New Delhi, May 8: Freedom of Press is the sine qua non for a democracy. But it becomes a ‘security threat’ in the hands of a despot. This becomes evident, once again, with the sweeping ban on Al Jazeera in Israel.
Under a new law passed by the Knesset on April 1, which allows Israel to temporarily shut down foreign media outlets deemed to pose a security threat, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced the closure of Al Jazeera’s offices and prohibited its broadcasts within the country.
This ban on Al Jazeera has come at a time when the International Criminal Court in The Hague is mulling arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli officials for their role in war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza genocide. The possible ICC action is based on petitions by South Africa supported by media reports, including photographs and video footage supplied by international media organizations, including Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency. At least 34,800 Palestinians, including 142 journalists have been killed and 78,100 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7 last.
Since this ban on Al Jazeera is an affront to democracy, especially to freedom of press and demands of justice, the Editor-in-Chief of Radiance Viewsweekly, Mr. Ejaz Ahmed Aslam strongly condemns it. He also calls upon the Government of India as well as the Press Club of India to impress upon the Netanyahu administration to honor freedom of the press and refrain from banning media outlets in Israel.
