Israel’s Knesset passed the first reading of the “Al Jazeera law”, allowing the government to shut down foreign media without court approval, in a move critics say aims to silence coverage of Israeli crimes in Gaza.
Israel’s parliament, the Knesset, has voted in favour of the first reading of the so-called “Al Jazeera law”, which would allow the government to shut down foreign media outlets without any judicial oversight, in a move widely seen as an attempt to suppress coverage of Israel’s crimes and ongoing violations against Palestinians under occupation.
According to the Israeli daily Haaretz, 50 lawmakers voted on Monday in favour of the bill and 41 opposed it.
The vote marks the first of three required to transform the temporary emergency order into a permanent law, after its proposal by Likud member Ariel Kallner.
The current order, which expires after 90 days, requires court approval, but the new bill would grant sweeping powers to Israel’s communications minister and the prime minister to close outlets arbitrarily under the pretext of “national security”.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said during the session that “the temporary measure has expired, and therefore the new law must be passed quickly”.
The order was first enforced in May 2024, when the Israeli government unanimously approved the closure of Al Jazeera’s offices as part of a wider incitement campaign against the Qatar-based network for its reporting on Israeli atrocities in Gaza and the West Bank.
The crackdown has intensified since Israel launched its genocidal war on Gaza on October 7, 2023, extending the ban on Al Jazeera across the occupied territories.
The bill also authorises Israeli officials to pressure social media companies, including YouTube, to block or remove content produced by targeted media outlets. According to Haaretz, this provision further expands Israel’s censorship apparatus online.
An investigation by The Intercept last week found that YouTube removed more than 700 videos and deleted the accounts of three Palestinian human rights organisations – Al-Haq, Al Mezan Centre for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights – following Israeli pressure.
The investigation further uncovered Israel’s influence over social media giants.
Israel’s campaign against Al Jazeera
Israel’s attacks on journalists have escalated dramatically since the start of the Gaza genocide.
The Gaza government media office said on October 29 that at least 256 journalists had been killed by Israeli forces, while an independent Al Jazeera investigation put the figure at 278 journalists and media workers, including 10 from the network itself.
Israel has deliberately targeted Al Jazeera for its extensive coverage of Israeli war crimes and occupation policies.
In September 2024, Israeli forces raided the network’s bureau in Ramallah, ordering it to close for 45 days, and live footage showed soldiers tearing down a poster of slain journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.
Widely known as “the voice of Palestinians”, Israeli forces deliberately shot and killed Abu Akleh in May 2022 while covering a raid in Jenin, despite wearing a visible blue press vest and a helmet.
An investigation by Zeteo in May identified Israeli soldier Alon Sacgiu, who was killed during a raid in Jenin in the occupied West Bank in June 2024, as Abu Akleh’s killer.
