Israel to close Al Jazeera news network in the country

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CNN World

Updated 2:36 PM EDT, Sun May 5, 2024


CNN — Israel has ordered the closure of Al Jazeera in the country, a move the Qatar-based news network called a “criminal act.” Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X: “The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel.” Ofir Gendelman, the prime minister’s spokesperson to the Arab world, said Sunday that the decision would be “implemented immediately.”

In a post on X, Gendelman said that the network’s “broadcast equipment will be confiscated, the channel’s correspondents will be prevented from working, the channel will be removed from cable and satellite television companies, and Al Jazeera’s websites will be blocked on the Internet.”

The Israeli Ministry of Communications said Sunday it had closed the network’s Jerusalem offices, and confiscated its communication equipment. “In addition, the network’s broadcasts on cable and satellite were stopped, and access to its websites was blocked,” the ministry said.

Israeli cable providers ceased carrying the Al Jazeera networks by late Sunday afternoon, CNN journalists in the country confirmed. Al Jazeera’s cable channel in Israel now displays a message stating, “In accordance with the government’s decision, Al Jazeera channel broadcasts were stopped in Israel.”

Read more: https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/05/middleeast/israel-al-jazeera-closure-intl/index.html

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Article updated.

Previous article -

Updated 9:55 AM EDT, Sun May 5, 2024


CNN -- Israel has ordered the closure of Al Jazeera in the country, a move the Qatar-based news network called a "criminal act." Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a post on X: "The government headed by me unanimously decided: the incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel."

Ofir Gendelman, the prime minister's spokesperson to the Arab world, said Sunday that the decision would be "implemented immediately."

In a post on X, Gendelman said that the network's "broadcast equipment will be confiscated, the channel's correspondents will be prevented from working, the channel will be removed from cable and satellite television companies, and Al Jazeera's websites will be blocked on the Internet.

He quoted Netanyahu as saying: "Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel's security and incited IDF soldiers. It is time to expel the mouthpiece of Hamas from our country."

Will now change source.

Last AP update that changed topics with the original link -

Israel closes Gaza crossing after Hamas attack and vows military operation 'in the very near future'

Updated 10:21 AM EDT, May 5, 2024

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Israel closed its main crossing point for delivering badly needed humanitarian aid for Gaza on Sunday after Hamas militants attacked it, reportedly wounding several Israelis, while the defense minister warned of "a powerful operation in the very near future in Rafah and other places across all of Gaza."

Both struck blows to ongoing cease-fire efforts in Cairo mediated by Egypt and Qatar after reported signs of progress. Israel hasn't sent a delegation, unlike Hamas, and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant said that "we see signs that Hamas does not intend to go to any agreement."

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from hard-liners in his government, continued to lower expectations for a cease-fire deal, calling the demands of the Hamas militant group "extreme" -- including the withdrawal of Israel forces from Gaza and an end to the war. That would equal surrender after the Hamas attack on Oct. 7 that triggered the war, Netanyahu said.

Instead, his government again vowed to press on with a military operation in Rafah, the southernmost Gaza city on the border with Egypt where more than half of Gaza's 2.3 million residents now seek shelter from Israeli attacks. Rafah is a key entry point for aid.

Original article/headline -

Israeli cable provider halts Al Jazeera broadcasts, citing government ban

Updated 9:52 AM EDT, May 5, 2024


JERUSALEM (AP) -- JERUSALEM -- Israel's main cable provider has halted broadcasts of the Al Jazeera news station, citing a ban on the channel approved Sunday by the government.

The "Hot" cable provider on Sunday afternoon turned off Al Jazeera's broadcasts in both English and Arabic.

"In accordance with the government decision, broadcaster Al-Jazeera has stopped in Israel," it said in a message on screen.

In Israel, the channel's websites in Arabic and English remained operational, and the station could still be watched live on YouTube in both languages.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE.

[Arne]

1. They will win this war for the glorious homeland and of course

shut down news stations.
This seems familiar.

[Traurigkeit]

12. With so many trained military in the population, makes one wonder why Bibi is still around ?

[womanofthehills]

20. And we are supposed to believe

Israel is a democracy!!

[SoFlaBro]

21. According to V-Dem Democracy Indices. Israel is still a democracy.

[dembotoz]

2. Israeli cable provider halts Al Jazeera broadcasts, citing government ban

guess Israel doesn't want anyone reporting on their atrocities

[Tetrachloride]

3. with or without you

[PSPS]

4. Gee, how trumpian of "bibi." Anything to avoid the prison cell that awaits him.

[LeftInTX]

5. What is that going to accomplish?

Will Al Jazeera will still be available in Gaza. I think they have their own ISPs? (Most watch on their phones anyway)
I don't know if West Bank has their own cable providers?

So Al Jazeera incites IDF soldiers?

I remember when cable here said, "We will never carry Al Jazeera" and then they did.

I know that AJ is very anti-Israel. However, I didn't notice until the start of this war. Most of their previous coverage of Israel had been factual and not editorial. I mostly watched AJ's documentaries. Once this war broke out, that's when it all came out. Their opinion of Israel is like Fox's opinion of Democrats, however AJ is more sophisticated.

This doesn't seem like a good move when you're trying to negotiate a cease-fire. Israel has tolerated AJ in their homes for all these months. Why change now? But then, I thought attacking Iran in retaliation would cause WW3.

