#Israel#AlJazeera#PressFreedom#Journalism#Media#News: "The government on Sunday voted unanimously in favor of closing the Al-Jazeera TV channel in Israel. The decision authorized the communications minister to order the channel to halt its broadcasts in Israel, in Arabic and English; shutter its offices; have some of its equipment confiscated and restrict access to its website.
In making this anti-democratic decision, Israel took a step down the slippery slope on the way to becoming a country that silences people. Previous governments that closed Al-Jazeera's offices were Egypt and the Gulf countries. In any case, Al-Jazeera shouldn't be shuttered, but doing so may turn out to be only a preface to a policy in which any media outlet, Israeli or international, that the government doesn't like is shut down. That's how it is when there's an extreme right-wing government that has declared war on freedom of expression and on the rule of law in Israel."
"“CPJ condemns the closure of Al-Jazeera’s office in Israel and the blocking of the channel’s websites,” said CPJ Program Director Carlos Martinez de la Serna in New York. “This move sets an extremely alarming precedent for restricting international media outlets working in Israel. The Israeli cabinet must allow Al-Jazeera and all international media outlets to operate freely in Israel, especially during wartime.”"
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