From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 23, 2026
ADL calls out influx of ‘antisemitic dog whistles’ employed by Saudi media figures
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The Anti-Defamation League calls out what it says is a recent influx of “openly antisemitic dog whistles” by Saudi media figures.
The apparent trend includes significant targeting of the United Arab Emirates amid Saudi Arabia’s ongoing feud and mounting rift with its Gulf neighbor over a variety of foreign policy issues, including Yemen and Somalia. Some analysts speculate that the rhetoric against Abu Dhabi is the result of a directive from the Saudi royal family.
A front page story in the Saudi newspaper Al-Jazirah yesterday claimed the UAE “was the biggest instigator of the Zionist entity’s aggression against the Gaza Strip.”
“ADL is alarmed by the increasing frequency and volume of prominent Saudi voices — analysts, journalists, and preachers — using openly antisemitic dog whistles and aggressively pushing anti-Abraham Accords rhetoric, often while peddling conspiracy theories about ‘Zionist plots,'” a statement from the group says.
“This is harmful on many levels, diminishing the prospect of peaceful coexistence in the region and weakening regional initiatives promoting tolerance, understanding, and prosperity,” the ADL adds.
The Al-Jazirah article was deleted from the paper’s website shortly after this post was published.
The Times of Israel Community.