Israel: five Palestinian media platforms banned amid crackdown
The NUJ has joined the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) in condemning the Israeli government’s ban on five Palestinian online media platforms reporting on events in Jerusalem.
On 23 February the Israeli government signed an order banning the media platforms and accusing them of “incitement” under counter-terrorism law.
The attack on media freedom has affected and designated the following local online media platforms as “terror organisations:” Al-Asima News Network, Al-Quds Compass, Maydan al-Quds, Miraj Network, and Quds Plus.
Journalists working for the mentioned media have been summoned to police and intimidated by Israeli authorities. Al Asima News subsequently announced that it was suspending all media activities until further notice to protect its journalists.
The Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate (PJS) documented exclusion orders issued by Israeli authorities against at least ten local journalists and photographers, prohibiting them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city of Jerusalem.
PJS has said that its members will continue their mission to uphold media freedom, uncover facts and expose human rights violations.
The NUJ joins the IFJ and PJS in expressing solidarity with the workers affected.
Anthony Bellanger, IFJ general secretary, said:
“The Israeli government’s decision to ban these five Palestinian media outlets covering Jerusalem represents a significant escalation in efforts to restrict media pluralism and control the narrative.
“We are alarmed by this latest move by Israel, which is consistent with its broader pattern of targeting Palestinian journalists and dissenting voices. The Israeli authorities must stop using security concerns as an excuse to suppress critical media outlets.”