(JTA) — A Russian-Jewish billionaire said he plans to create an international news network that will present "real information" about Israel.
Alexander Mashkevich on Wednesday announced his intention to found a "Jewish Al Jazeera" during an address at the Keren Hayasod-United Israel Appeal conference in Washington, D.C.
Mashkevich told The Associated Press Wednesday that he had not yet decided what the for-profit venture would be called or where it would be based, but he ruled out Kazakhstan, the country where he made his billions.
"Every day and every hour people get negative information about Israel," Mashkevich told the conference. "Therefore, the most important thing is to represent Israel on an international level, with real information."
He said the station would not be a platform to distribute propaganda but a professional, international news station, The Jerusalem Post reported.
Mashkevich, who is ranked 297th on Forbes magazine’s billionaire list with an estimated fortune of $3.7 billion, is the head of the Eurasian Group, one of the largest financial and industrial groups in Kazakhstan, with interests in metallurgy, coal, mining and banking.
