Videos circulating on the internet depict plainclothes police officers dismantling recording equipment within the mentioned hotel room. Additionally, one of these videos was shared by Israeli Minister of Communications, Shlomo Karhi.
סוגרים את אלג׳זירה🇮🇱
פקחי משרד התקשורת בגיבוי משטרת ישראל פושטים בשעה זו על משרדי אלג׳זירה בירושלים ומחרימים את ציוד הערוץ. pic.twitter.com/BFWkOiniDH
— 🇮🇱שלמה קרעי – Shlomo Karhi (@shlomo_karhi) May 5, 2024
Israeli government bans Al Jazeera
Let us recall that the government of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to stop the work of Al Jazeera in Israel while the Israeli military continued with its genocide in Gaza, claiming that the Qatari media house threatened national security.
– The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel – Netanyahu wrote on social networks after the unanimous decision of the government.
הממשלה בראשותי החליטה פה אחד: ערוץ ההסתה אל ג׳זירה ייסגר בישראל.
תודה לשר @shlomo_karhi
— Benjamin Netanyahu – בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) May 5, 2024
The government said Israel’s communications minister signed off on the decision to ” act immediately,” but some observers believe Al Jazeera may try to block the decision in court.
“Dangerous decision!”
The head of Al Jazeera in Israel and the Palestinian territories called the Israeli decision “dangerous” and said it was motivated by politics, not professional reasons. They also stated that they complained about “a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence the network”, stating that Israel had deliberately targeted and killed several of their journalists, including Samer Abu Daku and Hamza Al Daduh, which Israel denied.
– Al Jazeera’s legal team is preparing a response – Walid Omary told Reuters.
“Al Jazeera” is financed by the Qatari government, and the media is very critical of the Israeli military invasion and genocide in Gaza, which they had been reporting daily. Last month, the Israeli parliament ratified a law that allowed for the temporary suspension of foreign media deemed a threat to national security.
The decision also worried the United States, Israel’s biggest ally.
– If this is true, that move is “concerning” – said White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre.
Al Jazeera has previously rejected accusations that it poses a threat to Israel’s national security, claiming it is an attempt to silence it.
The legislation grants the government the authority to temporarily suspend media operations for a duration of 45 days, with the possibility of extension upon renewal.