[Lonestarblue]

6. Most of Gaza's infrastructure has been destroyed. I doubt anyone is able to watch television there.

So much for Israel bring a democracy. Bibi thinks Israelis don’t need to see photos of the babies and children he is starving to death or the deliberate destruction of olive and fruit trees as well as food crops. The IDF does not need to raze the land for their safety. They are doing it to make Gaza unlivable.

[LeftInTX]

16. TV/Cable not required to watch AJ. Only need a cell phone.

AJ equipment and correspondents are still in WB and Gaza. Al Jazeera's Tareq Abu Azzoum is still broadcasting live from Rafah. Additionally, their website has a "audio only" option for low bandwidth.

However, was wondering if Israel blocked AJ's IP address in Gaza and WB or if it is only blocked in Israel? Do you know??

&ab_channel=AlJazeeraArabic%D9%82%D9%86%D8%A7%D8%A9%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D8%B2%D9%8A%D8%B1%D8%A9

&ab_channel=AlJazeeraEnglish

[muriel_volestrangler]

10. It's not just Gaza AJ reports from - it's also the West Bank and Lebanon

Last edited Sun May 5, 2024, 01:18 PM - Edit history (1)

where Al Jazeera are going to be one of the most likely bits of the media to report killings by the IDF and settlers:

Since 7 October, 469 Palestinians have been killed and 4,974 injured in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with at least one third of the injuries sustained by live ammunition (1,660). Fatalities include 452 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces, ten by Israeli settlers, and seven where the responsible parties—whether Israeli forces or settlers—have not been determined. About 38 per cent of the fatalities (176) took place in 16 refugee camps. Nine Israelis have also been killed and 104 were injured in the West Bank; these include five members of Israeli forces killed and 69 injured. Since the beginning of 2024, 160 Palestinians and five Israelis have been killed across the West Bank, compared to 95 Palestinians and 16 Israelis in the same period of 2023.

https://www.ochaopt.org/content/hostilities-gaza-strip-and-israel-flash-update-157

93,393 individuals (52% females) have been displaced from south Lebanon due to the ongoing hostilities, as of 2 April (source: DTM).

331 people have been killed and 947 wounded, with at least 66 confirmed civilian deaths, nearly half of them females, as of 2 April (source: OHCHR, MoPH).

https://reliefweb.int/report/lebanon/lebanon-flash-update-15-escalation-hostilities-south-lebanon-03-april-2024

While they can't stop Al Jazeera working in Lebanon (unless they target them in artillery or air strikes), I would presume they'll chuck them out of the West Bank. And stopping their reporting to Israelis would give Israelis an unbalanced picture of the conflict.

[LeftInTX]

13. Al Jazeera still has correspondents in the West Bank. (Of course, news going out does not equal news coming in)

I just clicked and Bernard Smith was reporting from Ramallah. (I kinda got lucky with my click, because rewinding videos can be a real pain)

Bernard Smith's Linked-In: BERNARD SMITH
News Correspondent at Al Jazeera English https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernard-smith-b9a22785/?originalSubdomain=fr



Tarek is reporting from Gaza. Of course, as to whether Al Jazeera is available over the airwaves in West Bank is a different story.

An Al Jazeera correspondent on its Arabic service said the order would shutter broadcaster's operations in Israel and in east Jerusalem, where it has been doing live shots for months since the Oct. 7 attack that sparked the war in Gaza, but he continued, it would not affect Al Jazeera's operations in the Palestinian territories.
https://www.voanews.com/a/netanyahu-s-cabinet-votes-to-close-al-jazeera-offices-in-israel-after-rising-tensions-/7598524.html

[littlemissmartypants]

7. Wow! Authoritarian much, Bibi? Even we know that we can change our own channels.

Considering the source, whether Fox, CNN or AJ this strongly projects a notion that the government doesn't trust people with their own remote controls. What other such interventions could be next? Slippery slope, imo. ❤️

[Bucky]

18. But you don't understand...

Al Jazeera is reporting facts that make the government look bad. How long can a free and open democracy tolerate dissenting voices?

[people]

8. Democracy much?

Wow! So pathetic.

[DJ Synikus Makisimus]

9. I wonder if Haaretz is next. (n/t)

[Traurigkeit]

11. First Indicator of a Dictatorship, shut down news. Control the message

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

14. Too bad

Probably one of the most balanced news organizations today, quite the accomplishment considering where they're based.

[Bucky]

19. Of course the owner is a made man among the Mid Eastern oilagarchs

(oilagarchs is not a typo)

There's not a lot of information out there about Hamad bin Thamer bin Mohammed Al Thani. Media-wise he holds a surprisingly low profile. But even while chairing Al Jazeera for 30 years, he's been in and out of a number of prominent posts in the Qatari government and is a member of the al-Thani royal family.

I reckon it's small miracle that Al Jazeera gets his many accolades for its objectivity as it does.

It tells me all I need to know that Netanyahu ordered a raid on their headquarters

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. "The government headed by me"

sounds just like TRUMP!

[Bucky]

17. It's about damn time...

... Likud quit pretending to be a pro-democracy party. They want to hijack the judicial branch, shut down any dissenting press, ethnically cleanse Gaza, and colonize the West Bank.

Israel is on top of a very slippery slope descending into becoming just another Middle Eastern autocracy.

[GoodRaisin]

22. The 'incitement channel"

Can we close down our incitement channels please?