The television broadcast of Al-Jazeera in Israel was cut off by the Israeli authorities this Sunday, May 5, after a government decision to “ close » the Qatari channel in the country and seize its equipment. Al-Jazeera's Arabic and English channels now display a message on a black background saying: ” In accordance with the government's decision, the broadcast of Al-Jazeera channel has been suspended in Israel “. The channel's websites remained accessible via the Israeli mobile network for the time being.
The Qatari channel has drawn the wrath of Benjamin Netanyahu's government for its coverage of the war in the Gaza Strip. Netanyahu accused Al-Jazeera's Israel bureau on X of ” threaten security » of the country, saying that his government had “ decided unanimously » to close it. But the channel was in the sights of Benjamin Netanyahu's administration since well before the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
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For its part, Hamas was quick to react by describing this decision by the Israeli government to close the Qatari channel Al-Jazeera as “ blatant violation of press freedom » aiming « to hide the truth » on the war in the Gaza Strip. This is'” a retaliatory measure against the role (…) what does Al-Jazeera play in highlighting crimes? » of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank, said the Palestinian Islamist movement in a statement on Telegram, denouncing “ the culmination of Israel's war on journalists “.
“ We condemn and denounce this criminal act by Israel which violates the human right of access to information », Also declared Al-Jazeera in Arabic in a press release published on the social network X, following the closure of its bureau in Israel this Sunday, May 5.
“1st news channel in the Arab world”
Al-Jazeera was established in Doha in 1996 by a decree of the former Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani. While stipulating that the channel should be “ totally independent of any influence “, the decree provided for a government loan of 150 million dollars (approximately 140 million euros) for ” its implementation and coverage of its operating costs for five years “.
The Qatari government, however, continued to finance part of the channel's budget, sometimes raising questions about its editorial independence from Doha. Al-Jazeera immediately established itself as a rival to the international media giants, but its coverage as ” first independent news channel in the Arab world » has also sparked tensions in the region.
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The channel says it covers 95 countries with 70 offices and a team of 3,000 employees, and says it reaches 430 million households. Al-Jazeera, which broadcast only in Arabic, launched an English service in 2006, Al-Jazeera English. The network also includes a live events channel, Al-Jazeera Mubasher, and the digital and online-only AJ+ channel, which is aimed at a young audience.
As a wave of popular uprisings swept the Middle East and North Africa in 2011, Al-Jazeera was seen as a key player in shaping public opinion, having granted airtime without precedent for opposition groups – particularly the Islamist Muslim Brotherhood movement. The channel then came under pressure from governments across the region. Cairo, for example, considered Al-Jazeera a mouthpiece for the Muslim Brotherhood and the Egyptian authorities arrested three journalists from the channel.
Increased coverage since October 7
In 2017, Qatar's neighbors, first and foremost Saudi Arabia, imposed a three-year diplomatic and economic blockade on the Gulf monarchy. In addition to demanding that Qatar cut ties with the Muslim Brotherhood and Hamas (Qatar hosts the political office of the Palestinian Islamist movement), they also called for the closure of Al-Jazeera and all of its affiliates. . The channel had described these pressures as an attempt to “ silence freedom of expression “.
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Qatar is one of the mediating countries in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Since October 7, Al-Jazeera has continuously broadcast reports on the consequences of Israeli military operations in the Palestinian territory. His broadcasts were among the most followed in the Middle East, amid widespread disenchantment with Western media coverage.
Netanyahu accused Al-Jazeera of being “ a Hamas propaganda organ and to have actively participated » to the bloody attack carried out on October 7 by the Palestinian movement in southern Israel. Al-Jazeera's office in the Palestinian territory was bombed and two of its correspondents were killed. They were described as “ terrorist agents » by Israel. The bureau chief, Waël al-Dahdouh, was injured by a strike blamed on Israel in December, which killed the channel's cameraman.
