Themes of Peace and War in the Jordanian Al-Rai Daily 2006

In a troubled region, such as the Middle East, the media, by virtue of their influence on public opinion, play a significant role in matters related to war and peace. Generally, it is believed that the media set the agenda for the public.The question that this paper addresses is: how Al-Rai daily columnists of the Op-Ed page treated topics of war and peace, and themes of conflict and cooperation during October 2006? This was time when discord was raging in many Middle East countries, notably Israel’s war in Lebanon with Hizb Allah, divisions within the Palestinian Authority (Gaza and the West Bank), and the armed resistance to Alliance Forces in Iraq. Research suggests that the majority ofdaily columnists and contributors supported peaceful solutions. The tone of the writers was generally reconciliatory.However, Palestinians were harshly criticized for internal fighting, mainly between Hamas and Fatah, while Israel was criticized just as harshly for the destruction of Lebanon and for not working hard enough to bring peace into the occupied Palestinian territories. The US, a major actor in the Middle East, was widely criticized. Locally, the columnists criticized the Jordanian Government on several issues.