Overview
- The Knesset approved amendments extending the foreign-broadcaster shutdown law to Dec 31, 2027.
- The measure, first used to close Al Jazeera’s Israel operations in May 2024, now applies even without a declared state of emergency after the emergency ended on Dec 1.
- If the prime minister deems an outlet a security threat, the communications minister may halt broadcasts, close offices, seize equipment and block websites.
- The decision requires consultation with security bodies, but a single favorable assessment suffices and orders face no automatic judicial review.
- Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi defended the move on X, calling “terrorist channels out of bounds,” while Al Jazeera and press-freedom groups say it suppresses independent reporting and note Israel’s slide in RSF’s 2025 index.