Subscribe to Print Edition | Mon., January 25, 2010 Shvat 10, 5770 | | Israel Time: 22:46 (EST+7)
Haaretz israel news English
web haaretz.com
Jewish World Haaretz Toolbar
Diplomacy
Defense Opinion National
Print Edition
Car Rental
Focus U.S.A. Strenger than Fiction Business Travel Magazine Week's End Anglo File Books Haaretz Store
Share |
Last update - 07:54 03/02/2009
Government to impose sanctions on Al Jazeera's Israel operations
By Barak Ravid, Haaretz Correspondent
Tags:  
 

The government will impose sanctions on Israel-based employees of the Al Jazeera network in response to the closure last month of the Israeli trade office in Qatar, which hosts and funds the network. Qatar had closed the office in opposition to Israel's military offensive in the Gaza Strip.

Following the closure, the Foreign Ministry, in conjunction with the newly-formed national information directorate in the Prime Minister's Office, considered declaring the station a hostile entity and closing its offices in Israel. After submitting the idea to legal review, however, concerns emerged it would not be permitted by the High Court of Justice.

Instead, it chose to limit the network's activity in Israel and the Palestinian Authority. First, Israel will not renew the visas of Al Jazeera's non-Israeli employees or grant visas to new employees. Second, station representatives will have reduced accessibility to government and military bodies, and will not be allowed into briefings or press conferences.
Advertisement
Third, the network will have access to only three official spokespeople - those of the Prime Minister's Office, Foreign Ministry and the Israel Defense Forces. The information directorate has also instructed Knesset members and ministers not to grant interviews or otherwise cooperate with Al Jazeera, but this is a non-binding instruction which lawmakers may apply at their discretion.

"Israel believes in freedom of the press and in the public's right to know," a Foreign Ministry official said Monday. "This is a rearrangement of relations between Israel and the Al Jazeera network in light of the present situation."

Israeli officials have recently criticized Qatar's warming relations with Hamas and Iran. Foreign Ministry director-general Aharon Abramowitz told attendees at the Herzliya Conference on Monday that Qatar is moving toward a "radical axis."

An emergency summit convened in the Qatari capital of Doha during the Gaza operation included Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, Hamas politburo chief Khaled Meshal, Palestinian Islamic Jihad head Ramadan Shallah and Ahmed Jibril, leader of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine's General Command.

Several hours after the summit Hamad bin Jassim, who serves as both Qatar's prime minister and foreign minister, held a press conference in which he announced his government would be cutting ties with Jerusalem. Bin Jassim had previously enjoyed a working relationship with Israeli officials, including Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni.

At that conference, bin Jassim said the Israeli diplomats had a week to leave the country.

Related articles:
  • Israel's Gaza op draws large U.S. audience to Al-Jazeera TV
  • Not just air strikes: Israel takes the fight to Arab media
  • Israel launches Arabic YouTube channel to bypass Arab media
    • PROMOTION: Mamilla Hotel
    Bookmark to del.icio.us  
     
