ISRAELI JUSTICE MINISTER: MOST OF WHAT I KNOW ABOUT THE WAR IS FROM AL JAZEERA

Israeli Justice Minister: Most of What I Know About the War Is From Al Jazeera

According to Israel Hayom, right-wing judicial coup architect Yariv Levin told the hostages' families that he watches the Qatari station, which the government recently shuttered in Israel

May 08th, 14PM May 08th, 14PM

An Israeli cabinet member is unexpectedly disappointed by the closing of Al Jazeera's operations in Israel: Justice Minister Yariv Levin.

On Wednesday, Israel Hayom correspondent Amir Ettinger reported that, at a recent meeting with hostages' families, Levin said, "I know little about the management of the war and the negotiations. We're told nothing and they don't share with us. Most of what I know is from watching Al Jazeera, because I speak Arabic."

From all the stations that Levin could have mentioned as a means for getting the latest information, such as American or Israeli stations, or Channel 14, which treats him like a hero for the judicial coup, he chose otherwise.

On Sunday, the cabinet decided to shutter Al Jazeera's operations in Israel and block access to its broadcasts at the recommendation of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and with legal backing of an opinion by the Shin Bet security service that the station was causing real damage to the Israel's security.

Al Jazeera is a Qatari station and the delays in closing it in recent months were probably due to, among other things, a reluctance to confront Qatar. Qatar was, and maybe will also be, an important player in the negotiations on a hostage deal, a key party in the indirect dialogue between Israel and Hamas, and, in general, it plays an important role in the Middle East.

Al Jazeera is the second station whose operations the government has blocked in Israel. In November 2023, a similar order was issued against Al Mayadeen, Hezbollah's station. In practice, the restriction will apply for 45 days, but Karhi will have the right to extend it. The order he signed allows the blocking of access to Al Jazeera's Arabic and English broadcasts on platforms such as cable and satellite.

In other words, the measure does not completely block the broadcasts, because anyone with basic technology can find ways to watch the broadcasts online, even though the order ostensibly requires blocking that access. More painful for the station, especially at the symbolic level, is that the order closes its offices in Israel and permits the confiscation of equipment used by its staff, except for phones and computers.

By law, Justice Minister Yariv Levin is a member of the political-security cabinet and therefore should know a lot about the war, but according to the report, he told the families, "For a long time, I have realized that the expanded cabinet is a place where it is impossible to make decisions and everything leaks. I therefore urged the establishment of the war cabinet, where it is possible to make decisions in a limited forum."

In the conversation, he disclosed that, in view of his perspective that it is not possible to make decisions and hold a real debate in the expanded cabinet, at some point, he decided to examine the legal options for being permanently replaced by Regional Cooperation Minister David Amsalem on behalf of the Justice Ministry.

The families of the hostages told Israel Hayom that Levin refused to commit on how he would act in the case of a hostage deal, but they had the impression that if there is a deal at reasonable terms, a majority in the cabinet would support it.

2024-05-08T11:31:40Z dg43tfdfdgfd