Israel has officially passed a law that will lead to the ban of Al Jazeera. The change in status for the press over the last few months is deeply troubling and an indicator of democracy under threat that has global implications.
At the heart of Humanity United’s journalism program is the idea that journalists are sense-makers: they help us better understand the world around us. The information and context they provide can challenge our opinions, spur us to action, and provide perspectives and nuances we may not otherwise understand. And journalists must be free to report in times of conflict when access to information is critical to understanding the situation and holding power to account.
Israel has now officially passed a law that will lead to the ban of Al Jazeera. The change in status for the press over the last few months is deeply troubling and an indicator of democracy under threat that has global implications. As of December, Israel is tied with Iran as the 6th highest jailer of journalists. According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), “most are held in administrative detention, which allows Israeli authorities to hold detainees without charge on the grounds that they suspect the detainee of planning to commit a future offense.” Since the war in Gaza started, there is evidence of deliberate targeting of journalists. And, importantly, there are at least 95 journalists who have been killed since the start of the conflict (including 90 Palestinian, two Israeli, and three Lebanese journalists and media workers).
The U.S. government’s tepid response that this latest development with Al Jazeera is “concerning” sends a message that supporting press freedom is optional for U.S. allies. There is a reason freedom of the press is a core value of democracies. People should have the right to access information that affects their lives—without this, they cannot possibly make the most informed decisions or fully understand the world around them.
Censoring information from one of the last networks operating in Gaza is not only another blow to the journalists who have endured horrific conditions over the last six months, but it also takes away ordinary Israelis’ rights to basic information about the war they are in. The U.S. needs to recognize the deteriorating situation for journalists and press freedom is more than just “concerning.” It is a challenge to the very values underpinning democracy.