How Qatar’s 'AJ+' is shaping Gen Z’s view of Israel

AJ+, a platform operated by Qatar's Al Jazeera network, is reportedly influencing Gen Z's perception of Israel through content presented with a Western progressive veneer. Launched in 2014, AJ+ targets young audiences globally with English, Spanish, French, and Arabic content across major social media platforms. Dr. Ariel Admoni, a researcher, notes that AJ+ aims to make content accessible to young Western audiences, moving towards "more subversive and provocative material." The platform frequently employs a narrative of the oppressed against oppressive authorities, often framing news with "1% truth and 99% propaganda" to blame the U.S., the West, and Israel.

• AJ+ has faced controversy, including a 2019 incident where employees were suspended for a video suggesting Jews exaggerated the Holocaust.
• The platform now reportedly enlists progressive Jewish figures to diminish the Holocaust's scale and compare it to the Gaza conflict.
• Content often features Dena Takruri, a Palestinian American journalist, who presents narratives like an American university selling cadavers to the Israeli military without consent, a story based on minimal truth.
• AJ+ consistently mentions a "genocide in Gaza" as objective fact, while largely omitting context about Hamas, Hezbollah, or the October 7th massacre.
• According to Admoni, Qatar's objectives include creating destabilizing forces, gaining ideological legitimacy in the Islamist world, and positioning itself among the next generation.