Palestinians demand closure of Saudi MBC for calling Hamas terrorists

Palestinians in the West Bank are demanding the closure of the Saudi-owned media network MBC in Ramallah, accusing it of siding with Israel in its wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

On Monday, Palestinian academics from Birzeit University, political activists and trade unionists, held a protest in front of MBC’s offices in Al-Bireh, near Ramallah in the central West Bank.

The protest followed a controversial report aired by MBC that labeled Palestinian and Lebanese resistance leaders as terrorists, sparking widespread outrage across Palestine and the Arab world.

Under tight security from Palestinian security forces and special police units around the office building, participants raised banners praising the Palestinian and Lebanese resistance and honoring its 'martyrs' Ismail Haniyeh, Saleh al-Arouri, Yahya Sinwar, and Hassan Nasrallah—figures named in the MBC report as 'terrorists'.

Protesters insisted these leaders were symbols of honor for the Arab nation.

Signs also called for the immediate closure of the channel, condemning any insult to the Palestinian national struggle as "an unforgivable offense."

Union leaders called on official bodies to demand an apology from the channel and a correction of its reporting or, failing that, to revoke its work permits.

Rafi Asfour, Secretary of the Birzeit University Workers' Union, said, “Standing outside the MBC offices is a demand for its closure, or at the very least for the authorities to issue a clear warning to correct its path and offer a formal apology for airing false reports that serve the Zionist narrative." He added that these reports "support the occupation amid a war of extermination, displacement, and killing in Gaza."

“We are calling on officials either to correct the course, and if no official apology is issued, the channel's work permit should be revoked in Palestine,” said Asfour. 

Calls for boycott of MBC and Saudi channels

The protest also featured participation from prominent activists, including Mahmoud Nawajaa, the coordinator of the National Committee for Boycott (BDS). The BDS movement had issued a statement the previous day calling for the boycott of what it described as the "Arabic-speaking mouthpieces of the Israeli enemy."

The statement specifically targeted the MBC Group, including Al-Arabiya, Al-Hadath, Sky News Arabia, and MTV Lebanon, as well as certain "yellow press" outlets funded by Saudi and Emirati interests, such as Asharq Al-Awsat. These media outlets, according to the statement, were accused of "justifying genocide against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples" and defending colonialism.

Nawajaa stated, “This call for a boycott will expand into a broad campaign, encouraging action at the grassroots level and in production companies, as well as pressuring unions to withdraw from any festivals or events associated with these channels worldwide.” He added that these channels "belittle the capabilities of the resistance, try to weaken it in various ways, and hold it responsible for the colonial project of mass killing and destruction after a full year of genocide against the Palestinian people."

The Palestinian Journalists Syndicate had previously called for a boycott of MBC following the controversial report. The syndicate urged MBC employees to take a stand against the channel’s policies and push for a change in its reporting. It also called on Saudi authorities to take swift action against the channel, demanding that it correct its course. Additionally, the syndicate requested that the Palestinian Attorney General take legal action against MBC for its offenses against the Palestinian people and its symbols, accusing the channel of undermining the legitimacy of Palestinian resistance.

Excerpts from an MBC programme had been making the rounds on Arab social media, sparking angry reactions from viewers.

The report had focused on "terrorism" in the region, and mentioned several groups and notable figures including, for instance, Osama bin Laden.

It also included Hamas, Hezbollah and armed Iraqi factions.

Named in the report were former Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah, who was killed by Israel in Beirut last month, and former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Tehran in July.

It also referred to Haniyeh's successor, Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar, regarded as the orchestrator of the October 7 attack on Israel and was also killed this week in Gaza, as the "new face of terrorism".

The report came at a time when Israel has been waging brutal wars against Gaza and Lebanon, claiming it is targeting Hamas and Hezbollah while killing tens of thousands of people. It has also clashed with Iran's, allies in Yemen, Iraq and Syria for over a year.

Israel's war in Gaza has killed at 42,500 Palestinians as of Friday, while Israel's attacks in Lebanon have killed over 2,418 people. Casualties have also been reported in other countries, notably Syria.

Iraq later suspended the channel's license though Saudi Arabia’s General Authority for Media Regulation (Gmedia) said it was referring officials at the MBC TV channel for investigation following reports that they violated the Kingdom’s media regulations and policies.