Bruno Lima Rocha Beaklini for Al Jazeera Journal Review (Al Jazeera Media Institute)
Brazil’s media houses were bitterly divided over Jair Bolsonaro’s authoritarian government which held power from 2019 to 2022, but they are united like never before over one issue – Bolsonaro’s unconditional support for Israel and its ongoing bombardment of the Gaza strip.
Indeed, almost without exception, Brazilian mainstream media has come out in complete support of the state of Israel since the Hamas attacks in the south of the country on October 7 during which around 1,400 Israelis were killed. Since then, Israel has responded with a relentless assault on Gaza, where it says members of Hamas are hiding, which has not let up since. More than 4,000 Palestinians have been killed in the onslaught, the majority of whom are women, children and the elderly.
Jair Bolsonaros administration was a strategic ally of both the Trump and Netanyahu governments in the US and Israel respectively. But in the period from 2019 to 2022, the media organisations Organizações Globo, Grupo Folha, the conservative O Estado de São Paulo and even Grupo Abril stood opposed the government.
The television networks Record, SBT and Rede TV took supportive stances of the government. The Bandeirantes Group had some equidistance. But, despite these divisions, 10 months since the inauguration of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva (Brazil’s 39th President), uniformity has returned. With the horrifying prospect of a Palestinian genocide in sight, Brazil’s media have fallen into line with the US media.
Unity of Brazil’s media on this issue was immediately apparent in the early hours of Saturday, October 7.
Read the full article in https://institute.aljazeera.net/en/ajr/article/2393
