Hezbollah-Linked Paper Attacks Former IDF Spokesperson Over Saudi TV Interview

Hezbollah-linked paper slams Avichay Adraee over Saudi TV interview

Lebanese media continue to monitor Avichay Adraee, the former Arabic-language spokesperson for the IDF. On Monday, the Hezbollah-affiliated newspaper Al-Akhbar published a scathing attack against Adraee and the Saudi channel Al Arabiya following an interview Adraee granted to the program Qabil lil-Jadal.

The newspaper chose a blunt headline: "Avichay as a guest of Al Arabiya: Without uniform and without accountability." Al-Akhbar expressed outrage over the hosting, claiming that Adraee, labeled "one of the prominent faces of the Israeli military propaganda machine," was given a comfortable platform to present the Israeli position without sufficient pushback from the interviewer.

Remarks on October 7 and military service

During the interview, Adraee referred to the October 7 attack as "the greatest failure in the history of the Israeli army," surpassing even the failure of the 1973 Yom Kippur War. He also rejected claims that the IDF targets journalists, addressing the killing of Palestinian journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The storm arrives just days after Lebanese media extensively reported on Adraee's new role at Channel 12. Lebanese outlet Lebanos described him as a figure known to many Lebanese as "the owl" due to his social media appearances publishing evacuation warnings during recent conflicts.

"Avichay as a guest of Al Arabiya: Without uniform and without accountability," wrote the Hezbollah-linked daily Al-Akhbar in a sharp editorial criticizing the broad platform granted to the former military spokesperson.

Continued controversy in Lebanon

The publication in Al-Akhbar demonstrates that even after shedding his uniform, Adraee remains a prominent and highly controversial figure in Lebanon, where his name is closely associated with the evacuation warnings that preceded Israeli strikes.