Israel shuts down Al Jazeera. The law giving Benjamin Netanyahu’s government temporary powers to prevent foreign news networks from operating in ways harmful to Israel has passed its second and third readings in the Knesset. Expressing his satisfaction with the approval of the measure, Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said: “There will be no freedom of speech for Hamas spokesmen in Israel. Al Jazeera will be closed in the next few days.”
The law authorizes the Minister of Communications to order “content providers” to cease broadcasting the channel in question; order the closure of the canal’s Israeli offices; order the confiscation of canal equipment; and order the channel’s website to be taken offline, if the server is physically located in Israel, or otherwise block access to the website.” These measures will be valid for 45 days, but may be renewed for additional 45-day periods .
Under the terms of the bill, any order closing a foreign news channel must be submitted within 24 hours for judicial review by the president of a district court, who must then decide within three days whether he wishes to modify or shorten the order period. The measure was approved in the first reading by the Knesset in February and was approved in the second and third readings after a long debate in the Knesset National Security Committee.
