Lebanese journalist receives threats, travel ban for interviewing Israeli official

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Updated 17 October 2023
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Lebanese journalist receives threats, travel ban for interviewing Israeli official

  • Dubai-based Layal Alekhtiar faces harassment for live exchange with IDF’s Arabic spokesperson

LONDON: Last week, Layal Alekhtiar, one of Al-Arabiya News Channel’s main anchors, was getting ready for yet another long day in front of the camera as the Israeli-Hamas conflict continued to intensify.

Alekhtiar, an experienced Lebanese journalist who has worked for outlets such as US-funded Alhurra and Lebanon’s LBC, was well equipped for what the day could hold for her. After all, she had interviewed prime ministers, foreign secretaries and a host of other high-level officials and delegates.

That day, however, she was told one of her interview subjects was Avichay Adraee, a lieutenant colonel in the Israel Defense Forces who serves as the head of the Arab media division of the force’s Spokesperson’s Unit.

Alekhtiar shuffled her notes, prepared and ready to conduct the interview with integrity as she does with every other guest on her program.

What she was not ready for was the barrage of harassment, abuse and hate targeted at her by loyalists of Hezbollah — the Iran-backed Lebanese militia — that came soon after.

Thousands of replies and comments accusing Alekhtiar of being a traitor and Israeli spy flooded her X and Instagram accounts.

“I conducted the interview respectfully, asked all the necessary questions, and I ended the interview, that’s it, nothing more. I didn’t praise him, but I didn’t insult him either,” Alekhtiar told Arab News.

“A respectable journalist will respect their guest, no matter who it may be, even if it’s someone from the opposition.”

In one of her most recent posts mourning a fellow journalist, Giselle Khoury, who had just lost a years long battle with cancer, the comments ranged from “RIP” to ones wishing death upon her.

“I hope we’ll be saying goodbye to you with some missile to blow you up,” one comment read.




“I hope we’ll be saying goodbye to you with some missile to blow you up,” one comment read.

Another said: “May God have mercy on her and I hope we will see you with her soon.”




“I hope we’ll be saying goodbye to you with some missile to blow you up,” one comment read.


One comment on Instagram even went as far as asking her “What will you think when Avichay Adraee deprives you of your son?”




“What will you think when Avichay Adraee deprives you of your son?”

Alekhtiar said: “Lebanese journalists have interviewed Israelis in the past, Palestinians are interviewing Israelis right now… How will you get a second point of view (if you do not)? You are obliged to as a journalist.”

Indeed, she is not the only Lebanese journalist to have interviewed Israelis or Israeli officials. The late and renowned anchor Najwa Qassem interviewed Israeli orientalist and political analyst Edy Cohen on Al Arabiya, and Sky News Arabia’s Algerian presenter Fadila Souissi interviewed Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in 2022.

The issue, however, did not stop there. After the online smear campaign kicked off, a reporter from a group of “journalists of the South” stated that they will not let her into Lebanon and will report her.

They then raised the issue of the country’s Military Court on the basis that Israel and Lebanon are technically at war, and being in contact with enemy officials would be treasonous.

The group of journalists and ex-detainees of Israel, which included Syrian News Channel’s Hussein Mortada, filed a lawsuit which stated:

“Attorney Ghassan Al-Mawla has filed a report before the Military Court against the Zionist Layal Al-Ekhtiar, who claims to be a journalist (report no. 20355/2023, dated 12/10/2023), for conducting an interview on the the Hebrew channel (referring to Al Arabiya) with the Zionist killer, Avichay Adraee.”

“Every communication is a contribution to the shedding of Palestinian blood, including children, women, and the elderly, and we as detainees will not spare any of these traitors and we will hold them accountable.”




The lawsuit filed by the group of journalists and ex-detainees of Israel. (Supplied)

Shortly after, Alekhtiar claims she received calls from insiders at the Lebanese government warning her not to return to her home country as she could be arrested on the spot.

“Currently I can’t go to Beirut, journalists and politicians have advised me not to go to Lebanon because I will be arrested,” she told Arab News as her voice cracked, fighting back tears.

“People are trying to intimidate journalists. They’re saying ‘look at what we can do, we can stop you and prevent you from entering the country,’” she said, adding: “What I’m sure of is, I won’t back down or change. I won’t change my beliefs.

“If I get scared and am silenced, this will happen to any other journalist.”

Alekhiar is not new to assault or attacks from pro-Hezbollah trolls online. In 2021, she was subjected to a smear campaign by “individuals allied to Hezbollah” and was threatened with murder via text.

