We Are at War With 'Israel' in Defense of Palestine: Al Mayadeen Chair

By Al Mayadeen English

Source: Al-Nour Radio

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen Media Network Ghassan Ben Jeddou discusses several issues, including the banning of the network in occupied Palestine, in an interview for Lebanese Al-Nour Radio.

Al-Nour Radio conducted an interview with the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen Media Network, Ghassan Ben Jeddou, following the Israeli war cabinet's decision to ban the network's activities in occupied Palestine.

Our coverage matched the historical moment

Al Mayadeen Media Network Chairman of the Board of Directors revealed the intricacies of the decision-making process behind the news network's approach to the coverage of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

Ben Jeddou confirmed that "Israel's" decision to ban Al Mayadeen "was not a technical decision. It was not even a political decision. In fact, it was a military decision related to the national security of Israel."

"For the first time in history, the war cabinet, entrusted by the United States to make the most important decisions during this war, meets to discuss Al Mayadeen Network, being an item on its agenda," he further explained.

Al Mayadeen's chairperson highlighted the remarks of Israeli Security Minister, Yoav Gallant, who categorized Al Mayadeen as a "grave threat to Israeli security."

"We are at war with him, in defense of the Palestinian cause and people."

Ghassan Ben Jeddou

He clarified that Al Mayadeen Network does not have bureaus in the territories occupied in 1948, but rather it has a small office in the West Bank, specifically in Ramallah, revealing that “analysts are prohibited from speaking to Al Mayadeen."

He pointed out that the Network is facing an obstacle in the West Bank, which is under the sovereignty of the Palestinian National Authority, which prevents it ["Israel"] from executing “punitive action” against the network there, “but it seems that this matter is not feasible, and the proof to that is that our colleagues are currently [not allowed] to work [there]."

"Israeli [authorities] informed every Palestinian Arab speaker and analyst in occupied '48 officially banning them from any association with Al Mayadeen," Ben Jeddou explained, adding that [in one instance], two minutes before one of our analyst guests went live on TV, he showed us a threat message the Israeli [authorities] had sent him."

The guest was threatened and blackmailed into refraining from completing his interview for Al Mayadeen Network.

Al Mayadeen number 1 channel in 1948 territories

Ben Jeddou stressed that the main factor that pushed "Israel" to take such measures against Al Mayadeen is not its "war coverage". However, it is the fact that Al Mayadeen is "the number one channel, in all modesty, in '48 territories specifically" where the channel is considered to be hugely influential.

"The deep-rooted problem, for the occupation, is that Al Mayadeen Channel influenced the Palestinian people in '48 and awarded them a substantial platform to express their convictions, and what is most dangerous" for Israeli authorities "is Al Mayadeen's influence on Palestinian youth."

He emphasized that for Israeli authorities, encouraging the Palestinian youth in the 1948 occupied territories to express their national ideas is "a red line" for "Israel", and described how Al Mayadeen played in awakening the Palestinian youth's sense of identity, which the Israeli occupation thought would have disintegrated with time.

Al Mayadeen steadfast in the face of Israeli, US, Arab threats

Al Mayadeen's chairperson revealed for the first time that the Israeli occupation had planned to kidnap him by luring him to "a friendly country;" a plot that was uncovered by the former head of Lebanon's General Security, Major General Abbas Ibrahim.

The attempt to abduct Ben Jeddou came right after Seif Al-Quds Battle in May 2021.

Ben Jeddou also revealed that during a work dinner, an individual present at the event in an unnamed Arab Gulf country delivered him an American message that aimed to establish strategic cooperation between the US and Al Mayadeen.

US wanted to cooperate with Al Mayadeen

The Gulf official said the US was interested in partnering with Al Mayadeen after it conducted a quantitative study that revealed that Al Mayadeen's reach is high in the Arab world. Not only that but the network is believed to be the third media outlet in the past half a century to gain the ability to influence public opinion in the Arab world, as per the official he met with.

In the same encounter, Ben Jeddou revealed that the Gulf official told him that Al Mayadeen had crossed the "red line" in its work. This includes Al Mayadeen's ability to successfully deliver pro-Resistance rhetoric to people in the Gulf, which is the first such instance, and accusations that the Network promotes political Shiism, which shocked Ben Jeddou as he confirmed that the Network is not Shiite, but in its core, it does serve an axis (referring to the Axis of Resistance), and by default, all the culture that this Axis embodies, and this was a problem for them. 

In this context, Ben Jeddou revealed, citing credible information, that the Israeli decision [to ban Al Mayadeen] “was coupled with the insistence and desire of two Arab countries: one Gulf, the other non-Gulf."

Al Mayadeen reaches record numbers

According to Ben Jeddou, the channel reached 50,000,000 Arab viewers, wherever they may be, yet this is not restricted to the Arab world, as 5,000,000 of the total were Arabs residing in the United States. Al Mayadeen English also played an integral role in reaching global audiences, Ben Jeddou revealed.

"Journalism proves once more that it is not just [about breaking records], but it is a strong cultural, political, ideological, mobilizing, and scientific weapon that we utilize to influence different aspects in the world," he said.

Ben Jeddou stressed that media outlets that are "biased" toward the Arab and Islamic Resistance, as well as the Resistance of the free people around the world, "are the future of journalism."

He stressed that the region is at a historic moment, where it should work toward establishing worldwide alliances, amid the fall of Western media outlets that perpetuate lies and misinformation.

Al Mayadeen safeguards itself through diplomatic mobilization

"We are approaching several international organizations and contacts to show the reality of what Al Mayadeen is facing" following the Israeli-imposed ban.

