Iran Speaks in Hebrew
WANA (Nov 14) – About two months ago, right at the start of the Hebrew New Year, something unusual happened on one of Iran’s live state-TV broadcasts. On the Ofogh channel, the host stood facing the camera and told viewers:
“Today was the beginning of the Jewish New Year, and they all gathered in their war room and said that by the end of our year, Iran will no longer exist — that this year will be the final year for Iran’s axis. I think the best thing is to send them a message in their own language!”
He and his colleague then switched to Hebrew, saying: “Addressing you Zionists: Netanyahu alone is enough to destroy you.”
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That brief moment — which spread quickly across social media — signaled a quiet but significant shift in Iran’s media strategy, a shift that has now taken an official form. Iran’s Supreme Council of the Cultural Revolution has issued a directive instructing the Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB) to launch an international television network in Hebrew.
A few days ago, Hebrew subtitles appeared for the first time on IRIB’s Ofogh channel. The presenter announced: “Since our colleagues realized that the Palestine program is also being monitored inside the occupied territories, we began broadcasting news in Hebrew from last night.”
The decision to establish a Hebrew-language international network was approved as part of a resolution titled “National Cultural, Social, Media, Scientific, and Technological Policies and Actions for the Country Under Special Conditions”, issued under President Masoud Pezeshkian.
According to Article 2 of the resolution, IRIB must create a Hebrew-language television channel to provide “appropriate action and reaction to the media propaganda of Israel and its affiliated outlets.”
In this context, the scattered Hebrew subtitles and brief Hebrew phrases on Iranian television are no longer spontaneous occurrences; they are part of a strategic plan to enter the linguistic and media space of Israel directly.
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Until now, Iran has operated networks in English, Arabic, and Spanish. Hebrew, however, had never been part of Iran’s official media portfolio. Entering this domain crosses one of the region’s most sensitive media frontiers — an attempt to communicate directly with a society that, for decades, has seen Iran only through the lens of Israeli and Western media.
The outlet Jewish Breaking News wrote in a report on this new initiative: “Iran is seeking to launch a Hebrew-language network to counter Israeli propaganda. The goal is to confront the media activities and messaging of Israel among Hebrew speakers around the world.”
The approval of this plan comes only months after the twelve-day conflict between Iran and Israel — a short war with long-lasting media and propaganda repercussions. Since then, Tehran and Tel Aviv have entered a new phase of confrontation, one where the battle continues through words, images, and narratives. In this sense, a Hebrew-language network represents the newest front in the “war of narratives.”
A sentence by Martyr Soleimani in Hebrew: “Every night, thinking about defeating enemies.”
But will Hebrew-speaking audiences be willing to listen to a broadcaster operating from outside their borders?
Hebrew is not just a language; it carries historical memory and deep social sensitivities. Reaching such an audience requires a level of nuance that goes far beyond simple translation.
In previous ventures — such as PressTV or HispanTV — Iran demonstrated an ability to produce international content, but the core challenge has always been audience trust. In the Hebrew-language space, this challenge will be even greater. Such a network can succeed only if it moves beyond counter-propaganda and becomes a platform for dialogue, human-centered storytelling, and cultural analysis.
Otherwise, even if symbolically significant, its real impact will remain limited.
The Hebrew message on the mural in Palestine Square, Tehran, following the Zionist regime’s attack on residential areas in Iran reads: “Look for shelter under the rubble!” / WANA News Agency
The Hebrew subtitles on Ofogh channel and the hosts’ remarks at the start of the Jewish New Year now look like a prelude to something larger: an effort to break Israel’s media monopoly and project Iran’s voice inside the Hebrew-speaking world.
This initiative is still at its beginning. With the launch of a Hebrew-language network, Iran aims to show that in the war of narratives, it not only understands the enemy’s language — it now intends to speak its message in that language.
A banner written in Hebrew language We are getting close to the end, installed in the entrance of Tehran university in Tehran, Iran April 15, 2024. Majid Asgaripour/WANA (West Asia News Agency)
