Middle East Eye

In April 2014, a news organization emerged from London with a single director and no public owner, immediately casting a long shadow over its credibility. Middle East Eye began as a project that quietly gathered former Al Jazeera journalists and a consultant named Jonathan Powell, who registered the domain names before the public ever saw a headline. The man at the center of this operation was Jamal Bessasso, a Kuwait-born Palestinian who listed his nationality as Dutch at Companies House and held more than 75% of the shares and voting rights in the parent company, M.E.E. Limited. Despite Bessasso's significant control, editor-in-chief David Hearst, a former foreign lead writer for The Guardian, refused to name the true owner, stating only that the organization was formally owned by a limited company with a single director. This secrecy became the defining feature of the outlet, as critics and governments alike suspected a hidden hand pulling the strings, with many alleging that the government of Qatar was the true financier behind the operation. The organization employed about 20 full-time staff in London as of 2017, yet its financial structure remained a puzzle that fueled decades of speculation and diplomatic tension.

The Diplomatic Siege

The silence surrounding Middle East Eye's funding was shattered in 2017 when four Arab nations, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and Bahrain, issued a list of 13 demands that included the closure of the website. These governments viewed the outlet as a mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood and a Qatari-funded entity, a perception that led to a diplomatic crisis on the 22nd of June 2017. Middle East Eye denied receiving funds from Qatar, with editor David Hearst stating that the demand was an attempt to extinguish any free voice that dared to question what those governments were doing. The outlet had published reports critical of Qatari authorities, including coverage of how workers from the subcontinent were treated on building projects for the 2022 World Cup, which only deepened the suspicion of its critics. The organization faced a blockade in the United Arab Emirates on the 29th of June 2016, when the country's Telecommunications Regulatory Authority blocked the website nationwide after MEE published reports on the UAE's role in the Yemen war and human-rights issues. Egypt followed suit in 2019, blocking the website after protests against President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and Jordan's Media Commission barred access in May 2025 following an investigation into high fees charged to NGOs sending humanitarian aid to Gaza. These bans were condemned by media organizations like the Committee to Protect Journalists as threats to independent journalism, yet the silence from the embassies regarding the blocks remained absolute.

The Leaked Truth

The Diplomatic Siege

The Leaked Truth

A hacker group known as Anonymous began distributing emails in early June 2017 that had been stolen from the inbox of Yousef Otaiba, the Emirati ambassador in Washington D.C., and Middle East Eye became a central figure in the fallout. The leaked emails included details from Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and American officials, and the revelation on the 14th of August 2017 led to other media outlets printing material from the hacked correspondence. The New York Times reported that the hacked emails appeared to benefit Qatar and were the work of hackers working for Qatar, a common subject of the distributed emails. This event highlighted the outlet's ability to secure and publish exclusives on major events in the Middle East, which were often picked up by other media outlets globally. The story also underscored the high stakes of the region's information war, where leaks could shift diplomatic tides and expose the inner workings of powerful regimes. The organization's role in this scandal demonstrated its capacity to operate as a conduit for sensitive information, even as it faced accusations of being a tool for foreign interests.

The Libel War

On the 29th of July 2016, Middle East Eye published a story alleging that the government of the United Arab Emirates, aided by Palestinian exile Mohammed Dahlan, had funneled significant sums of money to conspirators of the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt. The story triggered a libel lawsuit in a London court, with Dahlan seeking damages of up to £250,000. The case dragged on until 2018, when Dahlan dropped his libel claim against Middle East Eye and editor David Hearst, effectively ending the legal battle. In a statement, Dahlan maintained that the story was fully fabricated but claimed that he had achieved his goals in the English courts, and was now planning to sue Facebook in Dublin where the article was widely published. However, according to Middle East Eye and their lawyers, by dropping the claim, Dahlan would be forced to pay all the legal costs, of both parties, estimated to be in excess of £500,000. The Turkish government officially accused Dahlan of involvement in the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt in November 2019 and offered $700,000 for information leading to his capture, adding another layer of complexity to the controversy. The case illustrated the personal and financial risks journalists face when reporting on powerful figures, and the legal battles that can ensue when those figures feel their reputations are under threat.

The Digital Assault

In April 2020, Middle East Eye became one of 20 websites targeted by hackers that cybersecurity experts at ESET have linked to an Israeli surveillance company called Candiru. The website was impacted using a watering hole attack which serves malicious code to certain visitors, allowing the attackers to compromise their PCs. This incident marked a shift from diplomatic and legal pressure to direct technological warfare against the organization. The attack demonstrated the lengths to which state and non-state actors would go to silence critical reporting, using sophisticated tools to infiltrate the digital infrastructure of newsrooms. The breach was not merely a technical failure but a strategic move to disrupt the flow of information and intimidate the staff who worked to keep the outlet operational. The incident also highlighted the vulnerability of independent media in the digital age, where a single breach could compromise the security of journalists and their sources. The organization's ability to recover from the attack and continue its reporting underscored the resilience of its team, even in the face of such sophisticated threats.

The Human Cost

In October 2022, Middle East Eye faced scrutiny when it was revealed that Shatha Hammad, a Palestinian Arab journalist associated with the outlet, had made antisemitic remarks on social media in 2014, including praising Adolf Hitler. Following these revelations, Middle East Eye terminated its association with Hammad, a decision that highlighted the ethical challenges faced by news organizations in managing their staff and their public image. The incident also raised questions about the standards of conduct expected of journalists and the consequences of past actions coming to light years after they were made. The organization's response demonstrated a commitment to maintaining its integrity, even when it meant parting ways with a colleague. The case also served as a reminder of the complex social and political dynamics that shape the media landscape in the Middle East, where personal histories can have far-reaching implications for the credibility of an organization. The incident was a stark illustration of the human element behind the headlines, and the difficult choices that editors must make to protect the reputation of their outlet.

Middle East Eye

The Diplomatic Siege

The Leaked Truth

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The Libel War

The Digital Assault

The Human Cost

The Diplomatic Siege

The Leaked Truth

The Libel War

The Digital Assault

The Human Cost