The year 2022 was one of change, conflict and coronavirus – and The Media Line was once again on the front lines, bringing you the news from where it mattered, when it counted.
The news agency capped 12 months of outstanding journalism with exclusive coverage of the true state of Israel’s negotiations with Hamas over the return of the bodies of two fallen Israeli soldiers and two Israeli captives being held in Gaza. With Majdi Halabi in Israel and Daoud Kuttab in Jordan, The Media Line was able to confirm not only that the talks were indeed progressing [1] but also that key factors of the agreement were already being implemented [2].
The Media Line CEO and President Felice Friedson delivered more of her insightful and incisive exclusive interviews, talking to New York Congressman Ritchie Torres [3] about his fight against antisemitism, sitting down with Israeli high-tech guru Erel Margalit [4] to discuss how technology can save the planet, and even traveling to Podgorica in the summer to meet with Montenegro’s President Milo Đukanović [5] and discuss the emerging geopolitical world order.
In what proved to be a notable year for her, Felice also spoke to Iranians [6] bravely taking on a brutal regime as they fought for their freedoms. In November, she chaired the inaugural UAE Women Leaders Summit [7] in Dubai, where she gave the keynote address. She was joined by The Media Line’s Gulf correspondent, Omnia al Desoukie, who reported from the landmark conference [8]. Omnia also investigated the UAE’s push for more progressive policies [9], as it competes for regional dominance with Saudi Arabia.
Our bureau chief Mohammad Al-Kassim was in Ukraine in April, reporting from Anatov Airport [10] near Kiyv, as Ukrainian soldiers recaptured the strategic location from invading Russian forces.
Mohammad was also on the ground in Kazakhstan in November, delivering live updates [11] from presidential elections [12] in a country that straddles Europe and Asia and shares frontiers with Russia and China.
In the Mideast, Mohammad shone a light on the violent and organized crime [13] that is eating away at Israel’s Arab community, and spoke to both Israelis and Palestinians in the aftermath of the killing of veteran Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh [14] in May.
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As the impact of war in Ukraine extended beyond its borders, senior correspondent Maya Margit was in Romania in March, accompanied by video journalist Dario Sanchez, to witness the flood of Ukrainian refugees [16] fleeing to safety across the border. Later in the year, Maya gave us an in-depth look at the Biennale [17]for Drawing in Israel [17], one of the most charming events in Jerusalem that celebrates the deep intertwining of past and present in the holy city.
The Media Line further expanded its global reach this year, with correspondent Debbie Mohnblatt hosting a brand new podcast in Spanish [18], focusing on the connection between Latin America and the Middle East. As part of this unique feature, Debbie sat down with John Marulanda [19], author of the book Yihad en Latinoamérica (Jihad in Latin America), about Hizbullah’s expanding influence on the continent and the geopolitical implications of the leftward shift in multiple countries.
Months before the current protests began in Iran, sparked by the death of a young woman in police custody, Debbie explored how the Tehran regime was already targeting feminists and women’s rights activists [20] both in and out of the country.
New managing editor Sara Miller began her tenure at The Media Line with a rabbinical retrospective [21] of the challenges of the pandemic as the Jewish world celebrated the New Year. In conjunction with Debbie, Sara also explored the little-known plight of the Jews of the Arab world [22], who found themselves reviled and exiled following the creation of the State of Israel in 1948. And coming full circle, Sara and Felice exclusively reported on the establishment of a synagogue [23] in a Moroccan university for the first time in the country’s history.
Dario Sanchez and political correspondent Adi Koplewitz headed to Casablanca in the spring to witness firsthand the burgeoning ties between Morocco and Israel following the Abraham Accords, and how business [24] and diplomacy [25] were winners in this new-old relationship. In the wake of Israel’s latest elections in November, Adi took a hard look at the rise of ultranationalist Itamar Ben-Gvir [26], as he went from political outcast to populist star.
Veteran correspondent Keren Setton also explored the impact of the elections, examining the fears of secular Israeli Jews and members of the country’s religious minorities [27] for their personal and religious freedoms as Israel prepared for the most right-wing government in its history.
Keren further focused on the attempts by the Biden Administration to revive the Iran nuclear deal [28], despite overwhelming odds and clear obstacles to any success.
The Media Line’s news editor Marcy Oster explained key issues and themes that were making the headlines throughout the year, including a deep dive into the enduring relevance of the First Zionist Congress [29], 125 years after it took place in Basel.
As the protests in Iran continued throughout October, Marcy joined forces with senior news editor Steve Ganot to look at the other Muslim-majority countries that use police agencies [30] to enforce religious observance and public morality.
The Media Line’s correspondent in Turkey, Kristina Jovanovski reported in March that the country’s defense industry was anticipating an international boom due to the success of the Bayraktar military drone [31] in helping Ukrainian forces to repel Russian invaders.
Our reporter in Bahrain, Hudhaifa Ebrahim, discovered in July that the soaring cost of living in the Gulf nations was forcing expatriates to leave [32] in large numbers as the countries redirected state subsidies to citizens only. In August, he reported on the astronomical prices in Baghdad’s housing market [33], driven up by corrupt officials seeking to launder ill-obtained money.
Reporting from Islamabad, Arshad Mehmood revealed in December that the US government had issued a security red alert [34] for all its employees in Pakistan, barring them from non-essential travel and issuing a ban on visiting the Marriott hotel in the capital. He also provided extensive coverage [35] of the tensions [36] that led up to the assassination attempt [37] on former prime minister Imran Khan in November.
Our on-the-ground coverage from the region also included crisis-wracked Lebanon, where Andrea López-Tomàs reported on Hizbullah and Syria using the sale [38] of highly addictive fenethylline hydrochloride (aka captagon) pills as a funding stream. Andrea also met with Lebanese citizens struggling to survive [39] as the country’s economic catastrophe has left many without electricity.
In Gaza, Sanaa Alswerky spoke to some of the thousands of Palestinians seeking work permits in Israel [40] as an avenue to a better life and exposed the scramble for money [41] by local Gazan factions as Iran cut off its funding to them.
After a highly successful year, The Media Line looks forward to delivering more of its irreplaceable top-quality reportage, expert analysis and fascinating interviews in 2023! We wish all our readers a very happy and healthy year to come.