The threats followed her previous tweet commenting on a Qassem Soleimani statue in Beirut and quoting a surah from the Qur’an.

As for now, the journalist has decided to stay in Dubai, while members of her family who are based in Beirut are being subjected to harassment as an intimidation tactic used against her.

“If you want to criticize and start a hate campaign, at least stick to the ethics of journalism and ethics of political communication. It doesn’t have to be personal and it doesn’t need to involve my family,” she said.


US denounces French inquiry into social media platform X, vows to defend free speech

Updated 26 July 2025
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US denounces French inquiry into social media platform X, vows to defend free speech

  • Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police into billionaire Elon Musk's social network X on suspicion of foreign interference
  • “Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike," US State Department responds

WASHINGTON: US officials issued a harsh condemnation Friday of France’s criminal investigation into the social network X, owned by billionaire Elon Musk, on suspicion of foreign interference.
“As part of a criminal investigation, an activist French prosecutor is requesting information on X’s proprietary algorithm and has classified X as an ‘organized crime group,’” the US State Department’s Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labor wrote on their X account.
“Democratic governments should allow all voices to be heard, not silence speech they dislike. The United States will defend the free speech of all Americans against acts of foreign censorship.”
Paris cybercrime prosecutors called for the police probe July 11 to investigate suspected crimes — including manipulating and extracting data from automated systems “as part of a criminal gang.”
The social media company last week denied the allegations, calling them “politically motivated.”
X also said it had refused to comply with the prosecutor’s request to access its recommendation algorithm and real-time data.
The investigation follows two January complaints that alleged the X algorithm had been used for foreign interference in French politics.
One of the complaints came from Eric Bothorel, an MP from President Emmanuel Macron’s centrist party, who complained of “reduced diversity of voices and options” and Musk’s “personal interventions” in the platform’s management since he took it over.
X said it “categorically denies” all allegations and that the probe “is distorting French law in order to serve a political agenda and, ultimately, restrict free speech.”
Tesla and SpaceX chief Musk has raised hackles with his forays into European politics, including vocal backing for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party ahead of February legislative elections.
“Democracy is too fragile to let digital platform owners tell us what to think, who to vote for or even who to hate,” Bothorel said after the investigation was announced.
 


Pregnant Palestinian journalist killed in Israeli strike

Updated 24 July 2025
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Pregnant Palestinian journalist killed in Israeli strike

  • Walaa Al-Jaabari was killed along with her husband, 4 children and unborn child during a bombing on her house in southwest Gaza City
  • According to local reports not independently verifiable, the explosion was so powerful it reportedly ejected the fetus from her womb

LONDON: Palestinian journalist Walaa Al-Jaabari, who was reportedly pregnant, was killed along with her immediate family in an Israeli airstrike on Wednesday.

Al-Jaabari, a newspaper editor for several local media outlets, died when her home in the Tal Al-Hawa neighborhood in southwest Gaza City was bombed. The strike also killed her husband, Amjad Al-Shaer, their four children, and her unborn baby.

According to local reports, the explosion was so powerful it reportedly ejected the fetus from her womb. Arab News could not independently verify this claim or the authenticity of photos circulating online that appear to show a fetus wrapped in a shroud.

Her death is the latest in what human rights and press freedom organizations have described as the systematic targeting of journalists in Gaza.

On Wednesday, the International Federation of Journalists renewed its call for Israel to stop killing media workers and to allow international reporters access to the territory, which has been under an Israeli-imposed blockade for 21 months.

More than 180 journalists — almost all Palestinians — have been killed in Gaza since the start of the Israeli offensive, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. Other organizations estimate the toll to be as high as 231.

In at least a dozen cases, rights groups say there is evidence that Israeli forces deliberately targeted journalists, which they warn may constitute war crimes.

No independent reporters have been permitted entry into Gaza throughout the war, apart from a handful of tightly controlled, brief “embed” visits with Israeli troops.

Israeli authorities have repeatedly refused to lift the ban, citing security concerns and the risks of allowing journalists to operate freely in the conflict zone.

The blockade has placed immense pressure on local reporters, who face extreme working conditions, including limited access to electricity, food, and Internet connectivity.

On Thursday, the Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the BBC issued a joint statement urging Israel to allow journalists access to Gaza and permit the entry of humanitarian supplies.

“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” the statement said. “For many months, these independent journalists have been the world’s eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.”


