Closure of Al Jazeera in Israel condemned by 27 countries

The Media Freedom Coalition has published a statement signed by the governments of 27 states criticising the shutdown of Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel.

The members of the coalition, which is a partnership working to advocate for media freedom, said: “A free and diverse media landscape is crucial for democracies to function, especially in times of conflict, as people rely on independent information from multiple, reliable sources to stay informed and make their decisions.

“It is essential that all journalists be given unhindered access to cover events and developments as they unfold, so that they have the possibility to report and inform transparently and factually.”

It was signed by Australia, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, South Korea, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the UK and the US.