JERUSALEM STRATEGIC TRIBUNE
The Middle East As Informational Battlefield
Ilan Berman
April 2025

…Russian media has been largely shut out of Western media markets following the invasion of Ukraine, but remains accessible in the Middle East, helping to shift the narrative in favor of Moscow. So pervasive is this outreach that it has been likened to a “disinformation war” by Western scholars. Its objectives are clear: to turn Middle Eastern audiences against the West, and to expand sympathy for Russia’s worldview. China is another. Through the Arabic service of state broadcaster China Global Television Network (CGTN), Beijing’s official messaging now reaches millions across the Middle East and North Africa. READ MORE