A new investigation by the Glazer Center at the Jewish People Policy Institute (JPPI) reveals a marked drop in the volume and tone of Israeli-related coverage in Syrian media since the rise to power of Syria’s new president, Ahmad al-Sharaa.
January through May
The study examined how often Israel was mentioned in the Syrian media from January through May of this year, under al-Sharaa’s rule, compared to the same period last year during Bashar al-Assad’s presidency. In addition, it analyzed the level of negativity expressed when Israel was referenced.
Israel – A Focus of Syrian Attention
During the rule of former president Bashar al-Assad, Israel was a dominant theme in Syrian media. At its peak, up to 43% of reports by Syria’s official news agency, SANA, focused on Israel. Under al-Sharaa, that figure has plummeted to just 7%. This shift also brought a notable change in tone—coverage became less hostile and even included dozens of articles with neutral sentiment, something that had not occurred under Assad.
A Shift in Relations
In comparing the tone of the coverage, the study found that under Assad, nearly all articles were extremely negative toward Israel. Under al-Sharaa, however, there has been a significant change: only 65% of the articles were considered “extremely negative,” down from 95% under Assad. Nonetheless, despite the drop in volume, the tone remains distinctly hostile in many cases, with portrayals of Israel as a “colonialist entity” bent on taking over Syria and sowing chaos.
“Moving Closer to the West”
Researchers Shlomi Bereznik and Eli Kannai noted that the changes in tone and coverage signal a broader shift in the Syrian media landscape under al-Sharaa’s leadership.
According to Yaakov Katz, Director of the Glazer Information Center, “The new Syrian government is drawing closer to the West, as seen in al-Sharaa’s recent meeting with President Trump and the decision to lift American sanctions on Syria. Al-Sharaa has hinted at openness toward relations with Israel, and the steps taken in the media provide further backing for that statement through concrete actions.”
