From the Liveblog of
Thursday, January 6, 2022
Palestinian Authority’s WAFA news agency relaunches Hebrew service
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleThe official Palestinian Authority news agency WAFA restarts its Hebrew-language service after a six-year break, saying it hopes to influence Israeli public opinion.
“The aim of relaunching the Hebrew coverage is to convey the Palestinian point of view to Israeli society, in an objective manner that sidesteps the military censorship that is imposed on Israeli media,” WAFA editor-in-chief Khuloud Assaf told AFP.
WAFA is directly affiliated with the Palestinian Authority and is headquartered in the city of Ramallah, in the West Bank.
It publishes in Arabic, English and French, but had stopped its Hebrew service in 2016.
Most mainstream Israeli media employ Arabic-speaking journalists who specialize in Palestinian affairs. But WAFA says it hopes its resumed Hebrew service will offer a different perspective.
“Israeli media today is greatly influenced by extremist, right-wing thought, even in its coverage of Palestinian affairs,” Assaf claims.
Last year, Palestinian radio station Jerusalem 24 launched in Ramallah broadcasting in English and Hebrew, aiming to offer the viewpoint of Palestinians to Hebrew and English audiences. It is the only Palestinian radio station broadcasting today in Hebrew.
The Times of Israel Community.