Israel’s telecoms regulator has extended a ban on Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel for another 45 days, following a cabinet decision that its broadcasts pose a threat to security. The ban was initially imposed for 35 days on national security grounds but was upheld last week by a Tel Aviv court. Al Jazeera has criticized the ban as disproportionate and claimed it does not incite violence or terrorism. The Israeli government has until August 8 to argue why the law preventing foreign broadcasters from harming national security should not be deemed void.
In a separate ruling on a petition by Al Jazeera against the closure, Israel’s Supreme Court described the measure against the Qatari-backed broadcaster channel as “precedent-setting”. The court gave Israel’s government until August 8 to offer arguments for “why it should not be determined that the Law Preventing a Foreign Broadcaster from Harming National Security” is void.
Despite the ban, Al Jazeera’s broadcasts on cable and satellite companies and its website access will remain blocked, Israel’s Communications Ministry said. “We will not allow the terrorist channel Al Jazeera to broadcast from Israel and endanger our fighters,” said Shlomo Karhi, adding that the law authorised him as communications minister to take such action against foreign broadcasters. Judge Shai Yaniv had said he had been provided with evidence, which he did not specify, of a long-standing and close relationship between the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Al Jazeera, accusing the channel of promoting Hamas’ goals.
Israeli authorities raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its office on May 5 and said they were shutting the operation down for the duration of the Gaza war.
