Qatari news channel Al Jazeera banned in Israel

Doha: The government of Israel imposed a ban on the broadcasting of the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera, while Al Jazeera Media Network condemned the decision as a criminal act.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made a statement in Hebrew on social media website X that the government has unanimously decided that the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be banned in Israel.

Israel’s Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said in a statement to X that he had signed the orders against Al Jazeera and that it would be implemented immediately.

Shlomo Karhi said that the channel also ordered the seizure of equipment used to broadcast content, including editing, routing equipment, cameras, microphones, servers, laptops, as well as wireless transmission equipment and several mobile phones. are also included.

Later, Israeli police raided Al Jazeera’s office in occupied East Jerusalem, and satellite and cable providers took Al Jazeera off the air.

According to Al Jazeera’s report, this move was decided at a cabinet meeting chaired by the Israeli Prime Minister, where the cabinet unanimously decided to ban Al Jazeera in Israel, a few weeks before the Israeli parliament passed a law. , which allowed the temporary shutdown of foreign broadcasters because they posed a threat to national security during the war in Gaza.

Condemnation of Al Jazeera

Al-Jazeera media network strongly condemned the Israeli government’s decision as a criminal act and warned that suppression of press freedom is a violation of international and human rights.

Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns this criminal act as it is a violation of human rights and fundamental right of access to information, the network said in a statement of condemnation.

Al Jazeera reiterated its commitment to continue providing news and information to its global audience.

Israel’s current ban on the press is an attempt to cover up its brutal operations in Gaza, which are contrary to international and human rights, with Israel directly targeting and killing journalists, the statement said.

Criticizing Israel’s decision, it was said that Al-Jazeera will not be intimidated by the arrests, pressure and threats of journalists while more than 140 journalists have been martyred so far during the war in Gaza.

It was further informed that the network rejects all the accusations leveled by Israel and will continue to carry out its journalistic responsibilities in accordance with the rules and regulations, despite the efforts of the Israeli government.

It should be noted that Al Jazeera is one of the few media organizations in the world that is informing the world of Israel’s brutality moment by moment during the worst ongoing war in Gaza, where airstrikes are ongoing and hospitals are being targeted. And Israel continues the genocide of Palestinians.

Press freedom organizations have also strongly condemned the Israeli move to close Al Jazeera.

Tim Dawson, deputy secretary general of the International Federation of Journalists, told Al Jazeera in an interview from London that this is highly reprehensible and ridiculous.

He said that the closure of media institutions, suspending the transmission of TV stations is an act of usurpation.