Israel’s 2025 elections drew unusually extensive coverage from Middle Eastern media outlets, particularly networks broadcasting from Qatar, Lebanon and Turkey, with Arab Israeli voter participation at the center of their reporting.
According to reports tracking regional coverage in recent weeks, the Knesset elections received detailed, sustained coverage starting from the morning hours, “especially on news networks and websites based in Qatar, Lebanon and Turkey.” The reports noted that “alongside ongoing coverage of the tight race, Arab citizen participation in Israel became a central topic in regional reporting and analysis.”
Al-Araby, a network broadcasting from Qatar, aired an in-depth interview with former Knesset member Azmeh Bishara, who emphasized the regional significance of the elections and called for broad Arab participation on election day. Meanwhile, the Al-Araby Al-Jadeed website published interviews with Arab party representatives, including Sami Abu Shehadeh, who detailed the goal “to raise the voting rate in the Arab community above 70%.”
Once polls opened, Arab media outlets began providing continuous updates on turnout rates in Arab towns. According to the same report, “opinion pieces and reports published on Qatari websites emphasized calls to mobilize voters, focusing also on voters who boycotted elections in the past but now seek to influence the results, especially amid the war in Gaza.” Al Jazeera even dedicated a historical review to the development of Arab representation in the Knesset.
Turkey and Iran: On the security front, Shin Bet chief David Zini warned that Iran and other countries are attempting to interfere in the elections, while security sources quoted in the Jerusalem Post pointed to influence attempts on social media originating from Turkey.