‘No Room For Doubt’: Court Upholds Israeli Ban on Al Jazeera

The Tel Aviv District Court has upheld Israel’s ban on Al Jazeera, citing the network’s ties to Hamas and the security threat posed by its broadcasts.

By Pesach Benson, TPS

The Tel Aviv District Court upheld an Israeli ban on the Al Jazeera network, saying there was “no room for doubt” about the relationship between the Qatari network and Hamas.

“All in all, the overall picture obtained leaves no room for doubt about the nature of the system,” said the 22-page ruling delivered by Judge Shai Yaniv. “The ongoing relationship between the Al-Jazeera channel and the terrorist organization, and the fact that its broadcast content serves the terrorist organization Hamas, there is a significant harm to the security of the state, which is in a difficult war with the terrorist organization.”

Regarding Al Jazeera’s argument of freedom of expression, the ruling said that “When there is a significant harm to the security of the state, [freedom of speech] is given the primacy of the last consideration, since as mentioned above, ‘civil rights are not a stage for national extermination.’”

Al Jazeera did not immediately indicate whether it planned to appeal the ruling.

Israel shut down Al Jazeera’s news operations on May 5, revoking the network’s press credentials, confiscating transmitters and blocking its websites. The shutdown is not permanent but is subject to renewal every 45 days.

Minister of Communications Shlomo Karhi is working to extend the ban for an additional 45 days.

Efforts to ban Al Jazeera gained momentum in February after reporter Mohamed Washah was exposed as a Hamas commander. Soldiers recovered his laptop in northern Gaza and discovered he played a prominent role in the terror group’s anti-armor missile systems.

In October, Al Jazeera was accused of endangering Israeli soldiers by exposing details of where forces were assembling, prompting the Cabinet to approve emergency regulations to temporarily shut down Al Jazeera operations in Israel. While that move received across-the-board support from the security and diplomatic establishment, it was never implemented as Qatar emerged as a mediator between Israel and Hamas for a hostage swap.

The “Al Jazeera Law” passed by the Knesset in April authorizes the Prime Minister and the Minister of Communications to take measures against foreign news services after receiving at least one security opinion and with the approval of the government or the Cabinet.

At least 1,200 people were killed, and 252 Israelis and foreigners were taken hostage in Hamas’s attacks on Israeli communities near the Gaza border on October 7. Of the 120 remaining hostages, more than 30 are believed dead.

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