Netanyahu calls Al Jazeera a ‘toxic media outlet’ funded by Qatar
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Qatar and Türkiye of using money, media and political influence to fuel what he described as anti-Israel and antisemitic campaigns, singling out Al Jazeera during his address to the UN General Assembly on Thursday.
Netanyahu said Israel was fighting a parallel “war for truth” alongside its military conflicts, arguing that foreign governments had spent billions of dollars to influence public opinion against Israel through international media and other institutions.
“Several foreign countries have spent untold billions to spread lies about my country,” Netanyahu said. “The first to do so was Qatar.”
He alleged that Qatar had for decades funded American universities and “toxic media outlets like Al Jazeera” in an effort to influence Western public opinion. He made similar allegations about Qatar's activities in Europe.
According to Netanyahu, the alleged objective was to “brainwash young minds to hate Israel, hate America, hate the West.” He also criticised Qatar over its relationship with Hamas, accusing Doha of hosting senior Hamas leaders.
Qatar has previously rejected similar accusations from Israel.
In his own address to the UN earlier this week, Qatari Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani accused Israeli leaders of resorting to allegations of antisemitism and conspiracy theories in response to international criticism of Israel's actions.
Netanyahu also sharply criticised Türkiye and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, describing Türkiye as the latest country to become a “superspreader of antisemitic lies”.
He accused Erdogan's government of hosting Hamas leaders and criticised its treatment of political opponents and journalists, while also raising disputes involving northern Cyprus and Greece.
Al Jazeera rejects Netanyahu’s remarks
Al Jazeera Media Network rejected Netanyahu's comments in a statement published on its website, describing his remarks about the network as the latest development in what it called a sustained campaign against Al Jazeera and its journalists.
The network said its journalists had been reporting facts from the ground, documenting events and providing context and different perspectives.
Al Jazeera also highlighted the deaths of several of its journalists and camera operators while reporting from Gaza, saying some had faced “incitement and vilification” before being targeted.
The network said Netanyahu's remarks at the UN were particularly concerning because of what it described as the potential impact on the safety of its journalists working in conflict zones.
Al Jazeera also pointed to Israel's ban on its operations, the closure of its offices and restrictions on journalists' access to event sites, arguing that such measures affect public access to independent reporting.
The network called on the international community, UN bodies and press freedom organisations to protect journalists under international law and hold those responsible for attacks against them accountable.
Al Jazeera reaffirmed that its editorial decisions are made independently and governed by professional and ethical standards, saying its role is to provide audiences with facts and context while allowing them to assess sources and form their own views.