SAEDNEWS: On May 2, Lebanese Al-Jadeed TV aired a controversial report about the mausoleum of Hezbollah's martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah, featuring journalist Josephine Deeb and Saudi media activist Tony Boulos.
According to SAEDNEWS, In a time marked by political corruption and media degradation, the anti-Resistance camp has reached new lows, even resorting to falsehoods and defamation against martyrs. Just as Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah instilled fear in them during his life, he continues to haunt them even after his martyrdom.
On May 2, Josephine Deeb, a journalist from Lebanese Al-Jadeed TV, invited Tony Boulos, a Saudi media activist, to present a controversial documentary about the mausoleum of Hezbollah Secretary-General martyr Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah (ra). After airing the report, Deeb claimed that Al-Jadeed TV was not behind its preparation, though an informed source revealed to the Tehran Times that the report was part of a strategy by the channel to secure funding from the Arab-Persian Gulf ahead of Lebanon’s parliamentary elections in May 2026.
Deeb, a Lebanese political writer and media figure, has a history of being recognized for her work, winning the Thomson Foundation Award for Investigative Journalism from Reuters in 2009. She gained attention for promoting intelligence leaks in Lebanese media, earning the label “American Source Journalist.”
In a controversial piece published on April 29, Deeb falsely claimed that Hezbollah obstructed the army from entering Dahiyeh to search a warehouse, which allegedly led to Israeli bombardment. This allegation was swiftly refuted by President Joseph Aoun, who stated the claims were inaccurate in an interview with Sky News Arabia.
Despite her background in journalism, Deeb has been criticized for leveraging her connections to harm the Resistance while pursuing personal financial gain. Her actions follow in the footsteps of figures like Ibrahim al-Saqr, a member of the Lebanese Forces, who previously withheld oil from the Lebanese market before Iran provided it for free to the people.
Al-Saqr had said that a deal with the Shiites was necessary, either for them to surrender their weapons or face a ban on visiting the mausoleum. Questions arose over how such a report could be aired without the program’s producer or director being aware of its contents, raising suspicions that it might have been created by an intelligence agency.
Ali Obaidi, a visual media expert, criticized the report for citing vague sources, such as “certified real estate expert” and “senior banking source,” without offering any evidence to substantiate their credibility. Furthermore, the report was inconsistent regarding the cost of the mausoleum and its funding.
The claims regarding the land “seizure” were debunked in the documentary itself, as one speaker mentioned that the land was purchased, and the issue with the owners was later resolved. The report adopts a narrative that aligns with psychological warfare and hate speech, similar to tactics used by Israeli media. It portrays Nasrallah’s mausoleum as a threat to Beirut’s identity, presenting it as a danger to other sects, with an exaggerated focus on the supposed threat to Sunnis and Christians posed by a Shiite shrine in Beirut’s heart.
Such messaging clearly violates the Universal Declaration of Journalistic Ethics, particularly Article 9, which condemns the promotion of hatred, and Article 13, which warns against journalists serving non-professional interests or accepting personal gain for publishing or withholding information.
As Lebanon faces rising tensions, the media bears the critical responsibility of upholding civil peace and providing accurate, unbiased information. The documentary appears to be a deliberate attempt to provoke emotions among those allied with the Resistance, contributing to the broader American threat of escalating Israeli aggression if Hezbollah does not disarm.
