Israel bans Al Jazeera with Netanyahu calling it a ‘terrorist channel’
Israel is set to ban Al Jazeera after the Israeli parliament approved a law giving the government the power to ban broadcasts of TV channels.
PM Benjamin Netanyahu said he would “act immediately” to close the Qatari-owned network local office.
Foreign journalists are banned from entering Gaza, and so Al Jazeera staff based in the strip have been some of the only journalists able to cover the war on the ground.
Israel’s parliament approved the bill which allows foreign networks considered a threat to national security to be temporarily banned.
The Israeli parliament approved a law granting the government authority to ban foreign news networks, including Al Jazeera. PM Netanyahu pledged to "act immediately" to close the network's local office ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/L2RXOzVi5t
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) April 2, 2024
Israel set to ban Al Jazeera is ‘attack on press freedom’
The ban would be in place for 45 days at a time, which could then be renewed. The law would stay in force until July or until the end of significant fighting in Gaza.
The US expressed concern over the news.
“Al Jazeera will no longer be broadcast from Israel,” Mr Netanyahu wrote on Twitter/X, calling the network a “terrorist channel”.
Israel has long accused the network of anti-Israeli bias but their criticism of the broadcaster has intensified since the Hamas attacks of 7 October.
In a statement, Al Jazeera said: “Netanyahu could not find any justifications to offer the world for his ongoing attacks on Al Jazeera and press freedom except to present new lies and inflammatory slanders against the Network and the rights of its employees.
“Al Jazeera holds the Israeli Prime Minister responsible for the safety of its staff and Network premises around the world, following his incitement and this false accusation in a disgraceful manner.”