Just over a month ago the vote for approval in the Knesset took place, today the Israeli government took action. It voted unanimously to close the activities of the Qatari broadcaster al Jazeera in Israel and ordered the confiscation of the equipment. The blackout of the network, considered “a terrorist channel”, was announced by the prime minister himself Benjamin Netanyahu: “The government led by me decided unanimously that the al Jazeera incitement channel will be closed in Israel. The government led by me has decided unanimously: the channel of incitement al-Jazeera will be closed in Israel” he writes thus on Yoav Gallant, announces that the operation in Rafah will begin “very soon. I have addressed this issue intensely over the past week, including today.”
Confiscated equipment – The Israeli Minister of Communications, Shlomo Karhisigned the provisions to shut down the broadcaster: “Our provisions will come into force immediately – he states in statements relaunched by the Times of Israel – Too much time has passed and there have been too many unnecessary legal impediments to finally stop the well-oiled machine of incitement of al-Jazeera, which harms state security. Hamas propaganda, those who incite against Israelwhich damage the security of Israel and IDF soldiers, will no longer broadcast from Israel and the equipment will be seized.”
In application of the government’s unanimous decision to stop Al Jazeera in Israel, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi ordered “the closure of the offices, the confiscation of the channel’s equipment, possibly including cell phones and the blocking of access to the TV website”. The minister added that “the orders have been issued now” and has the authority to ban the channel from operating for 45 days.
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The government’s decision constitutes an escalation in the long-standing dispute between Israel and the canal and is timely in which negotiations on a ceasefire with Hamas, mediated by Qatar, appear to have gained greater momentum. “Al Jazeera journalists have damaged Israel’s security and incited against soldiers,” Netanyahu said, adding that “it is time to remove Hamas’ microphone from our country.” This is believed to be the first time Israel closes a foreign newspapereven though the government had taken action in the past against individual reporters. The statement from Netanyahu’s office said that under a law passed last month, the government can take action against a foreign channel deemed “harmful to the country.”
The network: “Criminal decision” – Israel’s decision to stop the TV’s activities in the country “intensifies the long-standing feud against al Jazeera” and “threatens to increase tensions with Qatar, which finances the station, at a time when Doha is playing a key role in mediation efforts to stop the war in Gaza” writes Al Jazeera on its website. Israel, the broadcaster continues, “has long had a difficult relationship with al Jazeera, accusing it of partiality towards it and of collaboration with Hamas. The Qatar-based network has repeatedly denied the allegations.
Al Jazeera was one of the few international media outlets to remain in Gaza during the warbroadcasting bloody scenes of airstrikes and overcrowded hospitals and blaming Israel for the massacres“. Al Jazeera condemned the decision as “criminal” and the head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the Palestinian Territories Walid Omary announced that the broadcaster’s legal department is preparing a response to Israel’s decision to suspend its activities in the country as a first move in view of a possible appeal in court. Meanwhile, the terrorist organization Hamas has declared that Israel’s decision to suspend Al Jazeera’s activities in the country aims to “hiding the truth” about the Gaza war.
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