Netanyahu Announces Closure of Al Jazeera in Israel

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that "the government under my leadership has unanimously decided to close the (inciting) Al Jazeera channel in Israel." The Israeli Broadcasting Authority reported, citing Netanyahu's office, that "the decision to close was passed unanimously in the cabinet." Israeli media pointed out that "ministers from the official bloc did not participate in the voting session." The Israeli government ordered the confiscation of Al Jazeera's equipment following the closure decision. For its part, the Al Jazeera network confirmed that "we will pursue all avenues with international and legal organizations to protect our rights and our teams," and condemned "this Israeli criminal act that violates human rights in accessing information."