“Al Jazeera will be closed in the next few days”: Israeli government attacks free press, population calls for early elections (war, 178)

Benjamin Netanyahu assured that the Al Jazeera television channel will stop broadcasting in Israel: “The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will stop broadcasting in Israel. I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to put an end to the channel’s activity”, wrote the prime minister, in a message on Twitter.

This Monday, the Israeli parliament (Knesset) approved a law that prohibits the dissemination of any foreign body that “harms the security of the State”. The legislation was initially introduced and approved in February, and today was confirmed by a majority vote of 71 in favor and 10 against.

The law gives the Minister of Communications the power to order “content providers” to stop broadcasting from the country for a renewable period of 45 days – in addition to the power to close offices and newsrooms, confiscate equipment and block internet servers.

Arabic channel financed by Qatar, Al Jazeera is one of the main media outlets in the world and one of the most broadcast in the Gaza Strip – where for several years they have had several journalists on the ground covering the conflict with Israel.

This coverage has increased further since October. Several of its journalists have been killed or lost family members in Israeli attacks since the start of the war.

Netanyahu stated that the channel “harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre and incited violence against soldiers of the Israeli forces.” There is no basis for these accusations.

“It’s time to remove the Hamas xofar (wind instrument) from our country,” said Netanyahu, who this morning had already asked deputies to speed up the approval of the bill.

According to the bill, the order to close a foreign news channel must be subject to judicial review in a district court, which has a deadline of 72 hours to confirm the order.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi agreed with Netanyahu and assured that “there will be no freedom of expression for Hamas spokespeople in Israel”, confirming that “Al-Jazeera will be closed in the coming days”.

It is increasingly difficult to obtain first-hand information about what is happening in the Gaza Strip, as the international press has been prevented from entering the Palestinian enclave since the start of the war, almost six months ago. More than 32 thousand people have already died.

Israelis on the streets against the Government

Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Jerusalem today for the second day in a row to demand early elections in Israel as part of the “national week of protest” called by the opposition against the coalition government led by Netanyahu.

Protesters set up campaign tents and displayed posters – many with reference to hostages from the Islamist movement Hamas who remain in the Gaza Strip – in an area of ​​the city close to the Knesset, the parliament, according to the daily The Times of Israel.

Yair Golan, former “number two” on the Israeli Army’s general staff, assured that the hostages held in the Palestinian enclave would already be home if there were another Government. “But we are attacked by the Netanyahu-Gantz Government”, he said.

Protesters intend to maintain the improvised camp for at least four days and have called for a large daily demonstration, at 7 pm, throughout the week. Gatherings are also planned in front of the homes of deputies from the right-wing and extreme-right coalition that supports Netanyahu.

The week of protests culminates on Saturday, April 6, with a large demonstration on Kaplan Street in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv’s Kidnapped Square.

In the war against Gaza, 800 Israeli civilians and 400 soldiers or police have already died – in addition to the kidnapping of around 200 hostages, with 100 still detained in the enclave.

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