Al Jazeera Denounces Extended Israeli Ban, Demands Immediate Reversal

Al Jazeera Media Network has issued a strong condemnation of the Israeli authorities' decision to prolong a ban on its operations within Israel by an additional 90 days. This extension includes the suspension of its broadcasts, the closure of its offices, and restrictions on access to its digital platforms and websites. In a statement released on Monday, the Qatar-based network described the move as an "assault" on press freedom and the public's right to information. Al Jazeera warned that this action establishes a "dangerous pattern that undermines the ability of news organisations to report the facts and hold those in power to account." The decision follows a court in Tel Aviv's approval last week of the Israeli government's earlier resolution to extend the ban for another 90 days. In May 2024, during the height of Israel’s war against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet voted to cease Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. This move, which drew significant criticism from press freedom advocates, was enabled by a law passed by the Israeli parliament allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters deemed a "threat to national security." Previously, in September of that year, Israeli forces had raided Al Jazeera’s offices in Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, confiscating equipment and documents and shutting down the office. Al Jazeera, which recently marked its 30th anniversary on Sunday, stated that it "categorically rejects the allegations used to justify the ban" and called for its immediate lifting. The Network highlighted that the extension was predicated on "secret material which neither the Network nor its lawyers were permitted to see or respond to, denying it any genuine opportunity to defend itself and falling short of the most basic guarantees of due process." The network has faced targeting from Israel for years. In 2017, Netanyahu had threatened to close its Jerusalem office. In 2021, an Israeli missile destroyed the building housing its office in Gaza. Numerous Al Jazeera journalists were among the more than 200 Palestinian journalists killed by Israel during its war on Gaza, with many of their family members also losing their lives. In May 2022, Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh was fatally shot by Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank. While Israel initially denied responsibility, it later acknowledged a "high possibility" that one of its soldiers had killed the journalist, who was known for her reporting from the occupied Palestinian territory. In its statement, Al Jazeera affirmed that "attempts to silence it will not deter it from fulfilling its mission and continuing its coverage with accuracy and integrity from its bureaus around the world." The Network concluded by stating it is "reviewing the decision with its legal counsel and reserves the right to pursue all appropriate legal measures to protect its journalists, its rights and the public’s right to information."