SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
COMP. A man photographs the closed door of the Doha-based Al-Jazeera TV channel in the occupied-West Bank city of Ramallah on January 2, 2025. The Palestinian Authority has ordered the suspension of broadcasts by Al Jazeera across the Palestinian territories, accusing the network of incitement, official media reported.
(Photo by Jaafar ASHTIYEH / AFP) (Photo by JAAFAR ASHTIYEH/AFP via Getty Images)
Al Jazeera Condemns Palestinian Authority's Suspension of Outlet in West Bank
"The decision to freeze Al Jazeera's work and prevent its journalists from conducting their duties is an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps," the network wrote.
Jan 02, 2025
The Qatar-based media network Al Jazeera issued a strongly worded statement Thursday deploring the decision by the Palestinian Authority to temporarily ban the outlet's operations in the West Bank.
The network wrote that "Al Jazeera is shocked by this decision," which it called "nothing but an attempt to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories."
The official Palestinian news agency—WAFA—wrote that the Palestinian Authority made the decision, which was handed down on Wednesday, because of Al Jazeera's "repeated violations of Palestinian laws and regulations." Al Jazeera has been accused of "broadcasting inciteful content" and "interfering in internal Palestinian affairs," but the statement from WAFA didn't offer a further explanation of how the network had broken the law.
The suspension will remain in effect until the network "addresses its legal status in accordance with Palestinian regulations," per WAFA.
The Palestinian Authority has governing authority over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including cities like Jenin and Ramallah. The Palestinian Authority is viewed with suspicion by many Palestinian people because of its security coordination with Israel.
In December, forces with the Palestinian Authority stormed the Jenin refugee camp and began a crackdown on armed groups in the camp, which has long been a site of armed struggle and resistance to Israel. Al Jazeera covered the operation.
In Jenin, a young woman who—according to Democracy Now!—had been active in "documenting the Palestinian Authority's crackdown on armed groups fighting the Israeli occupation," was shot dead this past weekend. The family of the young reporter, Shatha al-Sabbagh, says that the Palestinian Authority security forces are responsible for her death.
A spokesperson from the Palestinian Authority denied this accusation during an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday.
"The decision to freeze Al Jazeera's work and prevent its journalists from conducting their duties is an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps," Al Jazeera wrote in their statement. The network added that the move aligns "with the previous action taken by the Israeli government, which closed Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah."
In May 2024, Israel shuttered Al Jazeera's operations within Israel on security grounds, and a couple months later raided the network's office in Ramallah.
Officials in Israel have long accused Al Jazeera—one of the most prominent media outlets in the Arab world—of being a "mouthpiece" for Hamas, according to The New York Times.
We are at a crossroads
This country and this world are at a monumental crossroads. US voters have an opportunity to beat back the forces of fascism and confront the billionaires who are rigging the economy, our media system, and our democracy, making it increasingly impossible for ordinary people to get by. We’re not just talking about the election. We’re talking about what must be done once these fascist elements are vanquished from power. We need a bolder set of solutions than what either major party has so far been willing to offer and a working-class movement ready to fight like hell for it. Trump didn't emerge from nowhere. The conditions that fueled MAGA authoritarianism were created by decades of radical neoliberal economic policies and a corrupt political system dominated by corporate interests. They slashed taxes on the super-rich, promising that the benefits would trickle down. They said giveaways to the corporate titans would make life more affordable for the rest of us. It was all bullshit. And when a bitter, betrayed populace searches for someone to blame, right-wing demagogues have little trouble finding scapegoats. People know when they're being lied to, but you won't hear any of this from the corporate media. Only independent journalism—powered and funded by people who believe in building a better world—can deliver truly trustworthy daily news. If you share our vision, please contribute whatever you can to sustain our work. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
The Qatar-based media network Al Jazeera issued a strongly worded statement Thursday deploring the decision by the Palestinian Authority to temporarily ban the outlet's operations in the West Bank.
The network wrote that "Al Jazeera is shocked by this decision," which it called "nothing but an attempt to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories."
