Appropriators nix new Al-Hurrah funding

Congressional appropriators turned down a request for more funds for a government funded Arabic broadcaster, citing anti-Israel rhetoric among other reasons. Members of the U.S. House of Representatives Foreign Operations Subcommittee on Tuesday froze Al-Hurrah’s 2008 budget request at 2007 levels, rejecting a request for $11.1 million in new programming. Instead, at the initiative of Rep. Steve Rothman (D-N.J.), the subcommittee set aside $4.3 million for a transparency program that includes live streaming, archiving and translation of the programming. Al-Hurrah was established in 2004 to counter what is seen as strident anti-American coverage in the Arab media. Rothman and others have sharply criticized Al-Hurrah for broadcasting speeches by leaders of Hezbollah and Hamas, anti-Israel terrorist groups, without comment; for uncritical coverage of last year’s Holocaust denial conference in Tehran; and for appropriating loaded propaganda terms such as describing Israel’s creation in 1948 as a “catastrophe.” Al-Hurrah staff say some of the coverage in question is required to maintain credibility. Still, the Broadcasting Board of Review, which runs Al-Hurrah, said Tuesday that it will seek an outside review of its practices.