Diary

ISTANBUL (AA) – Here are the main topics Anadolu’s English Desk plans to cover on Wednesday, Dec. 27, 2023 (coverage may change depending on developing/ breaking stories):

PALESTINE

GAZA STRIP – Israel keeps pounding the Gaza Strip from air and land with the Palestinian death toll surging to 20,915 and 54,918 others injured in a deadly offensive that brought much of the enclave to waste as Palestinian authorities call on the UN to officially declare famine in the enclave amid severe hunger among the territory’s population under a crippling Israeli blockade. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres estimates that four out of five of the hungriest people anywhere in the world are in Gaza.

RAMALLAH – The Israeli army continues its military raids into Palestinian towns in the occupied West Bank, with at least 305 Palestinians killed, 3,300 others injured and nearly 4,800 others detained by Israeli forces in the occupied territory since Oct. 7 amid ongoing Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip.

ISRAEL

TEL AVIV – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu sets three prerequisites for ending the Israeli war on the Gaza Strip: Demilitarizing Gaza, destroying Hamas, and deradicalizing the Palestinian society amid rising pressure on him to reach a new deal with Hamas to secure the release of dozens of Israelis held by the Palestinian group in Gaza following its cross-border attack on Oct. 7 as his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant hinted that Tel Aviv responded to attacks from Yemen, Iraq and Iran, in a sign that the conflict could spread regionally.

LEBANON

BEIRUT – Israel and Lebanese group Hezbollah continue to exchange cross-border fire in the deadliest clashes between the two sides since their last war in 2006. Nearly 150 people, including at least 26 Lebanese civilians, have been killed since the clashes first erupted on Oct. 8, according to Lebanese figures.

US

WASHINGTON – President Joe Biden to travel to St. Croix, US Virgin Islands where he will remain through New Year’s holiday. Desk will monitor his potential remarks on Gaza conflict.

WASHINGTON – Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas to meet Mexican President Andres Manuel Lopez Obrador in Mexico City, Mexico.

RUSSIA

MOSCOW – Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova to hold a news conference on current issues of foreign affairs.

MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin to hold a final meeting of the State Council for the current year.

MOSCOW – Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov to meet with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

ARMENIA

YEREVAN – Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian to hold talks with his Armenian counterpart Ararat Mirzoyan during an official visit to Armenia.

MALAYSIA / THAILAND

KUALA LUMPUR / BANGKOK – Heavy rain and floods have displaced thousands of people and wreaked havoc in Malaysia, Thailand and Australia. Desk will follow developments regarding rescue and relief.

CHINA

BEJING – China’s Foreign Ministry to hold regular press briefing.

INDIA

NEW DELHI – In the aftermath of explosion outside Tel Aviv’s diplomatic mission in New Delhi, Indian officials are likely to release details of the incident which happened amid ongoing bombardment of Gaza by Israel. Israeli diplomats may also comment on the issue.

NORTH KOREA

PYONGYANG – North Korea’s ruling Workers’ Party holds key year-end meeting to review policies and achievements of the outgoing year, called as “year of great turn” by the country’s leader Kim Jong-un. The meeting will also discuss draft budget for new year.

SPECIAL REPORTS

WITH VIDEO – Bethlehem pastor calls on Christians in West to take stand for peace in Palestine

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ISTANBUL – Report on how life for the Christian community in the West Bank city of Bethlehem has changed under Israeli occupation since Oct. 7.

The report includes an interview with Pastor Munther Isaac, head of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Bethlehem, whose speech during a live-streamed worship session at the church went viral on social media and made headlines worldwide.

Isaac expresses surprise that his speech went viral but is pleased because it carries a message he wants the world to hear. He highlights that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is not religious but rather a political dispute over territory and explains why the Christian community decided to cancel Christmas celebrations amid the massive Palestinian casualties in the Gaza Strip.

Pro-Palestinian voices only given place in media if they condemn Oct. 7 attacks, expert says

By Burak Bir

LONDON – Report on an increase in imbalanced media coverage since the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Oct. 7 in terms of language, framing, and platforming.

It includes an interview with Rizwana Hamid, director of the UK-based Center for Media Monitoring, who assesses the stance taken by major British news outlets, which have drawn criticism around the world for coverage that is viewed as pro-Israel.

Hamid points to the lack of context provided by mainstream media outlets, as well as a bias in favor of Israel, particularly in terms downplaying of Palestinian suffering, while amplifying the magnitude of the Oct. 7 attacks. Story also points out a shift in narrative, galvanized by social media, which has allowed Palestinian voices to be heard across the world at a greater level, particularly by younger audiences, undermining Israel’s legitimacy in the public eye.

YEAR-ENDER France poised for fresh crisis as immigration law highlights political rifts

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA – Report on a potential crisis next year for the government of French President Emmanuel Macron due to the passage of a controversial immigration law, tightening regulations on undocumented immigrants, leading to concerns about social impacts, economic consequences, and emotional distress for those awaiting asylum or regularization.

It presents a summary of events, opinions, and reactions related to the French immigration law, including quotes attributed to National Secretary of the French Democratic Confederation of Labor (CFDT) Lydie Nicol; Director of the French research center Convergence Institutes, anthropologist, and psychologist Marie-Caroline Saglio-Yatzimirsky; and Gerard-Francois Dumont, a professor at Sorbonne University and president of the French magazine Population et Avenir (Population and Future).

The story also highlights the support for the government given by the French far-right over the immigration measures, particularly the legislation’s role in the recent unprecedented rise of the far-right in the country.

Will US support for Israel push it into greater isolation in 2024?

By Rabia Iclal Turan

WASHINGTON – Report on unconditional US backing for Israel as Tel Aviv continues its assault on the Gaza Strip even as it costs Palestinian lives, and the damage it is dealing to Washington’s global standing and credibility.

The story includes interview with Trita Parsi, executive vice president of the Quincy Institute for Responsible Statecraft in Washington, and quotes from him and Harvard University political scientist Stephen Walt on international political effects for US support of Israel.

It also contains quotes from US officials, including President Joe Biden, declaring unwavering support for Israel, as well as information on US aid and diplomatic cover provided to Tel Aviv at the UN Security Council. Also includes an overview of diplomatic rift between Biden and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

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NEW MEDIA

VIDEO – Interview with Rizwana Hamid, director of the UK-based Center for Media Monitoring, focusing on the British media’s coverage of the Gaza crisis.

The story includes Hamid’s assessment on the stance taken by major British news outlets, which have drawn criticism around the world for coverage that is viewed as pro-Israel.