The Mossad has backed a decision by Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, announced last Wednesday, to shut down Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel, saying the Arabic news channel is a threat to Israel’s security.
Al Jazeera reporters are revealing the staging areas of Israeli forces in the south, as well as other sensitive locations, Kan News reported on Monday.
IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the National Security Council also supported closing the channel.
The Israeli Foreign Ministry also urged closing Al Jazeera, a move it had opposed in the past. The Israel Security Agency, or Shin Bet, refrained from taking a position, saying it would be difficult to establish the offense of incitement, but had no objection to closing the channel in Israel, Kan News said.
Al-Jazeera responded: “Israel accuses us of what we are not. Since the beginning of the war, we have broadcast all the press conferences of Netanyahu, Gallant and the [IDF] Chief of Staff. The images we broadcast are the same images that Israel broadcasts. We have never acted against censorship, we make sure to correspond with the army”
Al Jazeera is vehemently anti-Israel, and incites hatred and violence against the Jewish state in the Arab world, the Israeli government has long maintained.
Three years ago, the U.S. Department of Justice determined that Al Jazeera Plus (AJ+), a subsidiary of the Al Jazeera Media Network, is engaged in “political activities” related to the government of Qatar and directed the outlet to register under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
The number of Israelis murdered by Hamas on Oct. 7 rose to 1,400, according to figures released on Sunday. The IDF continued to attack Palestinian terrorist assets in the Gaza Strip.
