An interministerial committee of the Palestinian Authority issued an order yesterday, suspending broadcast and all other operations of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network and its affiliates in the West Bank. According to WAFA, the suspension will remain in effect until the network addresses its legal status in accordance with Palestinian regulations. The committee stated that the decision was made, due to Al Jazeera’s repeated violations of Palestinian laws and regulations. Authorities accused the network of broadcasting inciteful content, spreading misinformation, and interfering in internal Palestinian affairs, which they claimed stirred division and instability.
Al Jazeera, in a statement today, denouncing Palestine’s decision, called it “in line with the [Israeli] occupation’s actions against its staff.” Al Jazeera “considers this decision nothing but an attempt to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories,” it said. “And—unfortunately—such a decision comes in line with the previous action taken by the Israeli government, which closed Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah” last September, the statement added, calling on the Palestinians to “immediately retract and cancel the decision” and allow Al Jazeera’s teams to freely cover from the occupied West Bank “without any threats or intimidation.”