    Chasing rainbows
    Year into term and Obama is clearly disappointed about his hopes for Mideast peace.
    Haiti's Jews
    Haiti's tiny Jewish community tell tales of destruction from the quake-ridden land.
      1.   Freedom of the Press 04:20  |  Cate Stein 03/02/09
      2.   Israeli view 04:32  |  BazMann 03/02/09
      3.   Israel is further isolating itself from the rest of the world 04:42  |  Mose Cryan 03/02/09
      4.   So democratic israel is going 04:45  |  Chris Linthwaite 03/02/09
      5.   Foreign Ministery in Israel believes in free speech? 05:08  |  Maureen Ann 03/02/09
      6.   "...his government would be cutting ties with Jerusalem" 05:22  |  David James Vickery 03/02/09
      7.   concerns emerge hostile entity okayed by High Court of Justice 05:50  |  Joseph.E 03/02/09
      8.   Peace and freedom of the press 05:58  |  Larry 03/02/09
      9.   BAD MOVE for Israel 06:03  |  who cares 03/02/09
      10.   Payback? For what exactly? 06:05  |  motti 03/02/09
      11.   Strange report 06:13  |  Ali 03/02/09
      12.   "The Information directorate"?? When did Communisme return? 06:48  |  Kris Lazar 03/02/09
      13.   Arab/Islamic Conscience: Floodgates to open? 06:52  |  Highlander 03/02/09
      14.   Al-Jazeera audiance increased by 6x 06:57  |  Mark 03/02/09
      15.   SIMILAR CURBS NEEDED ON AL JAZEERA WORLDWIDE 06:59  |  Pradeep 03/02/09
      16.   THE TRUTH IS THE VICTIM 07:04  |  indrajaya 03/02/09
      17.   Not A Good Idea 07:05  |  Yosemite 03/02/09
      18.   need to know? 07:05  |  RM 03/02/09
      19.   Mark 08:01  |  Maria 03/02/09
      20.   How quick the slide from fascism to totalitarianism... 08:16  |  BBSNews 03/02/09
      21.   Why Would Israel and its infamous High Court of Justice 08:46  |  Joseph.E 03/02/09
      22.   Haaretz will be next 08:47  |  Khalil Khoury 03/02/09
      23.   See it! 08:55  |  Aljazeera Reader 03/02/09
      24.   Al Jazeera is Islamist terrorist propaganda 09:00  |  observer 03/02/09
      25.   wrong move , works against Israel 09:05  |  facts 03/02/09
      26.   Israel believes in freedom of the press 09:11  |  Bandar Michaels 03/02/09
      27.   Dumbest move yet 09:20  |  Natallie Durson 03/02/09
      28.   Infamous non jewish Israel High Court of Justice 09:26  |  Joseph.E 03/02/09
      29.   Directives From The Ministry Of Truth 10:47  |  chet 03/02/09
      30.   Foolish Move That Will Only Justify Boycotts of Israel 10:57  |  Moshe Cryan 03/02/09
      31.   "a hostile entity" 11:16  |  whoopsie 03/02/09
      32.   28. but Joseph E ...... 11:25  |  whizbang 03/02/09
      33.   Freedom of the Press 12:12  |  John Q. Public 03/02/09
      34.   No surprise. World knows Israel`s ulterior land-grab motives 13:15  |  Ivar 03/02/09
      35.   Fifty years ago 13:45  |  Mark Lincoln 03/02/09
      36.   Al jazeera 13:47  |  Brian Hoffmann 03/02/09
      37.   press fredom 14:07  |  Sami 03/02/09
      38.   To all you anti-israeli people out there hear this 14:28  |  Karl 03/02/09
      39.   RTHIS WILL NOT AFFECT AL JAZEERA AT ALL!!! 14:32  |  Jay A Friedman 03/02/09
      40.   it is used only as a pretext to muzzle al Jazeera 18:52  |  American in NY 03/02/09
      41.   aljazeera is an israeli propaganda channel puts poison in honey 19:33  |  sam 03/02/09
      42.   #38, Karl 20:10  |  Hannah 03/02/09
      43.   a convenient excuse to limit reporting of israeli atrocities 20:14  |  bruno 03/02/09
      44.   Sad day for journalism 00:29  |  Mariam 04/02/09
      45.   the bastion of democracy in the middle-east; lest ye forget 09:36  |  eric 04/02/09
      46.   to khalil 07:26  |  kalfa 06/02/09
      47.   Al Jazeera will still report about Gaza to the Arab world 01:48  |  Galuteus Maximus 08/02/09
      48.   ISRAEL IS FOR PRESS FREEDOM 02:47  |  Joe plumber 12/02/09
    Special Offers
    Advertisement
    Eldan Rent a Car
    Israel's leading car rental company offers you a 20% discount on online reservations
    Shalom Hartman Institute Jerusalem
    Pluralistic Jewish education, leadership, scholarship for Israel, Diaspora
    100% Pure Dead Sea Salt
    Lowest price in the U.S.A. for genuine Dead Sea Salts
    Best 2010 Passover Vacations
    Glatt Kosher Passover programs in Mexico, Arizona and Turnberry Isle Resort in Florida.
    Your Aliyah starts here.
    Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah Workshops and Personal Meetings in your area
    Camp Kimama Israel - Summer 2010
    An incredible experience with Jewish youth from all over the world
    More Headlines
    22:38 German firm cancels deal with Iran port due to Israeli pressure
    20:09 Der Spiegel: Iran able to produce nuclear bomb this year
    22:37 Haaretz probe: Israel dismantling roadblocks, but Palestinians still can't move
    20:25 Israel to expunge criminal records of 400 Gaza pullout opponents
    16:56 U.S. proposes direct, but low-level, Mideast talks
    22:18 Polish bishop accuses Jews of using Holocaust as propoganda
    22:41 Israeli film comparing Holocaust to occupation loses state funds
    22:18 Netanyahus sue Israeli paper for NIS 1 million libel damages
    09:30 You decide: Who was your Person of the Decade?
    22:21 TV ROUND-UP: Netanyahus sue Ma'ariv; Israeli killed in Bolivia
    18:43 Israeli backpackers act Maori in tourism stunt
    18:52 Netanyahu at Yad Vashem: World must stop calls to destroy Israel
    20:13 Abbas to hold independent Palestinian probe of Gaza war
    18:24 Iraq executes Saddam henchman 'Chemical Ali'
    18:12 Israel may require immigrant doctors to prove Hebrew skills
    Home | TV | Print Edition | Diplomacy | Opinion | Arts & Leisure | Sports | Jewish World | Site rules |
    | Advert: Recommended Restaurants | Makom: Engaging on Israel
    | Search engine marketing
    Haaretz.com, the online edition of Haaretz Newspaper in Israel, offers real-time breaking news, opinions and analysis from Israel and the Middle East. Haaretz.com provides extensive and in-depth coverage of Israel, the Jewish World and the Middle East, including defense, diplomacy, the Arab-Israeli conflict, the peace process, Israeli politics, Jerusalem affairs, international relations, Iran, Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, the Palestinian Authority, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip, the Israeli business world and Jewish life in Israel and the Diaspora.
    © Copyright  Haaretz. All rights reserved