Middle East Expert Claims Arab Nations Funded Campaign to Oust Netanyahu
Translated & summarized from Arutz Sheva by baba
Middle East expert Dr. Edy Cohen claims Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar ran a media campaign to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, boosting Arab parties to 19 seats in Israeli elections. He alleges widespread slander and demonization across Arab media and social platforms, including TikTok. Cohen suggests Arab nations seek a Palestinian state and wish to disengage from supporting Palestinians. He also mentioned suspicions of improper intervention and significant funding, which he believes warrants investigation.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Middle East expert Dr. Edy Cohen alleges Arab nations funded a campaign to oust PM Netanyahu.
- Cohen claims Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar used media to attack Netanyahu and right-wing parties.
- The alleged campaign aimed to boost Arab parties, which secured 19 seats in Israeli elections.
- Cohen cited widespread slander and demonization across Arab media and social platforms.
- He mentioned suspicions of improper intervention and alleged funding of 100 million shekels.
- Cohen believes the situation warrants investigation due to its unusual nature.
Middle East expert Dr. Edy Cohen alleges that Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Qatar orchestrated a significant media campaign aimed at replacing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his right-wing government, contributing to the substantial gains of Arab parties in the recent Israeli elections. Cohen stated in an interview with Channel 7 that this campaign, which began shortly after the election date was announced, involved widespread media attacks against Netanyahu and right-wing parties, including specific criticism directed at Bezalel Smotrich.
Cohen described the campaign as a continuous stream of messages across various media platforms, including talk shows in Egypt and other outlets, which he characterized as "slander and demonization" of the Prime Minister and the right. He believes these messages reached Arab citizens in Israel through various channels, such as Al Jazeera, Saudi media, and platforms operated by Azzam Ezzam from Qatar and London, as well as social media and TikTok, where videos urging votes against right-wing parties, particularly targeting Itamar Ben-Gvir and Smotrich, were widely distributed.
He suggested that Arab nations' desire for a change in Israeli leadership stems partly from a wish to advance the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, Cohen posited that for Gulf states, this desire is also driven by a weariness of ongoing involvement and financial support for the Palestinians, leading them to prefer a political solution that allows them to "disconnect" from the issue. He believes Arab entities would find left-wing or moderate Israeli leaders more amenable to political progress than right-wing governments opposed to a Palestinian state, referencing the Oslo Accords as an example of past actions by Israeli leaders.
Cohen expressed surprise at the 19 seats secured by Arab parties, calling it "puzzling" and "illogical," suggesting it went beyond mere encouragement to vote. He alluded to suspicions of improper intervention, including alleged funding of 100 million shekels, and noted unusual scenes like long queues of women voting, which he stated would be investigated.
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