In a fiery move that underscores the deep rift between Israel’s security reality and radical media narratives, Arad Mayor Yair Maayan announced on Friday a citywide ban on the far-left daily Haaretz, accusing the paper of inciting global hatred against Israel with what he called a “modern blood libel” against the IDF.
“Arad will not be a platform for Haaretz’s slander against our soldiers or our nation, especially in wartime. Under Israel’s Prevention of Incitement Law, we will block this inciting publication from poisoning our city,” Maayan declared in an exclusive interview with JNS.
The spark for Maayan’s sweeping measure was a Haaretz feature accusing the IDF of “deliberately” firing on Gazans waiting for aid, echoing a Hamas-fueled narrative that Israel intentionally kills civilians. The article, penned by Nir Hasson, Yaniv Kubovich, and Bar Peleg, relied heavily on anonymous sources accusing the IDF of firing tank shells, artillery, and sniper rounds to prevent Gazans from approaching aid distribution sites.
Arad mayor calls to ban sale of Haaretz over 'blood libel' https://t.co/fzR2KQ6MNY via @ArutzSheva_En
— Chai5..🎗אֶהְיֶה אֲשֶׁר אֶהְיֶה ... I am that I am (@sadcjp) June 29, 2025
Haaretz Pushes Hamas Narrative, Ignores Terror Tactics
In a region where Hamas fighters routinely hide behind civilians while staging attacks, Haaretz’s report conveniently omitted that Hamas operatives and armed militias often exploit humanitarian chaos, using civilians as shields while orchestrating attacks near aid convoys. Even Haaretz’s own reporting admitted a military source noted, “I know there are Hamas operatives among them.”
The IDF firmly rejected the accusations, reiterating that its soldiers operate under strict protocols that prohibit targeting civilians, even in the fog of urban warfare against a terror group using human shields.
“The IDF did not instruct forces to deliberately shoot civilians, including those near aid centers,” the IDF Spokesperson’s Office stated, adding that it would nonetheless thoroughly investigate any credible allegations of misconduct.
Netanyahu, Katz: “Vicious Lies to Discredit the IDF”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz slammed the Haaretz report as “vicious lies designed to discredit the IDF—the most moral army in the world.” They emphasized that the IDF faces Hamas fighters who embed themselves within civilian populations while manufacturing propaganda to delegitimize Israel internationally.
UN and Hamas: Echo Chamber of False Claims
The Haaretz report followed a dubious United Nations claim that 410 Gazans were killed while seeking aid, based on hearsay from Jonathan Whittall of the UN’s OCHA, who cited figures likely sourced from Hamas’s so-called Health Ministry—a propaganda arm for the terror group that led the October 7 massacre in southern Israel.
Meanwhile, the U.S.- and Israeli-backed Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), which has delivered over 51 million meals in Gaza, said it is Hamas that is targeting aid efforts, placing bounties on the heads of U.S. security and Gazan aid workers to disrupt humanitarian deliveries, with 12 GHF staff killed and others tortured.
“Hamas has positioned armed operatives near humanitarian zones to disrupt the only functioning aid delivery system in Gaza,” GHF reported, contradicting the narrative advanced by Haaretz.
Haaretz’s Long History of Anti-IDF, Anti-Israel Rhetoric
Mayor Maayan cited Haaretz’s consistent anti-IDF stance, recalling the storm caused when publisher Amos Schocken labeled Palestinian terrorists “freedom fighters” during a London conference in October 2024—a reference to the same Hamas “Nukhba” death squads that butchered Israeli civilians on October 7.
Following Schocken’s remarks, the Israeli government cut all state-paid advertising and subscriptions to Haaretz. Although Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara attempted to reverse this policy, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi reaffirmed the government’s stance, “In a democracy, the government decides. We will not fund Haaretz’s libels against Israel.”
Let's play a new game I like to call: "Who said it — @Haaretzcom or Jackson Hinkle?" The rules are self-explanatory. Place your guesses in the comments ⬇️
— Eitan Fischberger (@EFischberger) April 6, 2025
1. "Most Israelis demand the mass slaughter of Palestinians."
2. "I am waiting for the day of Israel's downfall. In the… pic.twitter.com/Z9FwbvkL2G
Haaretz Pushes Back, Claims Immunity
Haaretz editor-in-chief Aluf Benn, predictably defiant, vowed to continue serving readers in Arad “just like everywhere else,” while left-wing activist attorney Michael Sfard asserted that a mayor has no legal authority to block newspaper sales in a city.
Maayan Doubles Down: “Arad Won’t Be Complicit in Blood Libel”
Undeterred, Mayor Maayan insisted the ban will proceed, calling Haaretz’s reporting “modern antisemitism dressed up as journalism.”
“They provide material for Israel-haters and antisemites worldwide, inciting against IDF soldiers who risk their lives to protect our people,” Maayan said. “Arad will not be complicit in this blood libel.”
A Symbolic Yet Telling Battle
While the practical impact of the ban may be limited given Haaretz’s small subscriber base, the move symbolizes a growing pushback within Israeli society against media narratives that align with terror group propaganda while ignoring the reality of a nation under constant existential threat.
