Israel to cancel Al Jazeera’s press passes after authorities bans Qatari channel
Israel will revoke the press passes of Al Jazeera reporters working in the Jewish state, it was announced on Thursday, some four months after the Cabinet voted unanimously to close down operations of the broadcaster, which Jerusalem has accused of aiding the Hamas terrorist organization.
The Cabinet acted in accordance with a law the Knesset passed in April.
“The Government Press Office is revoking the GPO cards of Al Jazeera journalists working in Israel, following the unanimous government decision in May to shut down the channel in Israel and prohibit its broadcasts,” the government body announced in a statement.
The action “will be subject to a hearing and will include Al Jazeera journalists and broadcasters in Hebrew and Arabic, but will not include the channel’s producers and photographers,” according to the GPO.
Reporters for the channel will be barred from reapplying for press passes as long as the Knesset ban on Al Jazeera remains in force, the GPO said.
Qatar’s Al Jazeera “is a media outlet that disseminates false content, which includes incitement against Israelis and Jews and constitutes a threat to IDF soldiers,” GPO Director Nitzan Chen noted.
“The use of GPO cards in the course of the journalists’ work could in itself jeopardize state security at this time of military emergency,” Chen added.
The GPO press pass, much like those in other countries, facilitates journalists’ entry to press conferences, courts and other official institutions.
In April, the Knesset voted 71-10 for the law that gave Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the authority to shut down the Qatari broadcaster.
The legislation states that the communications minister may act against a foreign channel that harms the state’s security, with the consent of the prime minister and approval of the Cabinet.
The measures enable authorities to order television providers to stop broadcasting the outlet; close its offices in Israel; seize its equipment; shut down its website; and revoke press credentials for staff.
