Israel’s parliament handed a regulation on Monday that enables non permanent shutdowns of overseas media in Israel together with — and maybe principally — Al Jazeera.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has mentioned a number of occasions he intends to shutter Al Jazeera in Israel.
The regulation permits for the closure of overseas media bureaus for as much as 45 days, a renewable interval, and would keep in impact till the tip of July or till main army operations in Gaza conclude.
It additionally permits for the confiscation of their tools whether it is believed they pose “hurt to the state’s safety”.
“Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s safety, actively participated within the October 7 bloodbath, and incited towards Israeli troopers,” Netanyahu mentioned in a submit on X on Monday. “I intend to behave instantly in accordance with the brand new regulation to cease the channel’s exercise.”
Netanyahu’s feedback and threats are solely the most recent in a collection 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 Fb submit, saying Al Jazeera journalists “incite violence”.
Netanyahu’s submit got here throughout vital fallout over al-Aqsa Mosque between Israeli authorities and Palestinians.
Earlier than that, on March 12, 2008, Israel’s authorities press workplace sanctioned Al Jazeera employees in Israel after Al Jazeera TV lined celebrations following the discharge of Samir Kuntar from Israeli jail. Kuntar, a Lebanese Druze member of the Palestinian Liberation Entrance and Hezbollah, had been sentenced for homicide, tried homicide and kidnapping.
Has Israel attacked Al Jazeera’s places of work outdoors Israel?
On Could 15, 2021, the al-Jalaa Tower in Gaza Metropolis, which housed the places of work of Al Jazeera and The Related 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 passed off between Could 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 Metropolis’s al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces additionally destroyed media tools.
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 protecting 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 automobile 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 loss of life over 4 hours as emergency employees stood by unable to achieve him as a result of they wanted Israeli army approval to go in safely.
Humanitarian organisations and different journalists pressed the army to facilitate his evacuation however the Israeli army blocked assist from reaching the positioning as Abudaqa bled. Abudaqa had bled to loss of life by the point assist was allowed to achieve him.
Dahdouh mentioned the strike occurred in an space the place there was “nobody however us”, including that they have been undoubtedly focused.
A 12 months and a half earlier than the battle on Gaza started – on Could 11, 2022 – Israeli forces assassinated veteran Al Jazeera Arabic journalist Shireen Abu Akleh as she was reporting from Jenin within the occupied West Financial institution. Abu Akleh was referred to as the “daughter of Palestine”.
Israel’s narrative on what occurred to Abu Akleh shifted a number of occasions. Instantly after she was killed, Israeli authorities mentioned Palestinian fighters had killed her, decrying accusations towards Israeli troopers.
Two days later, the Israeli military mentioned the bullet that killed Abu Akleh might have been from an Israeli soldier. An announcement 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 mentioned there was a “excessive chance” that Abu Akleh had been “by chance hit” by Israeli military hearth, however a prison 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 nicely. 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 secure zone after the Israeli military ordered civilians in northern Gaza to maneuver to the south.
The Israeli army confirmed that it was its air strike that killed Dahdouh’s household in a press release to CNN. The army added within the assertion that the strike was focusing on “Hamas terrorist infrastructure”.
What has Al Jazeera mentioned in regards to the newest menace?
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 answerable for the protection of its employees and Community premises world wide, following his incitement and this false accusation in a disgraceful method,” the nwtwork mentioned in a press release.
“Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations won’t deter us from persevering with our daring {and professional} protection, and reserves the suitable to pursue each authorized step.”