To keep Palestine and Lebanon in the headlines, support Orient XXI!

The image depicts a lively street scene with several characters and activities. On the left, two people are seated at a table, enjoying drinks. Nearby, two police officers walk past, dressed in blue uniforms. In the center, a man and a woman are engaged in conversation at another table. A man and a child are seen walking by, with the child holding the man's hand and the man carrying a bag. The background features archways, contributing to the overall urban setting. The color palette is simple, with shades of blue and earthy tones.

Will Gaza disappear from the headlines again? With Israel extending the scope of its aggression to Lebanon, media interest in the situation in this 360 km² strip is waning, despite the fact that the official death toll of 43,000 has now been exceeded : in fact it is much higher. Barely worth mentioning that part of northern Gaza is under siege, and that its population is literally starving and ethnically cleansed. At the same time, Israeli officials are always sure to find a microphone ready to pour out their propaganda, without a hint of contradiction.

And after more than a year of genocidal war, of all-out attacks on international law and its institutions, Benyamin Netanyahu is still received on French television with full honours, and his ministers, even the “Jewish supremacists”, are warmly welcomed in Paris.

Informing, analyzing and promoting understanding. That’s what the media should be about, not going along with genocide, or parroting the government line. They should also be sounding the alarm, at a time - have we forgotten? - when fascism is knocking at our door. And to remind us that what’s happening over there is more than ever linked to what’s happening in our own backyard. And that, beyond the destruction of human lives and homes and the environment, it is our own humanity - and the promise of “never again” - that we are betraying, if we stop talking about the genocide now being committed. In this bleak context, Orient XXI takes it upon itself to keep Gaza, and more broadly Palestine, on the front page, thanks in particular to the Diary of our correspondent in Gaza, Rami Abou Jamous. His work and his tenacity were recognized with two awards at the Bayeux Prize for war correspondents on October 12: the written press award and the Ouest-France prize.

Our newspaper’s raison d’être is based on two convictions: firstly, the need, greater than ever, for independent media to provide information that is neither dependent on investment by billionaires, some of whom are close to the extreme right, nor serving a government that supports Israeli policy and propagates a discourse of hatred, division and Islamophobia that is primarily aimed at Muslim populations or those perceived as such; secondly, the vital need to embody the values of solidarity, in a world where international law is openly flouted and increasingly abandoned in favor of the law of the jungle. To continue our work as journalists, Orient XXI continues to reach out to its readers to help ensure its viability, so that it is not dependent on any political or economic actor. This is also why we want to continue offering free access: so that those who have the means to support the independent press can do so, while the most vulnerable of our readers, as well as those in the South, can also have the right to quality information.

Your touching messages and expressions of sympathy and solidarity, particularly since the start of the genocidal war in Gaza, have shown us that we can count on your support. But let’s be clear: it’s impossible to produce quality news and daily coverage without adequate financial and human resources. That’s up to each and every one of you: we can’t denounce the media and not take concrete action to help those who struggle against it.

We are well aware of the magnitude of the task facing us, especially in the current climate. Our priority is to continue to shoulder it, to carry out our reporting and investigative projects, to give a voice and a face to Palestinians, Lebanese and other victims of colonial repression and authoritarian regimes in the Maghreb and the Middle East; to shed light on the policies of France and the Western world in this region, and the disastrous consequences that commitment to Israel has on relations with the southern Mediterranean; to look at history in order to better understand the present.

For all these reasons, starting today, we are launching a €65,000 fund-raising campaign.

For people living in France, we remind you that your donations are tax-exempt up to 66 %. That means that €100 donated to Orient XXI will cost you just €34. You can also choose to support us on a regular basis with a monthly donation.

Remember: no donation is too small - every gesture counts. And we know we can count on you.