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Qatari Center for Media Condemns Israeli Minister’s Incitement Against Al Jazeera

The Qatari Center for Media condemns in the strongest terms the inciteful statements made by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir against Al Jazeera, including his call for security prosecution of anyone who watches the channel or cooperates with it by providing news, images, or videos.

The Center affirms that the minister’s accusations against Al Jazeera and its staff, and his claim that free media poses a security threat, reflect the moral bankruptcy of the Israeli occupation and its failure to stop Al Jazeera from conveying the truth to the world, despite shutting down its offices and revoking its reporters’ licenses in Jerusalem, Ramallah, Tel Aviv, and all the occupied Palestinian territories.

The Center points out that Ben-Gvir’s statements are part of a systematic Israeli policy that has escalated since October 7, 2023, targeting the extermination of journalists and media professionals in Gaza and the West Bank, through defamation, incitement, intimidation, arrests, torture, and assassinations by bombing their locations and residences. So far, the death toll has reached 229 journalists, with hundreds more injured or detained.

The Center reiterates its call on the international community, UN organizations, and human rights and media institutions to condemn the targeting of journalists in Gaza and to take urgent action to hold the Israeli occupation accountable in international courts for war crimes against media professionals. The lack of accountability has emboldened the occupation to continue its campaign of assassinations, arrests, and intimidation of journalists in full view of the world.

The statements by the Israeli minister came during a field visit to a site where rockets had fallen in Tel Aviv, where Ben-Gvir escalated his rhetoric against Al Jazeera, saying:

"We will not allow Al Jazeera to broadcast from Israel, as it threatens our national security," adding:
"I call on people to immediately report anyone watching this channel to the police."