Gaza staff face starvation: Joint statement from AFP, AP, BBC, Reuters

Updated 24 July 2025
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Gaza staff face starvation: Joint statement from AFP, AP, BBC, Reuters

  • Statement calls on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza, permit adequate food supplies into territory
  • Over 100 charity and human rights groups say Israel’s blockade pushing Palestinians in Gaza toward starvation

Four leading news organizations said Thursday their journalists in Gaza are facing the threat of starvation as the Israeli assault on Gaza grinds on, while top US envoy Steve Witkoff was to meet with key negotiators from the Middle East for talks on the latest ceasefire proposal and the release of hostages.

“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” said a joint statement by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the BBC. “For many months, these independent journalists have been the world’s eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.”

The statement called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza and allow adequate food supplies into the territory.

The statement came a day after more than 100 charity and human rights groups said that Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation.

Also Thursday, Hamas confirmed it had sent its latest ceasefire proposal to Israel, with an Israeli official calling it “workable,” although no details were provided. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on record.

Israel’s war in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children.


Major media say Gaza staff face starvation as US envoy prepares to host ceasefire talks

Israel has barred international media from entering Gaza independently throughout the 21-month war. (FILE/AFP)
Updated 24 July 2025
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Major media say Gaza staff face starvation as US envoy prepares to host ceasefire talks

  • Four leading news organizations said Thursday their journalists in Gaza are facing the threat of starvation as the Israeli assault on Gaza grinds on

Four leading news organizations said Thursday their journalists in Gaza are facing the threat of starvation as the Israeli assault on Gaza grinds on, while top US envoy Steve Witkoff was to meet with key negotiators from the Middle East for talks on the latest ceasefire proposal and the release of hostages.
“We are desperately concerned for our journalists in Gaza, who are increasingly unable to feed themselves and their families,” said a joint statement by The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, Reuters and the BBC. “For many months, these independent journalists have been the world’s eyes and ears on the ground in Gaza. They are now facing the same dire circumstances as those they are covering.”
The statement called on Israel to allow journalists in and out of Gaza and allow adequate food supplies into the territory.
The statement came a day after more than 100 charity and human rights groups said that Israel’s blockade and ongoing military offensive are pushing Palestinians in the Gaza Strip toward starvation.
Also Thursday, Hamas confirmed it had sent its latest ceasefire proposal to Israel, with an Israeli official calling it “workable,” although no details were provided. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on record.
Israel’s war in Gaza, launched in response to Hamas’ Oct. 7, 2023, attack, has killed more than 59,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. Its count doesn’t distinguish between militants and civilians, but the ministry says that more than half of the dead are women and children.


Magazine editor criticizes arrest of protester holding cartoon satirizing Palestine Action ban

Updated 23 July 2025
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Magazine editor criticizes arrest of protester holding cartoon satirizing Palestine Action ban

  • Retired teacher, 67, held under terrorism laws

LONDON: Ian Hislop, the editor of the UK’s satirical magazine Private Eye, has condemned the arrest of 67‑year‑old protester Jon Farley, who was detained under terrorism laws for displaying a cartoon that joked about the government’s proscription of Palestine Action.

Farley, a retired teacher, was held under Section 12 of the Terrorism Act after holding a placard displaying the cartoon from Private Eye at a silent Gaza demonstration in Leeds. 

Hislop slammed the arrest as “mind boggling” and a “blatant misunderstanding of satire,” noting that the cartoon was “an example of freedom of speech” against a government policy, according to a report by The Guardian.

Hislop added: “So, it’s not difficult to understand. It’s critical, but it is quite clearly a joke. (It) seems to me absolutely extraordinary that someone could be arrested for holding it (the cartoon) up.”

Farley, a regular demonstrator, said he took the cartoon to a protest in Leeds after hearing that 32 Palestinians seeking aid had been killed by Israeli forces that day.

“I saw it in Private Eye and thought, ‘That’s really well thought-out — it has nuance.’ But I don’t think the police do nuance,” he told The Guardian, referring to the cartoon styled as a mock guide titled “Palestine Action Explained”, which contrasts UK’s harsh response to protest actions with its tolerance of deadly force against Palestinians.

Farley added that officers handcuffed him and escorted him into a police van before he could explain the placard’s satirical origin.

He was released six hours later without charge but under bail conditions barring him from rallies supporting Palestine Action, a group that the UK government classified as a terrorist group after it broke into a military base and vandalized military aircraft.

Farley is among dozens who have been arrested since the ban for holding placards purportedly supporting the group.

The retired teacher called for an apology and expressed concern over the “murky lack of clarity” in the police’s actions.

West Yorkshire Police said it would review the incident, and acknowledged confusion following Palestine Action’s designation as a proscribed organization earlier this month.