![Israel silences Al-Jazeera in the West Bank Israel silences Al-Jazeera in the West Bank](https://media.lesechos.com/api/v1/images/view/6644b5b81eef3206fc5fb8f6/1280x720/01101090336734-web-tete.jpg)
Presented as the “mouthpiece of Hamas”, the Al-Jazeera channel was silenced in the West Bank on the orders of Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. This sanction fell on Wednesday while the Qatari television channel has already been banned from broadcasting on Israeli territory since the beginning of the month. She is accused by Shin Beth, the Israeli internal security service responsible for the fight against terrorism, of “undermining state security and inciting violence against Israeli soldiers”.
Immediately after its ban in Israel, the police carried out searches followed by seizures of equipment, cameras, computers and professional cell phones, particularly in the offices in Jerusalem and Nazareth. Such raids were to take place in several locations in the West Bank, notably in Ramallah, headquarters of the Palestinian Authority chaired by Mahmoud Abbas.
Support for “Hamas terrorists”
For Shlomo Karhi, Israeli Minister of Communications, Al-Jazeera has provided support to Hamas terrorists since the start of the war launched on October 7 following massacres in southern Israel.
Al-Jazeera, which broadcasts around the clock, is very popular among Palestinians and throughout the Arab world. Benyamin Netanyahu is being urged by his government’s far-right ministers to silence this channel. He hesitated for a long time to take the plunge. Censoring it effectively amounts to directly attacking Qatar. However, in recent months this country has played an important role as intermediary in the negotiations on a ceasefire and the release of the 132 hostages held by Hamas. The head of the Israeli intelligence service (Mossad) David Barnea visited Doha several times to advance the discussions.
Since the beginning of the month, negotiations have been at a standstill. According to commentators, the sanction against Al-Jazeera could constitute a means of pressure on Qatar so that this country uses its influence and forces Hamas to be more flexible in the negotiations. Important detail: Qatar is one of the main financial supporters of Hamas.
Few waves
The channel denounces a “criminal decision which violates everyone’s right to access to information” and appeals to a Tel Aviv court. The Foreign Press Association in Israel also stepped up to the plate, affirming that the Jewish state had “joined the inglorious group of countries headed by an authoritarian government”. And added: “it’s a dark day for the media and for democracy.”
In Israel, the measure makes few waves. Two centrist ministers, former chiefs of staff, Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, while in favor of a ban, considered that the timing was “poorly chosen” insofar as it risked dissuading Qatar from continuing discussions on a ceasefire. The left-wing opposition daily “Haaretz” is one of the rare media to speak out against the government’s “undemocratic decision”, while recognizing the “biased” nature, especially in Arabic, of the coverage of the war.