"Terrorist Channel": Israel To Ban Al Jazeera (file image)

Al Jazeera denounced Israel’s threat to shut down its operation in Israel. The media network called the allegations against it a “dangerous ludicrous lie”. The new row between the media outlet and Israel started after Benjamin Netanyahu accused Al Jazeera of actively participating in the October 7^th attack.

Israel’s Parliament passed a bill that could potentially ban the working of foreign broadcasters including Al Jazeera. The Knesset (Israeli Parliament) overwhelmingly voted in favour of the law that allows the temporary shutting down of any broadcasters it deems as a “threat to national security”.

Taking to his X (formerly twitter), Netanyahu called Al Jazeera a “terrorist channel”. The media outlet harmed Israel’s security actively participated in October 7^th attack, and added that it is time to “remove the shofar of Hamas from our country”.

He declared that Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel. He said he will act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity.

אל ג׳זירה פגעו בביטחון ישראל, השתתפו באופן פעיל בטבח ה-7 באוקטובר, והסיתו נגד חיילי צה״ל. הגיע הזמן לסלק את השופר של החמאס מהמדינה שלנו.

ערוץ הטרור אל ג׳זירה לא ישדר יותר מישראל. בכוונתי לפעול מיידית בהתאם לחוק החדש כדי לעצור את פעילות הערוץ.

אני מברך על החוק שקידם שר התקשורת…

— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) April 1, 2024

Al Jazeera responded that the latest measure taken by Israel comes as latest among series of among a “series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera”. The media listed out the names of its journalists killed by Israeli occupation force, including Shireen Abu Akleh, Samer AbuDaqqa, and Hamza AlDahdouh.

Jodie Ginsberg of the Committee to Protect Journalists said that Netanyahu’s statement on banning Al Jazeera follows a pattern of media interference, including the killing of the media workers. “We’ve seen this kind of language before from Netanyahu and Israeli officials in which they try to paint journalists as terrorists, as criminals. This is nothing new”, he told Al Jazeera.

Ginsberg called the move “incredibly worrying”. He said it is another instance showing Israel’s tightening of the free press and the stranglehold the Israeli government would like to exercise.