(MENAFN) Israel has moved a step closer to potentially banning Al Jazeera after accusing one of its reporters, Mohamed Washah, of working for Hamas. The Israeli parliament voted 25-4 to advance the 'Al Jazeera Law,' a bill that would allow the temporary outlawing of foreign media outlets designated as harmful to state security by the defense ministry. The legislation, colloquially known as the 'Al Jazeera Law,' specifically targets the Qatar-based network.
The move follows accusations by an Israeli Defense Forces spokesman, Lieutenant Colonel Avichay Adraee, who claimed that Mohamed Washah is not only an Al Jazeera journalist but also a terrorist associated with Hamas. Adraee posted photos on social media allegedly showing Washah with various weapons.
The 'Al Jazeera Law' was drafted by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi last year during Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's declared war on Hamas following the group's deadly raid into Israel on October 7. Karhi argued that Al Jazeera's reporting constitutes incitement against Israel, supporting Hamas-ISIS, and encouraging violence against the country.
The recent Knesset vote to advance the legislation has drawn criticism from the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), accusing Israel of using national security as a pretext to restrict critical media that challenges its narrative. The IFJ also alleges that Israel is attempting to censor media coverage of events in Gaza.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken reportedly urged the Qatari government to have Al Jazeera "turn down the volume" of its coverage of the Gaza conflict. The potential implications of the 'Al Jazeera Law' on media freedom and the ability to report independently in Israel raise concerns about the balance between national security and the preservation of press freedom.
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