Israel moves to permanently shut down foreign media outlets without court oversight – NaturalNews.com

• Israel’s Knesset advanced a bill to make temporary wartime media censorship permanent, allowing the government to shut down foreign outlets like Al Jazeera without judicial approval based on subjective “national security” claims.
• The proposed law would grant officials unchecked authority to block content, remove broadcasts and disrupt foreign satellite signals, raising concerns about press freedom and democratic erosion.
• Originally targeting Al Jazeera under a temporary 2024 law, the new legislation seeks to remove judicial oversight entirely, despite international condemnation and legal challenges from press freedom advocates.
• Critics, including Israel’s own legal advisors, warn the bill violates constitutional free speech protections and mirrors authoritarian tactics, risking diplomatic isolation and weakening democratic norms.
• Al Jazeera denies Israeli allegations of bias and vows to resist censorship, while civil rights groups prepare further legal challenges as the bill moves toward final approval.

Israel’s Knesset took a significant step Monday, Nov. 10, toward granting the government unchecked power to shut down foreign media outlets, advancing a bill that would make temporary wartime censorship measures permanent.

The proposal, introduced by Likud lawmaker Ariel Kallner, passed its first reading with 50 votes in favor and 41 opposed. If enacted, the law would allow Israeli officials to ban foreign broadcasters—without judicial approval—based on subjective claims of national security threats. The move follows Israel’s controversial closure of Al Jazeera‘s operations in May 2024 under a temporary emergency law, raising alarms over press freedom and democratic safeguards.

The bill seeks to enshrine the so-called “Al Jazeera Law” into permanent legislation, eliminating the requirement for court oversight. Under the proposed changes, Israel’s communications minister could:

• Order internet providers and platforms to block content deemed harmful to national security.
• Direct satellite and cable companies to remove broadcasts.
• Instruct the defense minister to disrupt foreign satellite signals, preventing transmissions from reaching Israeli audiences.

Critics argue the measure grants the government sweeping authority to suppress unfavorable reporting under vague pretenses.

“This bill is unprecedented in its scope and in the harm it causes to freedom of the press,” said Hagar Shachter, an attorney with the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI). “It is characteristic of non-democratic regimes and contradicts the basic principle that the public’s right to know is essential to democracy.”

From temporary measure to permanent law

The original emergency law, passed in April 2024, was designed to target Al Jazeera, which Israeli officials have long accused of bias toward Hamas. According to BrightU.AI‘s Enoch, the Qatari network’s offices were swiftly shut down and its equipment was confiscated—a move that drew international condemnation. The temporary law, set to expire July 31, 2024, has been repeatedly extended amid Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza.

Al Jazeera has denied allegations of misconduct, calling Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s claims “baseless” and vowing to continue coverage despite censorship attempts. The network has filed legal challenges alongside ACRI, arguing the law violates constitutional protections for free speech.

The bill’s advancement has sparked fierce debate within Israel’s judiciary and civil society. During committee discussions in July, the Knesset National Security Committee’s legal advisor, Miri Frankel-Shor, warned that removing judicial oversight could render the law unconstitutional. She emphasized that judicial review ensures a balance between security concerns and press freedoms.

Despite these objections, the Tel Aviv District Court previously sided with the government in 2024, ruling that Al Jazeera‘s coverage had a “clear and proven causal relationship” with terror attacks. The court also accused some Gaza-based journalists of acting as “de facto assistants and partners of the Hamas terror organization”—a claim Al Jazeera strongly denies.

The bill now returns to committee before facing final votes in the Knesset. If passed, Israel will join a small group of nations where governments can silence foreign media without legal checks—a move that risks further isolating the country diplomatically and eroding its democratic foundations.

As Shachter noted, the legislation is part of a broader push to tighten control over dissent, raising critical questions about the future of free expression in Israel. With Al Jazeera and press freedom advocates vowing to fight the measure, the battle over media censorship is far from over.

Watch the video below on Israel’s banning of Al Jazeera.

This video is from the Loki Luck III channel on Brighteon.com.

Sources include:

ReclaimTheNet.org

TimesofIsrael.com

AA.com.tr

BrightU.ai

Brighteon.com