Israel to Close Al Jazeera Office in Country
Netanyahu Cites ‘Incitement’ as Reason
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that Israel will be closing the Al Jazeera office in the country. The decision comes after Netanyahu accused the Qatar-based news network of “incitement” and “supporting terrorism.”
In a statement released on Sunday, Netanyahu said that Al Jazeera “has repeatedly incited violence and hatred against Israelis.” He also accused the network of “supporting terrorism” by providing a platform for “terrorist groups” to spread their propaganda.
Al Jazeera Rejects Accusations
Al Jazeera has rejected Netanyahu’s accusations, calling them “baseless” and “unfounded.” The network said that it is committed to “objective and impartial” reporting, and that it “does not support terrorism in any way.”
Government to Revoke Press Credentials
Netanyahu said that the Israeli government will be revoking the press credentials of Al Jazeera’s journalists in the country. He said that the journalists will be given 10 days to leave Israel.
Decision Sparks Condemnation
The decision to close the Al Jazeera office in Israel has sparked condemnation from human rights groups and journalists around the world. The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) called the decision “a blatant attack on press freedom.”
- “This is a dark day for press freedom in Israel,” said CPJ Middle East and North Africa Program Coordinator Sherif Mansour.
- “The Israeli government’s decision to close the Al Jazeera office is a clear attempt to silence critical reporting,” said Human Rights Watch Middle East director Sarah Leah Whitson.
Netanyahu Defends Decision
Netanyahu has defended the decision to close the Al Jazeera office, saying that it is necessary to protect Israel’s security.
“We will not allow those who incite violence and hatred to operate in our country,” Netanyahu said.
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E. Thompson