Al Jazeera faces ‘security threat’ ban as Israel passes new law.

In a recent development, tensions between Israel and the Qatar-based media network Al Jazeera have escalated. The Israeli parliament (Knesset) passed a law on Monday that gives Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the power to temporarily close down the offices of foreign media outlets that are believed to be undermining the country’s national security.

Netanyahu, labeling Al Jazeera a “Hamas mouthpiece,” swiftly declared his intention to use these new powers to halt Al Jazeera’s broadcasting and activities within Israel for the duration of the ongoing offensive in Gaza.

The passage of the law, nicknamed the “Al Jazeera law,” was approved by a vote of 70 to 10. It allows Netanyahu to prohibit the broadcasting of the targeted channel and even close its offices in Israel.

It permits the government to temporarily close the offices of foreign media, confiscate equipment, remove the channel from Israeli cable and satellite providers, and block access to any of its online platforms hosted on servers in Israel or owned by Israeli entities.

Netanyahu, posting on his X account after the Knesset vote, stated that “The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel. I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel’s activity.” He accused the network of harming Israel’s security and actively participating in the October 7th Hamas attack, claiming it “incited against our soldiers.”

The move to restrict Al Jazeera comes amidst the ongoing offensive by Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) in Gaza, which erupted on October 7th with a Hamas attack on southern Israel that killed 1,200 people and took 253 hostages, according to Israeli figures. Qatar has been mediating ceasefire negotiations between Israel and Hamas.

Israeli officials have long complained about Al Jazeera’s coverage but refrained from taking action, mindful of Qatar’s role in funding Palestinian construction projects in Gaza, which is seen as a means of preventing further conflict. However, with the current hostilities raging, Netanyahu publicly called in January for Qatar to apply more pressure on Hamas, which maintains its political office in Doha.

Al Jazeera has been reporting intensively from Gaza throughout the war and has been fiercely critical of Israel’s military operation. The network claims that Israeli authorities have deliberately targeted and killed several of its journalists, including Samer Abu Daqqa and Hamza AlDahdooh, though Israel denies targeting journalists.

According to Palestinian health authorities, more than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since the start of Israel’s offensive, mostly women and children. However, talks on a proposed second truce appear to be stalled.

In response to Netanyahu’s comments, Al Jazeera issued a statement strongly condemning the prime minister’s accusations as a “dangerous and ridiculous lie” that puts its journalists at risk worldwide. The network said Netanyahu’s remarks were part of “a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera.”

“The allegations and accusations will not deter Al Jazeera from continuing its bold and professional coverage, and we reserve all our legal rights,” the statement added, holding Netanyahu responsible for the safety of Al Jazeera’s staff and facilities around the world.

The network rejected allegations that it has harmed Israel’s security, calling them “lies that incite against the safety of our journalists.” Al Jazeera said Netanyahu could find no justification for his continued attacks on the channel and press freedom other than “lies and fabrications.”

While Netanyahu has welcomed the “Al Jazeera law,” his Likud party has faced strong criticism over the bill’s wording. Likud Knesset member Amit Halevi said the law was useless, would cause damage, and would not prevent Al Jazeera’s audience from continuing to watch the channel.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel stated that the true purpose of the “Al Jazeera law” was political rather than security-related. The organization expressed concern over the restriction of journalists’ right to work.

Internationally, the move has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and human rights organizations. The White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that if reports of Israel’s intention to close Al Jazeera’s office were true, it would be “concerning.”

Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for the UN Secretary-General, commented that “this is concerning, as is any restriction on the right of journalists to work.” The executive director of the International Press Institute, Frane Maroevic, told Al Jazeera that Israel’s justifications for banning the network were incomprehensible, noting that Israel does not allow any journalist to enter Gaza.

Omar Shakir, an expert at Human Rights Watch, told the Financial Times that the law represented a worrying escalation in Israel’s efforts to suppress critics of its violations. He said Al Jazeera is a critical source of information in Gaza after Israel prevented international journalists from entering, and any move to restrict the network is an assault on free expression that limits people’s ability to know what is happening there.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), an independent non-profit organization that promotes press freedom worldwide, also expressed concern over Israel’s new law allowing the temporary closure of foreign media outlets. The CPJ criticized the legislation, warning that it “contributes to a climate of self-censorship and hostility toward the press” in Israel.

The full implementation and impact of the “Al Jazeera law” remain to be seen. While the Israeli government now has the legal authority to close Al Jazeera’s offices, the network could potentially appeal the decision, though experts note this may be difficult within Israel’s legal system.

The law allows the security cabinet to shutter the network’s offices for 45 days with possibility of renewal, and will remain in force until the end of July or the conclusion of the offensive in Gaza. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accused Al Jazeera of encouraging hostilities against Israel, saying it was intolerable for a media outlet with government press credentials and offices in Israel to act against the country, especially in wartime.

However, Amit Halevi of Netanyahu’s own Likud party argued the law would be ineffective and not actually prevent Al Jazeera’s audience from watching the channel. This highlights potential disagreements within the governing coalition over the legislation.

The move also comes at a sensitive time in Israel’s relations with Qatar. The Qatari government, which helps fund Al Jazeera, has been hosting ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas but has not yet commented on the new law. Some speculate that threatening Al Jazeera may be an attempt by Netanyahu to pressure Qatar to further rein in Hamas.

Advocates emphasize that Al Jazeera has been a key source of on-the-ground reporting in Gaza, as Israel prohibits international journalists from entering the territory. They argue that restricting the network limits vital information and amounts to an assault on press freedom and free expression.

Since the outbreak of the devastating offensive that the IOF has been waging on Gaza, the Israeli government has introduced emergency media regulations granting it the power to provisionally shutter foreign news organizations considered to be jeopardizing national security, subject to judicial approval.

The new law’s enactment follows Israel’s announcement nearly five months ago of its intention to ban the Lebanese channel Al Mayadeen. However, at that time, Israeli authorities stopped short of closing down Al Jazeera.

The future of Al Jazeera’s presence and operations in Israel hangs in the balance, with potential ramifications for the media landscape in the region and the course of the war. All eyes will be on Netanyahu’s next moves and the international community’s response in the days and weeks to come.

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