The Israeli government officially banned the region’s largest news agency on Sunday — and the only news agency that provides consistent coverage in Arabic and English about internal Israeli politics from inside Israel: Al Jazeera.
Al Jazeera issued a statement Sunday condemning the Israeli decision and the raid on its Jerusalem field office as a blatant attack on freedom of the press:
“Al Jazeera Media Network strongly condemns and denounces this criminal act that violates human rights and the basic right to access of information. Al Jazeera affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences.”
The statement continued, “Israel’s ongoing suppression of the free press, seen as an effort to conceal its actions in the Gaza Strip, stands in contravention of international and humanitarian law. Israel’s direct targeting and killing of journalists, arrests, intimidation and threats will not deter Al Jazeera from its commitment to cover, whilst more than 140 Palestinian journalists have been killed since the beginning of the war on Gaza. The Network vehemently rejects the allegations presented by Israeli authorities suggesting professional media standards have been violated. It reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the values embodied by its Code of Ethics.” The Al Jazeera Code of Ethics includes a commitment to “adhere to the journalistic values of honesty, courage, fairness, balance, independence, credibility and diversity”.
Al Jazeera condemned Israel’s decision to shut down its network and raid its offices, stating that the channel ‘affirms its right to continue to provide news and information to its global audiences’ ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/iTYa6W0e97
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 5, 2024
It should be noted that Al Jazeera has been the only network continuously and consistently broadcasting from the ground in Gaza, the West Bank and inside Israel every day since October 7th. The network has been first on the ground at the site of many bombings, showing by video evidence the reality on the ground that contradicts the Israeli government’s ‘official accounts’, As such, Al Jazeera journalists have been specifically and repeatedly targeted by the Israeli military for assassination.
The Al Jazeera Gaza Bureau Chief, Wael Dahdouh, a renowned and respected journalist with over 30 years of experience, has been targeted on three separate occasions by the Israeli military since October 7th. In one of the assassination attempts, Dahdouh’s wife and most of his children were killed, but he survived. Later, the Israeli military targeted and killed his eldest son, also a working journalist.
“If you’re watching this… then Al Jazeera has been banned in Israel.”
Al Jazeera’s @ajimran recorded his last report from occupied East Jerusalem, pre-empting the Netanyahu gov’t’s unanimous decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/ZOzqxpSKGJ
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) May 5, 2024
The action by the Israeli cabinet was widely condemned, including by leading human rights campaigner Omar Shakir, the head of Human Rights Watch in Israel & Palestine:
Al Jazeera’s offices have been bombed in Gaza. Their staff has been beaten in the West Bank. Al Jazeera journalists have been killed in the West Bank & Gaza. Israel is trying to muzzle @AlJazeera. But precedent is larger & threatens to cover up Israeli atrocities in Gaza. @hrw pic.twitter.com/IOVhAdf51P
— Omar Shakir (@OmarSShakir) May 5, 2024
The United Nations Human Rights Commission issued a tweet condemning the ban:
We regret cabinet decision to close Al Jazeera in Israel. A free & independent media is essential to ensuring transparency & accountability. Now, even more so given tight restrictions on reporting from Gaza. Freedom of expression is a key human right. We urge govt to overturn ban
— UN Human Rights (@UNHumanRights) May 5, 2024
Al Jazeera network is based in Doha, Qatar, where Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh, the head of the political bureau of the Hamas party, has been for the past several months working with Qatari officials to negotiate a ceasefire with Israel. In early April, the ceasefire negotiations were reported to be close to an agreement, but then the Israeli military launched an airstrike killing several of Haniyeh’s children and grandchildren in Gaza, and the talks broke down. Now, over the past two days media reports have indicated that a ceasefire agreement was again close to completion. Now, the Israeli government has banned Al Jazeera and have begun bombing the 1.5 million displaced Palestinians sheltering in Rafah, in the southernmost tip of the Gaza Strip.
