Exclusive Reports: Inside the Secretive Relationship Between al-Arabiya and Israeli Military

In a striking development, the Saudi channel al-Arabiya has shifted from merely aligning with the Israeli Occupation forces to actively collaborating with them for news coverage, furthering its pro-”Israel” stance during the assault on Gaza.

Since the launch of Operation al-Aqsa Flood in October 2023, al-Arabiya’s reporting has shown a clear bias towards “Israel,” promoting its narrative while demonizing Hamas.

Now, this cooperation has taken a more advanced turn. In mid-September 2024, Israeli Channel 11 revealed the secrets behind this collaboration.

The report stated that the Israeli army provides al-Arabiya with exclusive news in exchange for improving the Israeli image in the Arab world.

This revelation highlights how the Saudi channel has become a media tool for the Israeli army, which has waged a devastating assault on Gaza, a pattern observed on multiple occasions.

One such instance was the airing of the name of Khalil al-Maqdah, a military commander in the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades, after his vehicle was struck in Sidon, southern Lebanon.

On August 21, 2024, al-Arabiya exclusively revealed the name of the target in the burned vehicle, long before anyone else knew his identity.

According to Channel 11, “Eyewitnesses at the scene of the attack said they learned the identity of the target from al-Arabiya, while civil defense teams were still trying to recover the body and had not yet identified the victim.”

Al-Arabiya also exclusively reported details of the Israeli Occupation’s latest strike on the Scientific Studies and Research Center, Syria, on September 9, 2024.

The Israeli Occupation targeted the key facility responsible for developing weapons, particularly missiles and drones, in central Syria. The wide-scale attack resulted in the deaths of 18 people and injuries to over 37 others, according to the Syrian regime’s Ministry of Health.

These developments were also confirmed by Orit Perlov, a researcher at the Institute for National Security Studies and former advisor at the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In an interview published by Haaretz on August 27, 2024, she stated, “Israel [..] cooperates and conveys messages to the channel.”

As observed by Al-Estiklal during the months of aggression, there has been a noticeable increase in airtime given to Israeli political and military leaders, as well as analysts, on al-Arabiya's screen.

The channel has also regularly hosted the Israeli army spokesperson, Daniel Hagari, to comment on key operations or strikes in Gaza or Lebanon, often immediately following military actions.

In the realm of terminology, the Israeli channel highlighted that al-Arabiya does not use the same language as most other Arabic networks.

For example, it considers “a Palestinian killed” instead of “martyr,” an “Israeli hostage” instead of “prisoner,” and “Hamas” instead of the “Palestinian resistance.”

The Israeli channel concluded that al-Arabiya's reports, since the signing of the Abraham Accords with Arab states in 2020, reflect the warm relations between “Israel” and Saudi Arabia. It suggested that the Saudi network is preparing public opinion for potential future agreements, possibly including normalization itself, adding, “One cannot help but wonder how the outcomes of the war will impact alliances and relations within the Islamic world with Israel.”

Bias Towards the Enemy 

Al-Arabiya's editorial line in covering Operation al-Aqsa Flood was clear, as evidenced by an interview with Hamas's foreign leader, Khaled Meshaal, two weeks after the operation—a move that drew praise from “Israel” and anger from the Arab world.

On November 26, 2023, Haaretz celebrated the Egyptian journalist Rasha Nabil's interview with Meshaal on al-Arabiya, noting that she posed questions about October 7 that no other Arab journalist had dared to ask.

For example, Nabil asked, “How can you ask the West and the world to support the Palestinian cause when the focus now is on what Hamas did to Israeli civilians?”

Nabil overlooked the fact that most Israelis are either armed or serve as reservists, and many are settlers living on land classified as occupied under international law.

She also asked Meshaal, “The West says this war is Israel’s response to what Hamas did on October 7, and the international community allows it as self-defense. Is there any chance of apologizing for what happened to Israeli civilians?”

While most Arab television networks focused on airing footage from the operation with which Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar, shocked “Israel,” al-Arabiya and particularly Rasha Nabil dared to approach the issue from an Israeli perspective.

