Israel’s parliament handed a legislation on Monday that permits short-term shutdowns of international 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 international 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 “hurt to the state’s safety”.
“Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s safety, actively participated within the October 7 bloodbath, and incited in opposition to Israeli troopers,” Netanyahu stated in a publish on X on Monday. “I intend to behave instantly in accordance with the brand new legislation to cease the channel’s exercise.”
Netanyahu’s feedback and threats are solely the most recent 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 Fb publish, saying Al Jazeera journalists “incite violence”.
Netanyahu’s publish got here throughout important 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 workers in Israel after Al Jazeera TV coated celebrations following the launch 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 exterior Israel?
On Might 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 Might 10 and 21, 2021.
Has Israel harmed Al Jazeera journalists?
Most lately, on March 18, 2024, Al Jazeera Arabic correspondent Ismail al-Ghoul was arrested for 12 hours and overwhelmed by Israeli forces in Gaza Metropolis’s al-Shifa Hospital. Israeli forces additionally destroyed media gear.
Earlier throughout Israel’s present struggle 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 indication 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 loss of life 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 positioning as Abudaqa bled. Abudaqa had bled to loss of life by the point assist was allowed to succeed in him.
Dahdouh stated the strike occurred in an space the place there was “nobody however us”, including that they have been undoubtedly focused.
A yr and a half earlier than the struggle on Gaza started – on Might 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 generally known as the “daughter of Palestine”.
Israel’s narrative on what occurred to Abu Akleh shifted a number of instances. Instantly after she was killed, Israeli authorities stated Palestinian fighters had killed her, decrying accusations in opposition to Israeli troopers.
Two days later, the Israeli military stated the bullet that killed Abu Akleh may have been from an Israeli soldier. An announcement launched by the Israeli military added that the soldier was concentrating on Palestinian gunmen who had fired at him, and Abu Akleh was hit as an alternative.
Abu Akleh’s colleagues who have been along 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 that will have killed her. On September 5, 2022, Israel stated there was a “excessive risk” that Abu Akleh had been “unintentionally hit” by Israeli military fireplace, however a legal 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 effectively. 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 throughout the Nuseirat refugee camp.
Dahdouh and his household had been displaced and have been sheltering in what the Israeli military instructed 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 concentrating on “Hamas terrorist infrastructure”.
What has Al Jazeera stated concerning 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 liable for the security of its workers and Community premises all over the world, following his incitement and this false accusation in a disgraceful method,” the nwtwork stated in a press release.
“Al Jazeera reiterates that such slanderous accusations is not going to deter us from persevering with our daring {and professional} protection, and reserves the best to pursue each authorized step.”