Israel wants to close the Arabic TV channel Al-Jazeera in the country. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced on Sunday on X (formerly Twitter) that his government had decided this unanimously. Netanyahu spoke of “the inflammatory channel Al-Jazeera”. Netanyahu had already announced the rapid closure of the TV network in Israel, which is based in the Gulf emirate of Qatar, more than a month ago.
Parliament had previously approved the so-called Al-Jazeera law. This allows foreign TV channels to be closed if they are classified as a risk to state security. Against the backdrop of the Gaza war, Netanyahu had accused the broadcaster of “damaging Israel’s security, taking an active part in the massacre on October 7th and inciting hatred against Israeli soldiers.”
Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said he had signed the closure order and it would be implemented immediately. According to media reports, this could mean that offices in Israel could be closed, the broadcasting equipment confiscated, the channel removed from the programming of cable and satellite television providers and its website blocked.
Israel accuses the broadcaster of biased reporting. Al-Jazeera has reported extensively on the catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip since the beginning of the Gaza War, showing images of death and destruction rarely seen on Israeli TV channels. The channel also regularly shows videos from Hamas’s military wing, the Qassam Brigades, of attacks on Israeli soldiers.
Al-Jazeera condemned the announced closure of its broadcasting operations in Israel. This violates the human right to access to information, the broadcaster complained on Sunday and spoke of “defamation” after the government’s ban order. The news channel insisted on “making our offering available to the public worldwide, as enshrined in international agreements.” We will take all possible measures against the move and defend the rights of the station and its employees.
Al-Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Doha. It was considered one of the first Arab TV channels to also publish critical reports about the region and therefore quickly gained popularity in the Arab world. Critics, however, accuse Al-Jazeera of acting as a mouthpiece for Hamas. Before the outbreak of the Gaza war, Qatar itself was considered one of the terrorist organization’s most important financial supporters. Top Hamas representatives also live in Doha.
2024-05-05 14:04:58