From research centers to Twitter rumors .. An Israeli model of normalization

Ahmed Daddoush - Al Jazeera Net

In parallel with the ongoing diplomatic move toward normalization between Israel and several Arab regimes, Israeli personalities are active on social networking sites to normalize the Arab street, including researcher Eddie Cohen, whose academic status has not prevented him from playing the traditional roles of the yellow press.

Cohen holds a doctorate in political science from Bar-Ilan University and is a researcher. He was born in Beirut, where he grew up in the Wadi Abu Jamil (Jewish Quarter) and immigrated with his family in his childhood to Israel.

A few years ago, Cohen drew the attention of the Arab media to his tweets on Twitter, which often play the tendon of normalization with Arab public opinion in Arabic. He also appeared in his struggles and conflicts with Arab figures, as well as the information and rumors he disseminates even in Arab regimes Which is printed with Israel.

Campaign directed
Last March, the Israeli National Security Research Center published a study on Israel's strategy to influence Arab public opinion, with the aim of persuading younger generations to coexist with Israel as a fait accompli.

Official accounts of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the accounts of the Israeli army spokesman Avichai Adre'i, and the accounts of the official in charge of Arabic digital diplomacy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Yonatan Gonen, are being served on this project.

Cohen appears to be seeking a foothold in this project, with a clear celebration of his recent surprise, posting on his Twitter page a poll that asks his followers about his position among other Israeli pages directed at the Arabs.

Cohen, however, insists on his independence, but he has not concealed his work as an adviser to the Israeli government for six years, as stated on his page on LinkedIn.

In an e-mail sent to al-Jazeera Net in response to our questions, Cohen admitted that he had previously worked in the intelligence services, denying that he had anything to do with them.

Orabi: Attempts to present Israel in a mythical image ended (communication sites)

On the other hand, the Palestinian researcher Sari Arabi said that attempts to present Israel in a myth that ended after many uprisings and confrontations, prompting the likes of Cohen to try to re-polish the image to the emerging Arab generation, especially in the Gulf States.

In his turn, Israeli researcher Saleh Al-Nami told Al-Jazeera.net that Cohen is clearly linked to institutions that intersect with the Israeli government. He is a lecturer at the Begin-Sadat Center of Bar-Ilan University, a right-wing university and in direct contact with right-wing elites .

An overview of Cohen's Twitter page reveals scores of tweets that are republished and attributed to accounts of Arab names, all about praise for Israel and self-hatred. Although some of them actually refer to real Arab personalities in the process of normalization of regimes, many of them seem only imaginary accounts (electronic flies) fabricated to convince those who follow the spread of ideas of normalization.

It should be noted that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told the Knesset on 22 November 2017 that Arab peoples have been subjected to brainwashing for decades to distort the image of Israel, and that it is time to improve this picture. The obstacle to normalization lies in peoples, According to his opinion.

Conflicts and scandals
On the other hand, Cohen is constantly working to raise controversy on problematic issues. He does not hesitate to criticize the manifestations of tyranny, corruption and development problems in the Arab countries, as much as possible with the political and economic situation in Israel, repeating the usual Israeli propaganda to portray Israel as an oasis Democracy and prosperity in the region.

Cohen also struggles with Arab figures and officials to embarrass them, even those with regimes printed with Israel, as if he enjoys humiliating and exposing Arab politicians to their people despite their concessions.

For example, in August, Cohen revealed the participation of an Emirati pilot trained by the Israeli Air Force in the Gaza Strip bombing three weeks ago, defying Lieutenant General Dhahi Khalfan, the deputy head of Dubai police, to deny, after Khalfan abruptly stepped out of normalization and groaned. Israel is only responsible for destroying the Arab homeland in order to remain dominant.

Cohen threatened to open a "file of his secret visit to Israel," and entered into a conflict on Twitter, ended by accusing Khalfan Cohen of being a fictional character managed by Qatar. Cohen appeared in a video confirming that he is a real character, demanding Khalfan live debate on the air, Several times without an Emirati response.

In another position, Cohen said in June that there were current Arab rulers of Jewish origin and supported by Freemasonry, to allow observers - and perhaps e-flies - to speculate and exchange insults.

In September, a deputy in the Syrian parliament wrote that the events in his country were not a Syrian revolution but an Israeli revolution against the Syrian people. Cohen quickly responded by accusing former President Hafez al-Assad of selling the Golan to Israel and then guarding his border.

In an altercation between Cohen and Egyptian analyst Mohammed al-Alfi last month on France 24, Cohen said that Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi is an enemy of the Muslim Brotherhood and hates Hamas, and that his regime is besieging Gaza more than Israel does. "The Zionist is more Zionist than me, How can Israel be threatened? "

Jordan has also been fortunate in Cohen's attacks. He has published tweets and articles accusing Amman of supporting the "knives uprising". Rumors of the absence of King Abdullah II have also been published, threatening Arab rulers with what he sees as an inevitable fate for anyone who opposes the Jews.

Commenting on this provocative approach even to those working on normalization, Cohen said in a letter to Al Jazeera Net that he supports public normalization and rejects "hypocrisy." He added that "Israel is helping the Sisi regime in the fight against terrorism in the Sinai, while the regime is dealing with Israel as an enemy."

"We want a clear and transparent normalization with a raised head and not normalization behind the scenes as Saudi Arabia and many Arab countries want," he said.

In response to a question by Al-Jazeera Net, Al-Naimi ruled out that the Cohen project has any significant influence. "In my opinion, his provocative style could be counterproductive," he said, adding that his speech embarrassed the Arab regimes and relied on a propaganda style. .

The researcher Arabi said that it is undeniable that Israel's superiority over its Arab environment with its Western support, but it is not a myth, and Arab youth should not forget that the resistance was able to break that image and proved its weakness in several confrontations.

Orabi did not rule out Cohen's quest for personal fame through his twists on Twitter, pointing out that the "Israeli empire" can not be restored without using irony and provocation.