The diligent observer of media in the United Arab Emirates can clearly see the active efforts to demonize the Palestinian resistance, while attempting to polish the image of the Israeli occupation. This aligns with the conspiracies of normalization and the ongoing alliance between Abu Dhabi and Tel Aviv.
The recent killing of Yahya Sinwar, a leader of the Hamas movement in Gaza, by the Israeli military exposed the deep-seated animosity of Emirati media towards the Palestinian resistance and its symbols.
Officially, the UAE has not commented on Sinwar’s assassination. The country remains torn between the firm stance of its citizens who resolutely support the Palestinian cause and its heroic resistance, and its antagonistic position towards Hamas, along with its commitment to the normalization agreement despite the genocide faced by the Palestinian people for over a year.
Nevertheless, some articles in major Emirati media outlets have surprised readers with their interpretation of the events in Gaza following Sinwar’s killing. These pieces equate the aggressor and the victim, failing to distinguish between national liberation movements against occupation and internal uprisings against governments, while reinforcing Abu Dhabi’s declared political stance.
One such example is from Al-Ittihad, which published an article titled “The People of Gaza… and the Triad of Oppression.” The writer, notably Saudi, stated: “Both sides of the conflict are burning the people with all kinds of lethal weapons. One is a sweeping enemy, Israel, which has proven it will not tolerate any breach of its security and safety, even if it has to scorch everything, and the other is a neighbor that burns this people in the embers of an ideology they believe in, but the people do not. The oppression of kin is the most painful.”
The article portrays the ongoing genocide in Gaza, which has lasted for over a year, as an internal issue between Israel as an authority and Palestinian resistance groups as armed, rebellious factions. The phrase “the oppression of kin is the most painful” echoes the sentiment of Abdullah bin Bijad Al-Otaibi, who wrote for Al-Ittihad from Abu Dhabi, the capital of the UAE and the political decision-making hub.
In addition to accusing the resistance of leading the Palestinian people into “disasters,” the writer went on to accuse those who support the resistance of being supporters of “all the atrocities of terrorist organizations such as Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and their likes.”
Despite his harsh words, the writer insists that his comments are “justified criticism that must be heard by people in these critical moments in Gaza and across the region.” He accuses the supporters of Palestinian resistance of merely engaging in futile attempts to cloak their ideology with a veil of rationality, describing them as the “third oppressive party.”
This does not mean that all articles are purely focused on attacking Palestinians. Some positions, while aligning closely with official stances, do not entirely equate the oppressor and the oppressed or treat the Palestinian resistance as a mere rebellion, as if Israel were a legitimate authority.
For instance, another article published in Al-Ittihad by Emirati writer Aisha Al-Mari titled “Israel and the United Nations… International Insolence” discusses Israel’s refusal to comply with international resolutions and its insolence towards the United Nations’ resolutions, which contributed to the birth of Israel.
Al-Mari’s article adheres to the official stance calling for a ceasefire in Gaza and the establishment of a Palestinian state. However, unlike many others, her article did not equate the aggressor and the victim, which sets it apart from the majority of other pieces.
Meanwhile, English-language newspapers published in the UAE have been less aggressive towards the Palestinian resistance, often adhering to the official narrative that frames the situation as a “conflict between parties dragging the region into war.”
However, they avoid the overt support for the occupation state seen in the work of the Saudi writer in Al-Ittihad. For instance, The National published an editorial on October 18 titled “Yahya Sinwar Leads Palestinians Down a Dark Path,” where it stated that Sinwar “joins over 42,400 Palestinians who have lost their lives in subsequent Israeli retaliations – an ongoing military operation that has long exceeded any reasonable definition of self-defense.” Yet, the newspaper still portrayed Sinwar’s actions as reinforcing a “radical ideology,” dragging Palestine towards a bleak future.
The editorial adds: “His militaristic tendencies have led Palestinians – and the region – down a dark and violent road, from which they have yet to emerge. He has avoided the less revolutionary, but heroic task of peace-making and rebuilding the shattered community.”
Nevertheless, not all articles mirrored such severity or alignment with the official stance. Some came closer to reflecting the UAE public’s support for the Palestinian cause, especially in newspapers based in Dubai.
Al-Bayan published an article titled “Netanyahu’s Gradual Project,” where an Arab writer analyzed Netanyahu’s conduct during the war, saying: “The intoxication of security victories and successful military operations has fueled the man’s political ambition, leading him from shock to reaction, to aggression, and now to genocide. He has become convinced that he plays the role of the ‘regional strongman,’ reshaping power dynamics in the entire region.”
A similar theme was discussed in an article in Al-Khaleej on Sunday, titled “After Sinwar… Questions and Paths,” where the writer commented on Netanyahu’s speech following Sinwar’s assassination. “It signifies – on one hand – the continuation of the war on Gaza, and its support front in Lebanon, for goals yet to be disclosed, but they extend beyond the issue of prisoners to the reorganization of the entire region.” The writer asserts, “As long as there is occupation, resistance retains its legitimacy, regardless of who raises its banner.”
On Saturday, Al-Bayan featured another article by an Arab writer, discussing “America, the Protesters, and Freedoms,” addressing the struggles faced by students protesting for Palestine in universities where they are subject to “numerous academic and legal challenges, potentially distracting them from their studies.”
The article states: “One of the most significant outcomes of the recent Israeli aggression on Gaza, and now on the West Bank and Lebanon, is the exposure of the West’s double standards and the falsehood of many slogans regarding freedoms, human rights, and equality.”
Unlike Al-Ittihad, newspapers like Al-Bayan and Al-Khaleej, based in Dubai, focus more on Israel’s role rather than the Palestinian resistance. They portray the resistance as a national liberation movement. Sadly, most of the writers who addressed these issues are Arabs, while the Emirati writers, though rare, remain closer to the official stance, refraining from showing genuine positions representing their (the citizens’) perspective.
