Israel passes law to temporarily ban Al Jazeera from broadcasting, calls it 'terrorist channel'

The Israeli parliament on Monday passed a law clearing the way for the country to temporarily ban the Qatar-based Al Jazeera news channel from broadcasting from Israel, citing threats to national security. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the "terror channel" harmed Israel's security and actively participated in the October 7, and vowed to act immediately to ban the channel.

The law passed 71 to 10 in its second and third readings in the Knesset plenum, according to The Times of Israel. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, who spearheaded the effort to pass the law, vowed immediately after the final vote that the Qatari-funded Al Jazeera news channel would be closed down “in the coming days,” saying “there won’t be



freedom of expression for Hamas mouthpieces in Israel.”

The legislation allows the PM and the communications minister to order the temporary closure of foreign networks if they are believed to constitute a threat to national security. In an earlier statement, Netanyahu’s Likud party said that the prime minister would “act immediately to close Al Jazeera” in accordance with the terms of the new law. 

"The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel. I intend to act immediately in accordance with the new law to stop the channel's activity. I welcome the law promoted by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi with the support of coalition members led by coalition chairman Ofir Katz," said Netanyahu on X.