National Press Club statement on Israeli cabinet voting to ban and block Al Jazeera

WASHINGTON, May 5, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Following is a statement from Emily Wilkins, president of the National Press Club, and Gil Klein, president of the National Press Club Journalism Institute, on the Sunday decision by the Israeli cabinet to immediately ban Al Jazeera's operations in Israel, seize the international news outlet's local equipment, and block its websites.

"The decision by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government to shut down Al Jazeera operations in Israel is the wrong one. It is wrong for the people of Israel, for the people of Gaza, for people in the West Bank, and for the rest of the international news network's millions of viewers around the region and world who rely on Al Jazeera's reporting of the nearly seven-month Israel-Hamas war. We fully support Al Jazeera's decision to fight this in court. 

As a democracy, the people of Israel depend upon the free flow of information, particularly right now when the decisions their government is making are so enormously impactful for the future of their country's relationships in the Middle East and with the broader international community. 

Most chilling about this decision is what it will mean for Al Jazeera journalists and crews working and living in Gaza. They are not mentioned in the government decision. By branding Al Jazeera as a national security threat, we are deeply concerned that the Israeli government may view them as legitimate military target. They are not."

About The National Press Club

Founded in 1908, the National Press Club is the world's leading professional organization for journalists. The Club has 3,000 members representing nearly every major news organization and is a leading voice for press freedom in the United States and around the world.

About The National Press Club Journalism Institute

The National Press Club Journalism Institute promotes an engaged, global citizenry through an independent and free press and equips journalists with the skills and standards to inform the public in ways that inspire a more representative democracy. The NPCJI is the nonprofit affiliate of the National Press Club

Contact: Bill McCarren, press freedom consultant for the National Press Club, [email protected], (202) 662-7534

SOURCE National Press Club