The Israeli Government on Sunday unanimously approved the closure of Al Jazeera according to the proposal of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi.
The Communications Minister signed the orders, which will go into effect immediately.
The law advanced by Prime Minister Netanyahu and Communications Minister Karhi determines that if the Prime Minister is convinced that a foreign media channel is harming the state, the Communications Minister may – after receiving at least one security opinion and the approval of either the Government or the Security Cabinet – take action against the foreign media channel that is acting against the state.
The actions will be confirmed in orders signed by the Communications Minister and will include the following: Closure of the channel’s offices in Israel, confiscation of its broadcast equipment, preventing broadcasts by the channel’s journalists, removing the channel from cable and satellite companies, blocking its website, etc.
Upon receiving the supporting opinions, and given that Prime Minister is convinced according to the law, the proposal was submitted to the Government and approved unanimously.
Prime Minister Netanyahu said “After discussion by the Security Cabinet and pursuant to my directive, today the Government discussed closing Al Jazeera broadcasts in Israel.
“”Al Jazeera correspondents have harmed the security of Israel and incited against IDF soldiers. The time has come to eject Hamas’s mouthpiece from our country.
I thank Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi for his activity on the issue.”
Communications Minister Karhi said “We will take immediate action against those who use freedom of the press to harm the security of Israel and IDF soldiers, and incite to terrorism in time of war.
“There will be no freedom of expression for Hamas’s mouthpieces in Israel. Al Jazeera will be closed immediately and its equipment will be confiscated.”
Too much time has passed while we have dealt with too many of the legal pitfalls in order to reach this moment but it is good that it has come.
The decision has been made and it will be implemented.
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