American Journalist Bilal Abdul Kareem Detained by Syrian Security Forces
December 24, 2025
December 24, 2025 – Qatar –
Israel has extended a controversial law that bars the Qatar-based news network Al Jazeera from operating within the country for an additional two years, a move that has drawn criticism from press freedom advocates and raised concerns about restrictions on media pluralism. The extension was approved by the Knesset (Israeli parliament) and took effect on December 23, 2025, prolonging a legal framework first enacted in 2023 amidst ongoing tensions and disputes over the network’s reporting practices.
Under the amended law, Al Jazeera’s broadcast and journalistic activities — including online operations directed at Israeli and Palestinian audiences — remain prohibited. Israeli officials have defended the measure as necessary for national security, asserting that the network’s coverage and editorial stance have, in their view, contributed to public disorder and biased narratives during periods of heightened conflict, including the October 2023 war in Gaza and subsequent clashes. The government has argued that the extension is justified by what it describes as persistent concerns over alleged incitement in the network’s Arabic-language reporting.
Critics of the legislation, however, contend that the expansion of the ban represents an infringement on media freedom and the public’s right to access diverse sources of information. Press rights organisations, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and other international observers, have condemned the extension as part of a broader pattern of state influence over media access and expression. They have called on Israeli authorities to reconsider restrictions that they say disproportionately impact a major international news outlet without transparent judicial oversight.
The measure has also drawn attention from diplomatic and civil society circles, with some advocates urging that media neutrality and free access to information be upheld even amid security concerns. They argue that suppressing foreign news organisations sets a troubling precedent at a time when independent reporting is critical to public understanding of regional developments. Al Jazeera itself criticised the extension in a statement, asserting that targeting independent journalism undermines democratic norms and international standards on press freedom.
Israeli legislators supporting the extension maintain that the law includes safeguards and is applied within a legal framework designed to balance security imperatives with constitutional protections. Nevertheless, opponents remain vocal in their objections, stressing the importance of open media access in fostering accountability and informed public discourse.
Reference –
