Foreign Press Association calls on Israel to reverse closure of Al Jazeera

The Foreign Press Association (FPA) has urged the Israeli government to reverse its decision to ban Al Jazeera over what it deemed as “acting against the state.” The association made this known in a statement on Sunday.

According to TheGuardian, the Israeli authorities on Sunday shut down one of the local offices of Al Jazeera after the government voted on using new laws to close its operations, claiming Al Jazeera is a threat to national security in the country.

Following the cabinet votes, Israeli officials have claimed the ban is a move in the right direction, stating, “The incitement channel Al Jazeera will be closed in Israel,” the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, posted on social media.

Al Jazeera, a media network, has been critical in its reports on Israeli military occupations in Gaza, starting from the October 7 event.

The last pre-recorded yet final report of Al Jazeera on Israel as the ban takes effect shows the list of restrictions on the news media.

Al Jazeera and the FPA have faulted the ban as an attack on democracy.

This is a dark day for the media. This is a dark day for democracy,” FPA said in a statement.

The statement further reads, “With this decision, Israel joins a dubious club of authoritarian governments to ban the station. And the government may not be done. The prime minister has the authority to target other foreign media that he deems “acting against the state.”

Essentially, FPA, as the NGO representing journalists working for international news organisations reporting from Israel, the West Bank and Gaza, accused Israel of joining a “dubious club of authoritarian governments”.

Meanwhile, this recent ban means an addition to the list of media banned in the European Union.

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