'Hamas Mouthpiece': Netanyahu Lauds New Law Allowing Him to Shut Al Jazeera in Israel
Haaretz.comApr 01
Israel Moves to Shut Down Al Jazeera
The Facts
Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to shut down Qatar-funded Al Jazeera after Israel's parliament passed a law granting the government power to ban foreign news networks deemed a national security risk.
After the Knesset passed the legislation in a 71-10 vote on Monday, Netanyahu said he would immediately stop the channel's activity, claiming "Al Jazeera harmed Israel's security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against Israeli soldiers."
The Spin
Pro-Israel narrative
The law passed in the Knesset to shut down Al Jazeera's operations in Israel was a long time coming. The platform has harmed Israel's security by actively participating in the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack and platforming harmful information undermining national security. Israel is well within its rights to curb the channel, which follows an anti-Israel agenda.
Anti-Israel narrative
Israel's expulsion of Al Jazeera reflects Netanyahu's growing authoritarianism. He aims to suppress critical coverage rather than address security concerns. This stifles press freedom, and, despite condemnations, Israel has remained undeterred —risking further isolation and backlash for silencing dissenting voices.
Nerd narrative
There's a 40% chance that Benjamin Netanyahu will remain Prime Minister of Israel throughout 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.