During her interview with Khaled Meshaal, Nabil added, “Is there a chance that you'll apologize for what happened to Israeli civilians? What the Western world saw on their TV screens was an illegitimate attack by Hamas on Israeli civilians. You're responsible for the movement's image in the world, and now the movement is being compared to ISIS.”

Since then, the Saudi channel has continued this approach despite widespread criticism across Arab social media.

Al-Arabiya and other Saudi media outlets aligned themselves with the Israeli narrative, claiming that Hamas was conducting operations from al-Shifa Hospital and hiding among civilians.

Al-Arabiya’s military analyst Tawfiq Kahwaji appeared on air stating that Hamas’ command center was located within al-Shifa Hospital, even referring to the movement as “ISIS,” a remark that Israeli media celebrated.

Why the Shift?

Palestinian journalist Yasser Mohammed said al-Arabiya had been attacking the Gaza resistance long before Operation al-Aqsa Flood, “so it’s no surprise they continued their offensive after the operation.”

In his interview with Al-Estiklal, Mohammed explained that the channel follows the directives of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, “which sheds light on the Kingdom’s stance on the Palestinian issue, as Saudi Arabia does not foresee any future for Hamas in Gaza.”

“Unlike the UAE, which wants no role for either Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, Saudi Arabia supports bolstering Ramallah’s rule in both the West Bank and Gaza. This will be the stepping stone toward normalization.”

The Palestinian journalist believes that Operation al-Aqsa Flood disrupted the normalization process between Saudi Arabia and “Israel,” prompting Riyadh to spread its venom and tarnish the image of the Gaza resistance, as their plans have not yet succeeded.

Regarding the recent developments regarding collaboration with the Israeli military, Mohammed said, “Anyone following Israeli media can see the immense satisfaction and praise for al-Arabiya, which is a reward for their efforts.”

The Palestinian journalist believes that what is happening represents a dangerous escalation, where al-Arabiya has not only become a mouthpiece for polishing the image of the Israeli military but “has crossed into outright complicity and collaboration through the media, with the enemy informing the channel about crimes before, during, or immediately after they are committed.”

Palestinian Omar Ibhais wrote on Facebook about the matter saying, “There are only two possibilities—either an Israeli army officer is the editor-in-chief of al-Arabiya, or their editor-in-chief is an officer in Tel Aviv! The speed with which they know the names of those targeted and the results of the attacks leaves no doubt.”

“Al-Arabiya has long played a dubious role, operating according to an agenda that aligns with that of the Israeli occupation and its intelligence agency in targeting the Palestinian resistance to reclaim their occupied lands and expel the occupiers,” political activist Abdul Shafi Anabhane posted on X.

On August 27, Haaretz reported that al-Arabiya operates as an alternative platform, distancing itself from anti-”Israel” voices in the region. Notably, it recently hosted Israeli War Forces spokesman Daniel Hagari, who is often dismissed by Arab viewers.

The Israeli newspaper noted that al-Arabiya, based in Riyadh, sparked outrage among Arab viewers on June 19 when it invited Hagari to attack Hezbollah, leading some to label it a “Zionist channel” and question whether it is indeed an Israeli outlet.

This move is seen as part of a broader narrative for the channel, which competes to shape discourse and collective awareness in Gulf countries. Its rise reflects the Saudi royal family's efforts to make it one of the most influential media outlets in the Arab world.

Initially part of the Saudi MBC Group, the channel relocated from Dubai to Riyadh in 2021 as part of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plans to rival the UAE.

Back to Orit Perluff, the researcher stated that “it's not out of love of Israel or a desire to show that Israel is winning, but rather out of an absolute hatred of political Islam. al-Arabiya functions as a counterweight to Al Jazeera in terms of shaping public consciousness [..] The government fears trends that are strengthening political Islam in the country, and so it's forbidden to portray Hamas as defeating Israel in the Arab collective consciousness. Saudi citizens are not allowed to think that the Muslim Brotherhood has won.”

Haaretz observed that with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's rise to power, the channel became his mouthpiece, aimed at legitimizing him as a leader who seeks to unite the Arab world against “the Iranian enemy.”