On Monday, Apr 1, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed to close Al Jazeera’s operations in his country, branding it a “terror channel” , following the passage of a law by parliament facilitating the shutdown.
In his recent pledge, Netanyahu escalated Israel’s long-standing dispute against the media channel Al Jazeera.
The move could further increase tensions with Qatar, which owns the channel, particularly at a crucial time when the Doha government is playing a pivotal role in mediating efforts to end the conflict in Gaza.
In response to Netanyahu’s claim of incitement, Al Jazeera condemned it as a “dangerous and ludicrous lie”.
The media channel has held Netanyahu responsible for ensuring the safety of its staff and offices.
Al Jazeera has also stated its intention to continue providing bold and professional coverage, and further stated that it “reserves the right to pursue every legal step”.
Israel has continuously leveled accusations of bias against Al Jazeera. The relationship between the two deteriorated almost two years ago following the death of Al Jazeera correspondent Shireen Abu Akleh during an Israeli military raid in the occupied West Bank.
Additionally, Israeli forces attacked mourners at her funeral.
Shireen Abu Akleh’s tragic demise occurred nearly a year after an Israeli airstrike destroyed a Gaza building that housed the offices of both Al Jazeera and the news agency AP.
A prominent figure in the Arab world for her coverage of Israel, Shireen’s death led Al Jazeera to accuse Israel of intentionally targeting her.
Israel, however, denied the accusation, suggesting that she was likely killed by Israeli fire in an accidental shooting.
Tensions further escalated after Israel’s war against Hamas on Oct. 7, prompted by a cross-border attack by the militant group in southern Israel, resulting in 1,200 fatalities and the hostage-taking of 250 individuals.
In December, an Israeli airstrike resulted in the death of an Al Jazeera cameraman who was covering the conflict in southern Gaza. Wael Dahdouh, Al Jazeera’s Gaza bureau chief, was also injured in the same attack.
The network attributed the death of Dahdouh’s son to another Israeli strike in January.
Hamza Dahdouh, an Al Jazeera employee, was killed when the strike targeted the vehicle he was traveling in.
The Israeli military later stated that Hamza Dahdouh was affiliated with Islamic Jihad, a militant group that joined forces with Hamas in the October 7 attack.
Wael Dahdouh faced further tragedy when his wife, daughter, another son, and grandson were killed in a separate Israeli airstrike last October.
Al Jazeera aired footage showing Dahdouh entering the hospital and mourning over the body of his deceased son. Israel has not disclosed the target of that specific airstrike.
Throughout the conflict, Al Jazeera remained one of the few international media outlets operating in Gaza.
It broadcast distressing scenes of airstrikes and overwhelmed hospitals while accusing Israel of committing massacres. In response, Israel accused Al Jazeera of collaborating with Hamas.
Netanyahu condemned Al Jazeera, alleging that it jeopardized Israel’s security, participated in the October 7 attack, and incited violence against Israeli soldiers.
He announced plans to take immediate action under the authority of the newly passed law, stating, “The terror channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel.”
Al Jazeera has faced closures or blocks by several Middle Eastern governments, including Saudi Arabia, Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain.
Egypt has banned Al Jazeera since 2013, following the military overthrow of an elected government dominated by the Muslim Brotherhood.
Egypt considers the Brotherhood a terrorist group and accuses both Qatar and Al Jazeera of supporting it.
In a statement, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller expressed respect for Al Jazeera’s work, despite not always agreeing with their coverage.
“We support the independent free press anywhere in the world,” he said. “And much of what we know about what has happened in Gaza is because of reporters who are there doing their jobs, including reporters from Al Jazeera.”
Israel has previously threatened to close Al Jazeera, although it never followed through. However, the law passed on Monday didn’t result in an immediate shutdown of the station.
Instead, it grants officials the authority to do so after consulting with and obtaining approval from legal and security officials.
Any closure order would only be effective until July 31 or the end of the conflict in Gaza.
Israel’s communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, has expressed his intention to proceed with the closure.
He accused Al Jazeera of serving as a “propaganda arm of Hamas” by advocating for armed conflict against Israel.
Israel’s communications minister, Shlomo Karhi, affirmed his intent to proceed with the closure, citing Al Jazeera’s alleged role as a “propaganda arm of Hamas” and its promotion of armed struggle against Israel.
“It is inconceivable for a media outlet, holding press credentials from the Government Press Office and operating within Israel, to act against us, particularly during wartime,” he emphasized.
Karhi’s office outlined plans to block Al Jazeera’s broadcasts in Israel and prohibit its operations within the country. However, these measures would not affect the West Bank or Gaza.
In response, Al Jazeera’s local bureau chief, Walid Al-Omari, noted that they had not yet received formal notification from Israeli authorities.
Nevertheless, he anticipated that a decision would be made in the coming days.
However, taking action against the channel could pose risks. Qatar has played a key role as a mediator between Israel and Hamas, facilitating a weeklong cease-fire in November and hosting intermittent talks aimed at brokering further pauses in the conflict.
By targeting Al Jazeera, Israel may be attempting to pressure Qatar into exerting additional influence on Hamas to make concessions.
Prime Minister Netanyahu has previously criticized Qatar for not doing enough in this regard.
However, such actions also carry the risk of alienating Qatar, a wealthy Gulf state with significant influence over Hamas.
Israel faced substantial criticism from press freedom organizations throughout the conflict. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 90 Palestinian journalists and two Israeli journalists lost their lives.
Additionally, Israel imposed restrictions on independent access for international journalists to cover events in Gaza. Instead, the army allowed only small groups of journalists to enter Gaza on tightly controlled visits accompanied by military escorts.
Hagar Shechter, an attorney with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, denounced the law, arguing that it violates several fundamental rights, including free speech, freedom of the press, and the separation of powers.
She announced the group’s plan to challenge the law by filing a petition with Israel’s Supreme Court.
Oren Persico, a staff writer at the Seventh Eye, an independent media watchdog website in Israel, observed that the law represented a toned-down version of legislation initially proposed by the country’s far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, following resistance from legal experts.
Persico explained that the closure of Al Jazeera requires an expert assessment from a top security official determining that the network poses a threat to Israel’s security.
Subsequently, the order would need approval from either the Cabinet or Parliament, along with further endorsement from the courts.
He expressed concern that other media outlets, including Israeli ones, could also be targeted.
“What’s crucial here isn’t Al Jazeera; it’s the government’s authority to shutter media outlets. It sets a dangerous precedent,” he warned.
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