Scapegoating of Jews for the 1969 Al-Aqsa Arson Continued as Usual in 2022

Iranian Disinformation
The Islamic Republic of Iran, the world’s leading state-sponsor of terrorism, antisemitism, and Holocaust denial, was once again at the forefront of disinformation and incitement campaigns. Nasser Kanaani, the spokesperson of the Iranian foreign ministry, claimed that “Zionists set fire to the first Qibla [direction of prayer] of Muslims,” and tried to incite violence by calling “all mosques in the world” to “remain the center of anti-Zionist resistance.”

Al-Alam, the Arabic-language broadcaster of the state-owned media corporation Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB), posted a report referring to Rohan as Jewish, while also asserting that the fire is a continuation of Israel’s policies regarding al-Aqsa and Jerusalem.

Jordanian Disinformation
Jordan TV, which is owned by Jordan’s state broadcaster Jordan Radio and Television Corporation (JRTV), referred to Rohan as being Jewish in a tweet, a claim also repeated in a tweet posted by the country’s privately owned Al Ghad TV. An Al Ghad TV report from its website repeats the false accusation that Israel attempted to prevent Palestinian fire trucks from arriving at al-Aqsa.

Egyptian Disinformation
Egyptian outlet Al-Youm As-Sabi’, which has a troubling history of disseminating antisemitic content, commemorated the anniversary of the al-Aqsa arson in a report that referred to Rohan as being Jewish and reproduced a false account from the Palestinian Authority’s official daily Al-Hayat Al-Jadida (mentioned above).

The Muslim Brotherhood’s official web portal, Ikhwan Online, published a post similarly referring to Rohan as being Jewish. The portal also cited statements made by Ahmad Abu Halbiyya, the Head of the Jerusalem and Al-Aqsa Committee, in which he implies a denial of the historic existence of the Jewish Temple, claiming that Israel strives to establish “the alleged Temple on the ruins of al-Aqsa.” (Emphasis added)

Qatari Disinformation
Qatar’s state-run Qatar News Agency (QNA) reported on a sermon by Al-Aqsa Sheikh Akrama Sabri, in which he referred to Rohan as being Jewish and placed the fire in the context of what he described as an ongoing aggression against al-Aqsa by Israel.

Turkish Restraint
The announcement of Turkey’s full normalization of diplomatic relations with Israel on August 17, four days before the anniversary of the al-Aqsa arson, appears to have led to more restrained coverage in the country’s state media. Although Turkey’s semi-official newswire Anadolu Agency published four successive articles presenting Rohan as a “fanatical Jew” last year, this year the same outlet chose to identify Rohan as a “fanatical Australian.” Anadolu Agency, nevertheless, reproduced statements by Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad calling for the “recapture of Jerusalem,” while also accusing Israel of targeting al-Aqsa.

The disinformation perpetuated by a wide range of Middle Eastern outlets this year is a grim reminder of the active efforts to prevent an accurate portrayal of history while commemorating Rohan’s despicable crime. Although the propagation of blatant falsehoods and militant rhetoric that have the potential to incite violence is disturbing, the relative restraint displayed this year by Turkey’s official outlets shows that governments can play a significant role in curbing slanderous disinformation, at least on state-owned and -run outlets.

The article is published courtesy of the Anti-Defamation League (ADL).