Tel Aviv, May 6, (dpa/GNA) – Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said his Cabinet unanimously voted to close broadcaster Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel.
The move came after Israeli lawmakers recently approved a new media law – widely referred to as the “Al Jazeera law” – that gives the government powers to ban foreign broadcasters if they are deemed a risk to state security.
Netanyahu announced the Cabinet decision in a post on X, formerly Twitter, in which he called Al Jazeera “the hate channel.”
Qatar-based Al Jazeera decried the Israeli decision and vowed to pursue “all avenues” available to protect its rights and employees.
Al Jazeera’s offices in East Jerusalem were raided on Sunday following the government’s decision, according to Israeli media reports.
Television equipment had been confiscated, it said.
Al Jazeera said Israeli cable and satellite network providers had removed the channel from their services.
Two leading international organizations that campaign for freedom of the press and freedom of expression strongly condemned the closure.
“CPJ condemns the closure of Al Jazeera’s office in Israel and the blocking of the channel’s websites,” CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna said in New York.
“This move sets an extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel,” he added.
“The Israeli cabinet must allow Al-Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime.”
The French-based organization Reporters Without Borders said on X: “RSF strongly condemns freedom-threatening legislation that censors a TV network for its coverage of the war in Gaza.”
The United Nations also emphasized the importance of press freedom following Israel’s decision.
“We stand firmly against any decision to roll back freedom of the press,” said UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric in New York. “A free press provides an invaluable service to ensure that the public is informed and engaged.”
The Israeli government has accused Al Jazeera, which is based in the Gulf emirate of Qatar and has a wide reach in the Arab world, of biased reporting on its ongoing war against Hamas militants in the Gaza Strip.
Al Jazeera has reported extensively on the catastrophic situation in the Palestinian territory and shown images of death and destruction that are rarely seen on Israeli television stations. The channel also regularly shows videos of attacks on Israeli soldiers by Hamas’ military arm, the Qassam Brigades.
On Sunday, Al Jazeera again categorically denied accusations from Israel of biased reporting on the conflict in the Gaza Strip.
“The Netanyahu government has decided in a highly misleading and calumnious step to endorse the order to shut down Al Jazeera offices in Israel,” the network said.
The channel condemned what it called an “Israeli criminal act” that violates the human right of access to information.
“We confirm that we will pursue all avenues at international and legal organizations to protect our rights and crews,” it added without elaborating.
Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said he had signed the closure order and that it would be implemented immediately.
According to Israeli reports, this means that offices in Israel could be closed, broadcasting equipment confiscated, the station removed from cable and satellite television channels and its website blocked.
The channel has repeatedly rejected the allegations of bias and, in the past, accused Netanyahu of spreading “new lies and inflammatory slanders” against the network.
Al Jazeera has also accused the Israeli military of deliberately targeting journalists on several occasions.
Netanyahu has accused Al Jazeera of “damaging Israel’s security, actively participating in the massacre on October 7 and inciting against Israeli soldiers.”
Al Jazeera was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in Doha. It was one of the first Arab TV stations to publish critical reports on the region and quickly gained popularity.
There was some criticism of the ban in Israel on Sunday. Benny Gantz’s National Union party, which is represented in the Israeli security cabinet, agreed with the closure, but criticized the timing.
It was “terrible timing” that could torpedo the current indirect negotiations with Hamas on the release of hostages and a ceasefire in the Gaza war, the centre-right party explained.
The Israeli government’s efforts to ban Al Jazeera have drawn criticism from some of the country’s most prominent allies, including the United States and Germany.
The US State Department expressed irritation of the decision and reiterated support for the free press all over the world.
A German Foreign Office spokesman also criticized the so-called Al Jazeera law last month: “A free and diverse press landscape is the cornerstone of a liberal democracy.” GNA