The official Palestinian news agency—WAFA—wrote that the Palestinian Authority made the decision, which was handed down on Wednesday, because of Al Jazeera's "repeated violations of Palestinian laws and regulations." Al Jazeera has been accused of "broadcasting inciteful content" and "interfering in internal Palestinian affairs," but the statement from WAFA didn't offer a further explanation of how the network had broken the law.
The suspension will remain in effect until the network "addresses its legal status in accordance with Palestinian regulations," per WAFA.
The Palestinian Authority has governing authority over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including cities like Jenin and Ramallah. The Palestinian Authority is viewed with suspicion by many Palestinian people because of its security coordination with Israel.
In December, forces with the Palestinian Authority stormed the Jenin refugee camp and began a crackdown on armed groups in the camp, which has long been a site of armed struggle and resistance to Israel. Al Jazeera covered the operation.
In Jenin, a young woman who—according to Democracy Now!—had been active in "documenting the Palestinian Authority's crackdown on armed groups fighting the Israeli occupation," was shot dead this past weekend. The family of the young reporter, Shatha al-Sabbagh, says that the Palestinian Authority security forces are responsible for her death.
A spokesperson from the Palestinian Authority denied this accusation during an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday.
"The decision to freeze Al Jazeera's work and prevent its journalists from conducting their duties is an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps," Al Jazeera wrote in their statement. The network added that the move aligns "with the previous action taken by the Israeli government, which closed Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah."
In May 2024, Israel shuttered Al Jazeera's operations within Israel on security grounds, and a couple months later raided the network's office in Ramallah.
Officials in Israel have long accused Al Jazeera—one of the most prominent media outlets in the Arab world—of being a "mouthpiece" for Hamas, according to The New York Times.
Related Articles Around the Web
The Qatar-based media network Al Jazeera issued a strongly worded statement Thursday deploring the decision by the Palestinian Authority to temporarily ban the outlet's operations in the West Bank.
The network wrote that "Al Jazeera is shocked by this decision," which it called "nothing but an attempt to dissuade the channel from covering the rapidly escalating events taking place in the occupied territories."
The official Palestinian news agency—WAFA—wrote that the Palestinian Authority made the decision, which was handed down on Wednesday, because of Al Jazeera's "repeated violations of Palestinian laws and regulations." Al Jazeera has been accused of "broadcasting inciteful content" and "interfering in internal Palestinian affairs," but the statement from WAFA didn't offer a further explanation of how the network had broken the law.
The suspension will remain in effect until the network "addresses its legal status in accordance with Palestinian regulations," per WAFA.
The Palestinian Authority has governing authority over parts of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, including cities like Jenin and Ramallah. The Palestinian Authority is viewed with suspicion by many Palestinian people because of its security coordination with Israel.
In December, forces with the Palestinian Authority stormed the Jenin refugee camp and began a crackdown on armed groups in the camp, which has long been a site of armed struggle and resistance to Israel. Al Jazeera covered the operation.
In Jenin, a young woman who—according to Democracy Now!—had been active in "documenting the Palestinian Authority's crackdown on armed groups fighting the Israeli occupation," was shot dead this past weekend. The family of the young reporter, Shatha al-Sabbagh, says that the Palestinian Authority security forces are responsible for her death.
A spokesperson from the Palestinian Authority denied this accusation during an interview with Al Jazeera on Sunday.
"The decision to freeze Al Jazeera's work and prevent its journalists from conducting their duties is an attempt to hide the truth about events in the occupied territories, especially what is happening in Jenin and its camps," Al Jazeera wrote in their statement. The network added that the move aligns "with the previous action taken by the Israeli government, which closed Al Jazeera's office in Ramallah."
In May 2024, Israel shuttered Al Jazeera's operations within Israel on security grounds, and a couple months later raided the network's office in Ramallah.
Officials in Israel have long accused Al Jazeera—one of the most prominent media outlets in the Arab world—of being a "mouthpiece" for Hamas, according to The New York Times.
Related Articles Around the Web
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.
To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good.
News & Opinion
Trending
Common Dreams, Inc. Founded 1997. Registered 501(c3) Non-Profit
Privacy Policy