Al Jazeera accuses Netanyahu of 'frantic campaign' after parliament bill

Al Jazeera has accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of continuing a “frantic campaign” against it, after Israel’s parliament approved a bill on Monday allowing the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters, including the Qatari-owned network.

In a tweet heralding the move, Netanyahu said that Al Jazeera had “harmed Israel’s security, actively participated in the 7 October massacre, and incited against IDF (Israeli) soldiers.”

“The terrorist channel Al Jazeera will no longer broadcast from Israel,” he wrote. 

The law approved on Monday would allow Netanyahu and Israel’s security cabinet to shut Al Jazeera’s offices in Israel for 45 days, which could be renewed, and would stay in force until the end of July or until the end of major military operations in Gaza, Reuters reported.

Responding on Monday night, Al Jazeera called the developments an “escalating move” and condemned Netanyahu’s statements as “nothing but a dangerous ludicrous lie”. 

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