JERUSALEM: An Israeli court on Wednesday upheld a 35-day ban on Al Jazeera operations in Israel imposed by the government on national security grounds and a minister said he hoped to extend the ban for another 45 days when it runs out on Saturday.
Israeli authorities raided a Jerusalem hotel room used by Al Jazeera as its office on May 5 and said they were shutting the operation down for the duration of the Gaza war, accusing the broadcaster of encouraging hostilities against Israel.
Al Jazeera rejected the accusations as a “dangerous and ridiculous lie” that put its journalists at risk.
Wednesday’s court ruling retroactively approved a 35-day ban until June 8.
Tel Aviv District Court Judge Shai Yaniv said he had been provided with evidence, which he did not specify, of a long-standing and close relationship between the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas and Qatari-backed broadcaster Al Jazeera, accusing the channel of promoting Hamas goals.
“Freedom of expression has an special importance during time of war. However, when there is significant harm to state security, the latter consideration comes first,” he wrote.
Al Jazeera, which has criticized Israel’s military operations in Gaza, from where it has reported throughout the war, told the court it did not incite violence or terrorism and that the ban was disproportionate, according to court documents.
Regarding the allegation of ties with Hamas, it said its journalists had a wide range of confidential sources on both the Israeli and Palestinian sides.
The channel has accused Israel of deliberately killing several of its journalists in Gaza. Israel says it does not target journalists.
Israeli satellite and cable television providers suspended Al Jazeera broadcasts following the government’s May 5 instruction. The communications minister said on Wednesday it aimed to extend the ban for a further 45 days.
The United Nations human rights office and the United States have criticized the shutdown of Al Jazeera’s Israel operation.
Qatar, where several Hamas political leaders are based, is trying to mediate a ceasefire and hostage release deal that could halt the Gaza war.
Israel court approves temporary ban on Al Jazeera, citing national security
https://arab.news/bsvyq
Israel court approves temporary ban on Al Jazeera, citing national security
- Israeli authorities accuse the broadcaster of encouraging hostilities against Israel
- The channel has accused Israel of deliberately killing several of its journalists in Gaza
China’s national security agency in Hong Kong summons international media representatives
HONG KONG: China’s national security agency in Hong Kong summoned international media representatives for a “regulatory talk” on Saturday, saying some had spread false information and smeared the government in recent reports on a deadly fire and upcoming legislative elections.
Senior journalists from several major outlets operating in the city, including AFP, were summoned to the meeting by the Office for Safeguarding National Security (OSNS), which was opened in 2020 following Beijing’s imposition of a wide-ranging national security law on the city.
Through the OSNS, Beijing’s security agents operate openly in Hong Kong, with powers to investigate and prosecute national security crimes.
“Recently, some foreign media reports on Hong Kong have disregarded facts, spread false information, distorted and smeared the government’s disaster relief and aftermath work, attacked and interfered with the Legislative Council election, (and) provoked social division and confrontation,” an OSNS statement posted online shortly after the meeting said.
At the meeting, an official who did not give his name read out a similar statement to media representatives.
He did not give specific examples of coverage that the OSNS had taken issue with, and did not take questions.
The online OSNS statement urged journalists to “not cross the legal red line.”
“The Office will not tolerate the actions of all anti-China and trouble-making elements in Hong Kong, and ‘don’t say we didn’t warn you’,” it read.
For the past week and a half, news coverage in Hong Kong has been dominated by a deadly blaze on a residential estate which killed at least 159 people.
Authorities have warned against crimes that “exploit the tragedy” and have reportedly arrested at least three people for sedition in the fire’s aftermath.
Dissent in Hong Kong has been all but quashed since Beijing brought in the national security law, after huge and sometimes violent protests in 2019.
Hong Kong’s electoral system was revamped in 2021 to ensure that only “patriots” could hold office, and the upcoming poll on Sunday will select a second batch of lawmakers under those rules.