"Despite Israel's ban on Al Mayadeen, its broadcast will reach its intended audience. We have prepared ourselves for this, and we will soon announce a technical measure. It does not only concern Palestinians in '48 but also Arabs and Al Mayadeen viewers wherever they may be, as we expect that some entities will use the Israeli decision as an opportunity to intensify attacks on Al Mayadeen, banning and defaming it."

US leads war on Gaza

"The Palestinian Resistance in Gaza, led by al-Qassam Brigades, has a well-prepared, organized, and military plan," Ben Jeddou stressed as he analyzed the unfolding political and military events in the region.

"There is a desire among Resistance [factions] to fight and confront the Israeli ground forces in their territory. They have prepared substantial and significant plans" that will lure Israeli occupation forces into their ambushes, calling on the people not to think that this is a setback for the Resistance.

On the rumored "humanitarian pause", Ben Jeddou said, "The temporary ceasefire for five days has matured," especially after the unfolding events at Al-Shifa Medical Complex.

Described what happened in Al-Shifa as a "setback and defeat" for the occupation, which claimed that there were tunnels under the hospital with leading figures of Hamas and Al-Qassam Brigades, as well as captives in there, he confirmed, citing an unnamed informed source, that there are no prisoners, Resistance members, or Resistance leaders under Al-Shifa Hospital.

Although Washington did not publicly adopt what the occupation did, Ben Jeddo stressed that “the choice that the Israelis made is in collaboration, complicity, and collusion with Washington, which is in charge of the battle yet by means of the occupation’s soldiers and intelligence.”

In response to a question about whether “the setback at Al-Shifa Complex will enforce the exchange deal,” Ben Jeddou said he believed so, adding that "the exchange deal would probably take effect this week."

No all-out war on the horizon

Regarding the possibility of an all-out war breaking out, Al Mayadeen's chairperson expressed his belief that no such war is on the horizon, stressing that the Islamic Resistance in Lebanon is the one that will lead the entire Axis of Resistance in the event that an all-out war will be decided.

"The front with Lebanon, led by Hezbollah, is a major front, and it [Hezbollah] will lead the entire Axis of Resistance if it decides to launch an all-out war," Ben Jeddou said.

"Sayyed Nasrallah clearly defined the path: 'We are a supporting and backing front,' not a front engaged in this war. This support and backing will gradually escalate," Ben Jeddou underlined, adding that these actions indicate "courage and wisdom" on the part of Hezbollah. 

Al Mayadeen's chairman also revealed that when Ismail Haniyeh visited Sayyed Ali Khamenei, he was asked, and this is revealed for the first time, whether they wanted an open war, and the answer was no, that they only wanted measures that would actually deter "Israel" and the US because the operations undertaken by the Axis of Resistance were not doing so.

"Hezbollah going all the way in the battle has repercussions and heavy prices, and when it enters the war alongside its allies, the goals will be different," which "the Palestinians are not ready for,” according to Ben Jeddou.

He also maintained that "there is serious support for the Palestinian Resistance, and not just from Lebanon’s front.”

Ben Jeddou also expressed that he "does not see that the people of Gaza will be displaced," as Hezbollah Secretary-General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah set "very brave goals” and said that making sure that Gaza and the Resistance are not defeated is a “red line” for the Axis, which means that people will not be displaced.

Regarding other arenas of support, specifically Syria, Ben Jeddou said, “What Sayyed Nasrallah said regarding Syria is enough for us, and we believe that … Syria is loyal and committed to performing its role in the best way possible alongside the Axis of Resistance."

As for Iraq, he said, “The Iraqi Resistance has now become more engaged, as it is bombing Israel and striking American bases." He also hailed Yemen for the role it is playing, stressing that “Yemen is a great and heroic people.”

Floundering, confused Arab position

As for the Arab stance toward the war in Gaza, it was at first “floundering and confused, and then, when the Arabs took to the streets as the world was witnessing first-hand these devastating Israeli massacres, embarrassment set in, but it was pale and hypocritical,” Ben Jeddou emphasized.

Taking a swing at relevant Gulf and Arab capitals and countries, he said they “are still, deep down, complicit with Israel, yielding to the United States of America and fulfilling its demands. As a matter of fact, some of them are even harsher in the demands and conditions they set for the Resistance than Israel itself when it comes to certain files.”

The Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen revealed that the weak turnout that struck the Arab street can be attributed to several factors, “the first of which is repression, as there is an Arab country in which millions actually demonstrated. The following week, this same Arab country placed barriers in front of the largest Islamic religious institution in the country to prevent people from getting there."

'The entire West supports Israel'

On the issue of the ongoing rallies and stands worldwide, the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen Media Network emphasized that people protest and express themselves differently according to the available conditions and circumstances. On this note, he said that those who take to the streets in protest in the Gulf are courageous heroes.

As for the West, he said, "We may be mistaken if we believe that the [change in] Western public opinion, the uprising, and these unprecedented massive protests, especially in Britain, will affect the political decision-makers [approach] in regard to the [Israeli] occupation."

He explained that what is happening in the West, however, "does lay the foundation for new, somewhat independent and separate currents from the deep state current in these countries."

"The problem now is that [NATO], not the entire West, now considers its battle in Israel as also a battle of existence, and Israel is more important to it, so this political decision for the Atlantic alliance is entirely with Israel, and Israel is taking advantage of this opportunity."

In Latin America, Ben Jeddou said the most effective change is occurring at "the level of leaders and governments, not just" among the public, as its leaders have adopted "honorable and significant positions" regarding what is happening in the Gaza Strip.