Israel: Government bans five Palestinian media platforms amid crackdown

On 23 February, Israel's Defence Minister, Israel Katz, signed an order banning five Palestinian online media platforms that report on events in Jerusalem, accusing them of "incitement" under Israel's counter-terrorism law. The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliate, the Palestinian Journalists' Syndicate (PJS), strongly and categorically reject this order. The IFJ condemns the Israeli government's latest attempt to control the narrative, which curtails media freedom and infringes upon the public's right to know.

Israel Katz, Israel's Foreign Minister speaks during a joint press conference with his host Hungary's Foreign Minister at the Foreign Office in Budapest in June 2024. Credit: Attila Kisbendek / AFP

The local online media platforms affectedby this order and designated"terror organisations" are Al-Asima News Network, Miraj Network, Al-Quds Compass, Maydan al-Quds and Quds Plus. Following the Israeli order, Al Asima News announced that it was suspending all media activities until further notice. The PJS denounced that journalists working for the mentioned media have been summoned to police and intimidated by Israeli authorities.

This latest attack on media freedom by Israel is part of an intensified crackdown against Palestinian journalists during the month of Ramadan. The PJS has documentedthe issuance of exclusion orders by Israeli authorities against at least ten local journalists and photographers, preventing them from entering the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the old city of Jerusalem.

The Palestinian journalists' union expressed its solidarity with those affected and reaffirmed that Palestinian journalism will remain steadfast in its mission to uncover facts and expose the crimes and violations committed against the Palestinian people.

IFJ General Secretary Anthony Bellanger 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."