Beirut venue hosts solidarity stand with Al Mayadeen

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
21 Nov 2023 01:14

Activists and notable figures have organized a solidarity stand in support of Al Mayadeen, following the Israeli decision to ban the media network in occupied Palestine.

Nasser Qandil stands at a podium during a meeting organized in Dar al-Nadwah, Beirut, Lebanon, November 20, 2023. (Al Mayadeen)

A gathering in solidarity with Al Mayadeen Network and all media outlets standing in support of the Palestinian people was held in Dar al-Nadwah in Beirut on Monday.

"قناة #الميادين التزمت بنهج الدفاع عن #فلسطين ولذلك اصبحت مستهدفة من قوى الصهيونية"

وزير الداخلية اللبناني السابق بشارة مرهج

من اللقاء التضامني بدار الندوة في بيروت تضامناً مع شبكة الميادين وكافة المؤسسات الإعلامية المتضامنة مع شعب فلسطين#لبنان #الميادين_لبنان pic.twitter.com/XfSYPQXazv
— الميادين لبنان (@mayadeenlebanon) November 20, 2023

A number of notable figures and officials attended the event, including Lebanon's former Minister of Interior Beshara Merhej, who highlighted Al Mayadeen's commitment to defending Palestine, explaining that "this is why it has become a target of Zionist powers."

"شبكة #الميادين كانت رأس حربة في الإضاءة على هول المجازر التي يرتكبها الاحتلال في #غزة"

نقيب المحررين في لبنان جوزف قصيفي

من اللقاء التضامني بدار الندوة في بيروت تضامناً مع شبكة الميادين وكافة المؤسسات الإعلامية المتضامنة مع شعب فلسطين#لبنان #الميادين_لبنان pic.twitter.com/lvtUEC21OK
— الميادين لبنان (@mayadeenlebanon) November 20, 2023

Concurrently, the head of the Syndicate of Lebanese Press Editors, Joseph Qusaifi, said that solidarity stands with media outlets are an "obligation to value the work of [journalists] who report on aggressions of the Israeli occupation."

Qusaifi added that Al Mayadeen was at the forefront of "shedding light on the horror of the massacres committed by the occupation in Gaza."

Earlier on Wednesday, the Chairperson of the Board of Directors of Al Mayadeen Media Network, Ghassan Ben Jeddou, revealed the intricacies of the decision-making process behind the network's approach to the coverage of the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, during an interview for Al-Nour Radio, which came following the decision of the Israeli war cabinet to ban Al Mayadeen in occupied Palestine.

Ben Jeddou confirmed that "Israel's" decision to ban Al Mayadeen "was not a technical decision. It was not even a political decision. In fact, it was a military decision related to the national security of Israel."

"For the first time in history, the war cabinet, entrusted by the United States to make the most important decisions during this war, met to discuss Al Mayadeen as a topic on its agenda," he explained.

Ben Jeddou highlighted the remarks of Israeli Security Minister, Yoav Gallant, who categorized Al Mayadeen as a "grave threat to Israeli security."

"We are at war with him [Gallant], in defense of the Palestinian cause and people."

"Despite Israel's ban on Al Mayadeen, its broadcast will reach its target audience. We have prepared ourselves for this, and we will soon announce a technical measure. It does not only concern Palestinians in '48 but also Arabs and Al Mayadeen viewers wherever they may be, as we expect that some entities will use the Israeli decision as an opportunity to intensify attacks on Al Mayadeen, banning and defaming it," Ben Jeddou told Al-Nour Radio.

In a similar context, a solidarity stand was held in Al Mayadeen's headquarters in Beirut on Wednesday, where several activists, journalists, and officials delivered speeches in support of the media outlet, denouncing the Israeli decision to ban its work in occupied Palestine.