Silencing the truth...

Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, and some smaller states following their lead declared on June 5, 2017, that they were cutting all diplomatic ties with Qatar. Shortly after the beginning of this process, which was accompanied by a land, air, and sea blockade against Qatar, these countries presented a list of 13 demands to the Doha government. They demanded the fulfillment of these requirements for the lifting of the blockade and the reintegration of Qatar into the Arab world. The first two items on the list were related to the media: 1) The closure of Al Jazeera and all its affiliated media outlets, and 2) The removal from broadcast of news websites such as Arabi21, Rassd, and Middle East Eye.

Founded on November 1, 1996, with the technical infrastructure and human resources of the BBC, Al Jazeera has become one of the main focuses of Middle Eastern media by training its own staff. Since its establishment, Al Jazeera has been a powerful tool in the hands of Qatar and has found itself at the center of various political crises. The channel has brought sensitive issues of various Arab countries to the screen, putting the Qatari government in confrontation with other governments. It has a unique approach that breaks taboos and discusses many issues that were previously considered untouchable, leaving a deep impact on the public. Even Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak could not resist visiting Al Jazeera's studios during a visit to Qatar. When he saw the modest buildings from which the channel broadcast, he commented, "Is all this noise coming from this matchbox?"

Most recently, it was reported in the press that U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken explicitly advised the Doha government to "tone down the tone in Al Jazeera's broadcasts about Gaza." The Qatari government, which directly funds Al Jazeera and also determines the main outlines of its broadcasting policy, naturally ignored this request. However, the fact that the U.S. Secretary is trying to silence the voice of a media outlet that exposes the crimes against humanity committed by Israel, instead of making efforts to prevent these crimes, is a lesson showing how the "modern" world is swallowing the idol it has woven under the name of "freedom of the press" at the first opportunity.

Media can be defined in many ways. The shortest definition I found is: "Verbal, written, and visual organization mobilized to persuade masses to an idea and worldview without using weapons and force."

Since the beginning of the last century, Zionists have established numerous newspapers, magazines, agencies, film and production companies, television, websites, etc., to persuade the world to their ideologies within this framework. With advertising power, blackmail, an economic network, and many other methods, there has been a dominant Zionist influence in the field of information. Headlines, films and documentaries, books, and visual materials created for the sole purpose of serving Zionist goals. Not only in the media but also in academia and many other points where knowledge is produced, intense mobbing and pressures were applied so that no one would stand against the Zionist line.

What we have experienced since October 7 is full of signs that the effectiveness of Israel and Zionism in the media and information field will never be the same again. The times when Israel convinced the world of the lies it wanted in the way it wanted are over. Alternative sources are diversifying, silenced voices are rising, and closed eyes are opening. Although Israel seems to be the winner of a war with the genocide it has committed against innocent civilians in Gaza, it has already been defeated in many areas. Information and media come at the forefront of the areas where Israel has already been defeated. From the beginning, Israel has struggled to manage its worldwide public relations process as it wants, with consecutive communication failures. Despite the restrictions, narrowing, and blackout applied on social media, millions of people from different religions and nationalities in every country condemn the atrocities in Gaza, revolt against what is happening, and curse Israel's so-called "right to self-defense" lie. In this respect, history will record October 7 as a "turning point."