Palestinian Authority Bans Al Jazeera for Incitement, Misinformation

The Palestinian Authority (PA) announced Wednesday that it is banning the Qatar-based Al Jazeera network for “broadcasting inciteful content, spreading misinformation, and interfering in internal Palestinian affairs.”

Israel shut down Al Jazeera’s local branch in May, as Breitbart News reported, because it was allegedly spreading pro-Hamas propaganda and helping terrorists locate Israeli targets. Israel has also named — and, in some cases, killed — Al Jazeera journalists and stringers who were doing double duty as officials in Palestinian terrorist organizations.

The PA’s decision was reported by Wafa, the government-run Palestinian news agency:

The Palestinian Ministerial Committee, comprising representatives from the Ministries of Culture, Interior, and Telecommunications, has announced the suspension of the broadcast operations of the Qatar-based Al Jazeera Media Network in Palestine.

The committee also ordered the temporary suspension of work by all journalists, staff, and associated channels affiliated with Al Jazeera. The decision will remain in effect until the network resolves its legal status, which was deemed in violation of applicable laws and regulations in Palestine.

…

The committee stated that the decision was made due to Al Jazeera’s repeated violations of Palestinian laws and regulations. Authorities accused the network of broadcasting inciteful content, spreading misinformation, and interfering in internal Palestinian affairs, which they claimed stirred division and instability.

Though temporary, the decision is likely to be final, as it would likely be difficult for Al Jazeera to bow to the PA’s demands.

It remained to be seen whether those who had criticized Israel for banning Al Jazeera would criticize Palestinians for doing the same.

The Palestinian Authority is reportedly upset at the network’s coverage of clashes between its forces and terrorists in the city of Jenin.

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of The Agenda: What Trump Should Do in His First 100 Days, available for pre-order on Amazon. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.