Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu\u2019s cabinet decided on Sunday to shut down Al Jazeera\u2019s operations in Israel for as long as the war in Gaza continues, on the grounds the Qatari television network threatens national security.
\n\u201cThe incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,\u201d Netanyahu posted on social media following the unanimous cabinet vote.
\nA government statement said Israel\u2019s communications minister signed orders to \u201cact immediately,\u201d but at least one lawmaker who supported the closure said Al Jazeera could still try to block it in court.
\nThe measure, the statement said, will include closing Al Jazeera\u2019s offices in Israel, confiscating broadcast equipment, cutting off the channel from cable and satellite companies and blocking its websites.
\nThe network is funded by the Qatari government and has been fiercely critical of Israel\u2019s military operation in Gaza, from where it has reported around the clock throughout the war. The Israeli statement did not mention Al Jazeera\u2019s Gaza operations.
\nIsrael\u2019s parliament last month ratified a law allowing the temporary closure in Israel of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security.
\nAl Jazeera made no immediate comment on Sunday, although it has previously rejected accusations that it was a threat to Israel\u2019s security and said the shutdown was an effort to silence it.
\nThe law allows Netanyahu and his security cabinet to shut the network\u2019s offices in Israel for 45 days, a period that can be renewed, so it could stay in force until the end of July or until the end of major military operations in Gaza.
\nQatar, which hosts Hamas leaders, is trying to mediate a ceasefire and hostage release deal that could halt the Gaza war.
\n(Reuters)media. Al Jazeera, Israel, national security<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The Israeli cabinet has decided to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel for the duration of the war in Gaza, citing national security concerns. The decision includes closing Al Jazeera’s offices, confiscating equipment, cutting off broadcasts, and blocking websites. Al Jazeera has been critical of Israel’s military operation in Gaza, but Israel has not mentioned Al Jazeera’s operations in Gaza in its statement. The closure is allowed under a law ratified by Israel’s parliament, and could last until the end of major military operations in Gaza.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":10755,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"Default","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[294,4538,3345,1423,4073,279,7606,33,2577,932,145,4171,415,298,5138,299,5679,3940,148,2952,3504,1874,493,4371,345,1799,853,1792,8969,1354,827,5524,5172,1702,817,1827,1846,1774,293,6024,6305,18],"class_list":["post-10754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-other","tag-al-jazeera","tag-benjamin-netanyahu","tag-cabinet","tag-ceasefire","tag-closure","tag-comment","tag-communications","tag-companies","tag-concerns","tag-court","tag-gaza","tag-gaza-war","tag-government","tag-hamas","tag-hostage","tag-israel","tag-law","tag-leaders","tag-local","tag-media","tag-military","tag-national-security","tag-netanyahu","tag-operation","tag-palestine","tag-parliament","tag-press-freedom","tag-prime-minister","tag-prime-minister-benjamin-netanyahu","tag-release","tag-security","tag-security-concerns","tag-shut-down","tag-silence","tag-social-media","tag-statement","tag-threat","tag-vote","tag-war","tag-war-in-gaza","tag-who","tag-world"],"acf":{"keyphrase":"","keywords":"","sourceimg":"","country-category":""},"yoast_head":"\n