Commentary: Arab media covers the protests extensively as they unfold and Israel’s foes delight in its domestic turmoil, gleefully watching from afar
Arab media covers nearly everything happening in Israel, whether it be political, social, economic or military developments, and not just during times of war.
However, in recent months, the political and social events in Israel have become even more interesting to them. Just as we follow developments in the surrounding countries during the war, understanding events within Israel helps the other side try to gauge the direction of the wind, the future of the war, whether we are nearing a prisoner exchange deal and what will happen on the northern front with Lebanon.
For this reason, the mass protests for the return of the Israeli hostages held by the terrorist organization Hamas, which take place every Saturday on Kaplan St. in Tel Aviv, generate a lot of interest in the Arab world.
Videos from the protests are shared on social media and in the media of various countries, serving as a basis for analyzing the internal situation in Israel and assessing its strength against various challenges.
Egyptian channel Al Qahera News broadcasted videos of Saturday’s protest, with the chyron “Thousands protest in Tel Aviv demanding the fall of Netanyahu’s government.” And this wasn’t the only video the channel published on the subject.
Another video, under the headline “Clashes between Israeli police and protesters demanding Netanyahu’s ouster”, explained that the families of hostages “demand a prisoner exchange deal and see Netanyahu as the main obstacle between them and their children.”
Al Jazeera aired segments of the protest during its live broadcast under a headline reading “Israeli hostage families: We’ll burn down the country if a prisoner exchange deal isn’t completed.” The segment reported that crowds took to the streets of Tel Aviv demanding the fall of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of failing to return the hostages. The report also noted that some Israelis believe Netanyahu is hindering the prisoner exchange deal because he wants to prolong the war due to fears of political downfall.
The political debate around the conscription of ultra-Orthodox men has also been widely reported in Arab media in recent weeks.
In one of his recent speeches, Hezbollah Secretary-General Hassan Nasrallah referenced comments made by Chief Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, who suggested the ultra-Orthodox would immigrate if forced to enlist in the IDF. “It’s a huge deal. They should pack their bags and leave,” Nasrallah told his followers.
Without delving into Israel’s internal struggles, it’s important to remember that they don’t stay within Israel’s borders alone. Their echo travels far and wide, influencing decision-making processes of various actors in Arab countries. Our internal division affects the perception of Israel’s strength during wartime. Internal debates and struggles are seen as a weakness, as an internal war Israel is fighting in addition to the external conflict.
From the perspective of various Arab entities, these challenges make Israel more vulnerable and weaken its ability to face challenges on other fronts. The situation contributes to the perceptions of organizations like Hezbollah and the so-called “Axis of Resistance”, attempting to portray Israel as “weaker than a spider’s web,” as Nasrallah famously described. As the internal situation intensifies, Israel may appear even more fragile in the eyes of its neighbors.
As reported by Ynetnews