“The terrorist channel “Al Jazeera” will no longer be able to broadcast from Israel. I am going to act immediately according to the new law to stop the activities of this channel,” Netanyahu said on the “X” platform.
Hours after the move to ban the channel, White House press secretary Carine Jean-Pierre admitted: “If true, a move like this is troubling.”
The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said the law behind Netanyahu’s threat gives Israel the right to suspend any foreign media outlet on its territory.
“Al Jazeera” rejected Netanyahu’s accusations, calling them “dangerous absurd lies”.
Al Jazeera said Monday night that it held Netanyahu responsible for the security of the broadcaster’s employees and offices and that it reserved the right to “take all legal steps.”
In Washington, US State Department Press Secretary Matthew Miller stated that the United States does not always agree with Al Jazeera’s coverage, but respects the channel’s work.
“We support a free press everywhere in the world,” he said.
“And a lot of what we know about what’s going on in Gaza is thanks to reporters doing their jobs, including Al Jazeera reporters,” Miller said.
Israel has also previously threatened to close Al Jazeera, but so far has not done so.
True, punishing the channel can prove risky.
Qatar has been the main mediator between Israel and Hamas.
It helped broker a week-long cease-fire in the Gaza Strip in November, and has been holding talks for weeks now aimed at bringing another pause to the war.
