STATEMENT
Media Freedom Coalition statement on the closure of Al Jazeera in Israel
29th May 2024
The Media Freedom Coalition has expressed concern over new legislation in Israel allowing the government to restrict foreign media and which has led to the closure of Al Jazeera’s operations in the country.
![Al Jazeera Network building in Doha, Qatar](https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/shutterstock_231827134-scaled.jpg)
This statement was originally published by the Media Freedom Coalition. PMA is a member of the Consultative Network of the Media Freedom Coalition.
The undersigned members of the Media Freedom Coalition are concerned with the recently adopted legislation giving temporary powers to the Israeli government to prevent foreign media networks from operating in Israel, and do not support the subsequent shut down of Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel.
A free and diverse media landscape is crucial for democracies to function, especially in times of conflict, as people rely on independent information from multiple, reliable sources to stay informed and make their decisions. This is even more important in an age of mis- and disinformation. It is essential that all journalists be given unhindered access to cover events and developments as they unfold, so that they have the possibility to report and inform transparently and factually.
It is therefore of vital importance to protect press freedom and to prevent any undue restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information.
Signed:
Australia
Belgium
Canada
Chile
Czechia
Denmark
Estonia
Finland
France
Germany
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Kosovo
Lithuania
Luxembourg
New Zealand
Norway
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Slovenia
Sweden
Switzerland
the Netherlands
the United Kingdom
the United States
Spain
Costa Rica
Latvia
![](https://www.publicmediaalliance.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/MFC-logo_blue_RGB-01.png)
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