for the country’s presidential election set for early October.

President Kais Saied will face Zouhair Maghzaoui and Ayachi Zammel, after the electoral authority rejected an administrative court order to reinstate three candidates — Imed Daimi, Mondher Znaidi and Abdellatif Mekki — into the race, a decision that has sparked controversy.

Journalists were further angered when the authority barred private Tunisian and foreign media outlets from attending the briefing, only permitting journalists from state-run outlets such as Tunisie Radio, Tunis Afrique Presse and Tunisie TV to take part.

“This exclusionary policy adopted by the authority is an attempt to escape media accountability for its decisions and to answer the questions of the public opinion regarding this decision, which contradicts the rulings of the administrative court,” the Tunisian Journalists Syndicate said.

The incident is the latest in a series of controversies involving the the media and the election authority, which recently revoked a journalist’s accreditation for allegedly failing to produce objective and balanced coverage, citing violations of electoral law and professional ethics.

Topics: Tunisia Journalists

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