DOHA — Al Jazeera Media Network on Monday strongly condemned the Israeli authorities' decision to extend the ban on its operations in Israel for another 90 days, including the suspension of its broadcasts, the closure of its offices and the restriction of access to its websites and digital platforms.
Source: Al Jazeera Media Network statement
In its statement, the Qatar-based network said it considered the move "an assault" on press freedom and the public's right to information, warning that it set "a dangerous pattern that undermines the ability of news organisations to report the facts and hold those in power to account". The extension came after a court in Tel Aviv approved the Israeli government's decision last week.
Source: Al Jazeera Media Network statement
The network said the extension was based on secret material which neither it nor its lawyers were permitted to see or respond to, denying it any genuine opportunity to defend itself. It said it "categorically rejects the allegations used to justify the ban", called for the ban's immediate lifting, and said it is reviewing the decision with its legal counsel and reserves the right to pursue all appropriate legal measures.
Source: Al Jazeera Media Network statement
Middle East Eye, reporting on the network's 30th anniversary on Sunday, likewise noted that a Tel Aviv court last week approved a further 90-day extension of Israel's closure of Al Jazeera's office and ban on its operations in the country. Al Jazeera marked the anniversary by announcing the launch of a new "ecosystem" of channels.
Source: Middle East Eye
Banned since May 2024
Israel first banned the network in May 2024, at the height of its war in Gaza, under a law targeting foreign broadcasters accused of being a threat to national security; Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's cabinet voted to shut its operations in Israel. Israeli forces also raided and closed Al Jazeera's Ramallah office in the occupied West Bank in September 2024.
Source: Middle East Eye
The condemnation lands in a week when Israel's media landscape is already under strain: the country's election officials, Shin Bet head and attorney general have jointly rejected Prime Minister Netanyahu's claim that the election was "stolen", a dispute Awaaz Punjab is covering in the Geopolitics section. Al Jazeera has not said what legal step it will take next, only that all options remain open.