The Israeli parliament passed a bill on Monday allowing it to shut down Al Jazeera’s news operations in Israel, a decision the White House labeled a “concerning” restriction of press freedom.
The bill, which passed 71-10, paves the way for Israel to shut down foreign news outlets it deems a security risk—a move widely viewed as targeting Al Jazeera. Israel has blasted the Qatar-based outlet as a propaganda arm for Hamas in Gaza, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the organization on Monday of aiding Hamas terrorists during the Oct. 7 attack.
“Al Jazeera harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the October 7 massacre, and incited against IDF soldiers. It is time to remove the shofar of Hamas from our country,” Netanyahu wrote on X. “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.”
