Achi news desk-
Israeli police also raided Al Jazeera’s office in occupied East Jerusalem – Photo: Reuters
Doha: The Israeli government suspended the broadcasting of Qatar’s 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 Al Jazeera propaganda channel will be banned in Israel.
Israeli 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 confiscation of equipment used to broadcast content, including editing, routing equipment, cameras, microphones, servers, laptops, as well as wireless transmission equipment and a number of mobile phones as well.
Later, Israeli police stormed Al Jazeera’s office in occupied East Jerusalem, and Al Jazeera’s satellite and cable providers took it off the air.
According to the Al Jazeera report, this move was decided in a cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister of Israel, where the cabinet unanimously decided to ban Al Jazeera in Israel, a few weeks before the Israeli Parliament passed a law, which allowed the closure over turn of foreign broadcasters because they are a threat to national security during the war in Gaza.
Condemnation of Al Jazeera
The Al-Jazeera media network strongly condemned the Israeli government’s decision as a criminal act and warned that the 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 basic 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 press ban is an attempt to cover up its brutal operations in Gaza, which are in violation of 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 stated that the network rejects all the claims made 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 informs the world about Israel’s brutality from there during the worst war in Gaza, where airstrikes continue and hospitals are targeted and Israel continues the genocide of Palestinians.
Press freedom organizations have also strongly condemned Israel’s move to shut down Al Jazeera.
Tim Dawson, deputy secretary general of the International Federation of Journalists, told Al Jazeera in an interview from London that this is absolutely disgusting and ridiculous.
He said that closing down media organizations, stopping the broadcasting of television stations is an act of usurpation.
