Altice, the multinational that operates in Portugal under the MEO brand, is facing growing international scrutiny over its operations in Israeli-occupied territories and the editorial stance of its international news channel, i24NEWS.
Altice, controlled by billionaire Patrick Drahi, was listed in the United Nations database (published February 2020) as one of the companies involved in activities linked to Israeli settlements in East Jerusalem, the West Bank, and the Golan Heights. The company provides telecommunications services and infrastructure to these settlements, considered illegal under international law.
According to Who Profits, Altice subsidiaries — including Hot Telecommunications, Hot Mobile, Hot Telecom, and P.H.I. Networks — supply cable TV, internet, mobile, and landline services to settlers. They also operate hundreds of GSM antennas in occupied areas and maintain infrastructure inside settlement industrial zones.
Support tied to the Israeli military
The so-called “Drahi Leaks” revealed that in 2021, the Patrick and Lina Drahi Foundation donated around $7.7 million to build a “wellness center” for Israeli soldiers at the Haifa naval base.
Altice subsidiaries also maintained contractual ties with Israeli military and police institutions:
- Exclusive mobile communications provider to the army between 2005–2011.
- “Push to Talk” devices for the police between 2013–2018.
- Communications networks for the prison service and the Coordinator of Government Activities in the Territories (COGAT) between 2015–2018.
i24NEWS and political influence
Altice also owns i24NEWS, an international news channel broadcasting in several languages, including Portuguese. The station drew criticism after promoting the widely discredited story of “beheaded babies” during the Hamas attacks on Israeli kibbutzim in October 2023. The claim, amplified by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then U.S. President Joe Biden, became one of the most notorious examples of wartime disinformation.
Reports from the newspaper Haaretz document how i24NEWS has gradually adopted a more Netanyahu-friendly editorial line. This included restricting critical commentary, dismissing prominent “left-leaning” media figures, and softening coverage of Netanyahu’s corruption trials. Journalists were reportedly instructed to “tone down” criticism of the government.
Altice’s operations in occupied Palestinian territories, alongside its direct involvement with Israeli military and administrative structures, raise serious legal questions under international law, which deems settlements illegal. Meanwhile, its influence over i24NEWS — steering coverage to align with political interests — adds another layer of ethical concern regarding its global media footprint.
©TTNP
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