Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pledged on Monday (1 April) to shutter the local office of Qatari satellite television network Al Jazeera while the war in Gaza continues.

Hours after his party spokesperson said parliament would be convened to ratify the necessary law, the Knesset approved the bill allowing the temporary closure in Israel of foreign broadcasters considered to be a threat to national security.

Al Jazeera, which is funded by the Qatari government, called the Israeli measure an “escalation” and said it “comes as part of a series of systematic Israeli attacks to silence Al Jazeera,” according to a statement late on Monday.

  • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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    8 months ago

    It might not be a dictatorship, but it’s already a fascist apartheid state and should not be treated as a democracy by anyone.

      • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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        8 months ago

        For one thing, you stop sending it weapons and funding with which to commit crimes against humanity, using “it’s the only democratic country in the region” as an excuse.

        • AmosBurton@lemmy.world
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          8 months ago

          And a democracy should get funding and weapons for such things?

          Like, if eventually it is published that Israel really is a democracy (hypothetical) would it make everything suddenly ok in your eyes?

          • Viking_Hippie@lemmy.world
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            8 months ago

            And a democracy should get funding and weapons for such things?

            No, but not pretending that it’s a democracy leaves one less excuse for the inexcusable.

            Like, if eventually it is published that Israel really is a democracy (hypothetical) would it make everything suddenly ok in your eyes?

            Nope. Crimes against humanity are always wrong no matter the perpetrators.

            • AmosBurton@lemmy.world
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              8 months ago

              If something is inexcusable, excuses are irrelevant, so I still don’t get what democracy has to do with anything here.