Israel’s parliament handed a legislation on Monday that enables short-term shutdowns of overseas media in Israel together with — and maybe principally — Al Jazeera.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has stated a number of instances he intends to shutter Al Jazeera in Israel.
The legislation permits for the closure of overseas media bureaus for as much as 45 days, a renewable interval, and would keep in impact till the top of July or till main navy operations in Gaza conclude.
It additionally permits for the confiscation of their gear whether it is believed they pose “harm to the state’s security”.
“Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against Israeli soldiers,” Netanyahu stated in a put up on X on Monday. “I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity.”
Netanyahu’s feedback and threats are solely the newest in a sequence of Israeli assaults on Al Jazeera.
Has Israel threatened to close down Al Jazeera earlier than?
On July 26, 2017, Netanyahu threatened to close down Al Jazeera’s Jerusalem workplace, commenting on the outlet’s protection in a Facebook put up, saying Al Jazeera journalists “incite violence”.
Netanyahu’s put up got here throughout vital fallout over al-Aqsa Mosque between Israeli authorities and Palestinians.
Before that, on March 12, 2008, Israel’s authorities press workplace sanctioned Al Jazeera employees in Israel after Al Jazeera TV coated celebrations following the discharge of Samir Kuntar from Israeli jail. Kuntar, a Lebanese Druze member of the Palestinian Liberation Front and Hezbollah, had been sentenced for homicide, tried homicide and kidnapping.
Has Israel attacked Al Jazeera’s places of work exterior Israel?
On May 15, 2021, the al-Jalaa Tower in Gaza City, which housed the places of work of Al Jazeera and The Associated Press, in addition to quite a few residences, was destroyed by an Israeli missile.
This was throughout a full-scale Israeli assault on Gaza which occurred between May 10 and 21, 2021.
Has Israel harmed Al Jazeera journalists?
Most just lately, on March 18, 2024, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul was arrested for 12 hours and crushed by Israeli forces in Gaza City’s al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces additionally destroyed media gear.
Earlier throughout Israel’s present battle on Gaza – on February 13, 2024 – Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ismail Abu Omar and his cameraman, Ahmad Matar, have been wounded in an Israeli assault north of Rafah, Gaza.
On December 15, 2023, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, Wael Dahdouh, was injured in an Israeli drone assault in Khan Younis, Gaza.
And, on June 5, 2021, Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Givara Budeiri was detained for hours and bodily assaulted whereas overlaying an illustration within the occupied East Jerusalem neighbourhood of Sheikh Jarrah.
Have Al Jazeera journalists been killed?
On January 7, 2024, Al Jazeera journalist Hamza Dahdouh, the eldest son of Wael Dahdouh, was killed by an Israeli missile strike in Khan Younis, Gaza. Hamza Dahdouh was in a car close to al-Mawasi with one other journalist, Mustafa Thuraya, who was additionally killed within the assault.
On December 15, 2023, Al Jazeera Arabic cameraman Samer Abudaqa was hit in the identical Israeli drone assault that injured Wael Dahdouh, in Khan Younis, Gaza. Abudaqa bled to dying over 4 hours as emergency staff stood by unable to succeed in him as a result of they wanted Israeli navy approval to go in safely.
Humanitarian organisations and different journalists pressed the navy to facilitate his evacuation however the Israeli navy blocked assist from reaching the location as Abudaqa bled. Abudaqa had bled to dying by the point assist was allowed to succeed in him.
Dahdouh stated the strike occurred in an space the place there was “no one but us”, including that they have been undoubtedly focused.
A 12 months and a half earlier than the battle on Gaza started – on May 11, 2022 – Israeli forces assassinated veteran Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as she was reporting from Jenin within the occupied West Bank. Abu Akleh was often called the “daughter of Palestine”.
Israel’s narrative on what occurred to Abu Akleh shifted a number of instances. Immediately after she was killed, Israeli authorities stated Palestinian fighters had killed her, decrying accusations towards Israeli troopers.
Two days later, the Israeli military stated the bullet that killed Abu Akleh may have been from an Israeli soldier. A press release launched by the Israeli military added that the soldier was focusing on Palestinian gunmen who had fired at him, and Abu Akleh was hit as an alternative.
Abu Akleh’s colleagues who have been together with her, alongside a number of investigations, asserted that there have been no Palestinian fighters within the neighborhood when she was killed.
Six days later, the Israeli authorities recognized the Israeli weapon which will have killed her. On September 5, 2022, Israel stated there was a “high possibility” that Abu Akleh had been “accidentally hit” by Israeli military fireplace, however a felony investigation wouldn’t be launched.
Has Israel harmed anybody else linked to Al Jazeera?
Israel’s assaults have prolonged to the households of journalist as properly. On October 25, 2023, Wael Dahdouh’s spouse, youthful son, daughter and grandson have been all killed when an Israeli air raid hit the home they have been sheltering in inside the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Dahdouh and his household had been displaced and have been sheltering in what the Israeli military advised them was a protected zone after the Israeli military ordered civilians in northern Gaza to maneuver to the south.
The Israeli navy confirmed that it was its air strike that killed Dahdouh’s household in a press release to CNN. The navy added within the assertion that the strike was focusing on “Hamas terrorist infrastructure”.
What has Al Jazeera stated concerning the newest risk?
The Qatar-based community rejected what it described as Israel’s “slanderous accusations” and accused Netanyahu of “incitement”.
“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,” the nwtwork stated in a press release.
“Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations will not deter us from continuing our bold and professional coverage, and reserves the right to pursue every legal step.”
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