Palestinian Authority Bans Al Jazeera, Escalating Row with Qatari-Owned Network

The Palestinian Authority (PA) rang in the new year with a crackdown on Al Jazeera, ordering the Qatari network to suspend its West Bank operations until it “resolves its legal status.” The Palestinian ministries of culture, interior, and telecommunications announced the temporary ban on January 1, accusing Al Jazeera of violating “Palestinian laws and regulations” by “broadcasting inciteful content, spreading misinformation, and interfering in internal Palestinian affairs,” the official Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported. Al Jazeera broadcast footage of PA authorities handing the suspension order to Al Jazeera journalist Najwan Simri in a hotel room in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Israel and the Arab Gulf states have previously imposed restrictions on Al Jazeera, citing the network’s record of propaganda and incitement. However, this is the first time that the PA — which is dominated by the Palestinian Liberation Organization’s Fatah faction, a longtime rival of Qatar-backed Hamas — has restricted Al Jazeera. On January 2, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa released a statement reaffirming the temporary ban. Mustafa cited a report from the Palestinian Journalists’ Syndicate that found that Al Jazeera had published “deliberate misinformation, posing a threat to Palestinian social cohesion.”

PA, Al Jazeera Quarrel Over Jenin Coverage

Ramallah’s decision to temporarily ban Al Jazeera came weeks after PA security forces launched an operation against Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorists in the West Bank city of Jenin. Reports emerged at the end of December that Fatah had banned Al Jazeera from operating in certain areas due to the network’s coverage of the ongoing counterterrorism operation. Fatah reportedly accused Al Jazeera of stirring discord in “our Arab homeland in general and in Palestine in particular.” In response, Al Jazeera issued a statement on December 24 accusing Fatah of launching an “incitement campaign” against its journalists and claiming that “Al Jazeera has successfully maintained its professionalism throughout its coverage of the unfolding events in Jenin.”

Israel Previously Shuttered Al Jazeera, Citing Threat to National Security

The Israeli Knesset passed legislation in April allowing the government to temporarily suspend foreign media organizations that pose a threat to national security. In May, the Israeli cabinet voted unanimously to leverage the law to shutter Al Jazeera’s operations in Israel. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared that “Al Jazeera reporters harmed Israel’s security and incited against [Israeli] soldiers. It’s time to remove the Hamas mouthpiece from our country.” The Israeli government extended the temporary ban on Al Jazeera in June, citing assessments from security agencies. Since launching its counteroffensive against Hamas in Gaza, the IDF has exposed evidence of Al Jazeera’s cooperation with Palestinian terrorist groups, revealing at least a half-dozen Al Jazeera journalists who were moonlighting as terrorists.

It’s Time for Washington to Act

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) ordered Al Jazeera Plus (AJ+) — an American subsidiary of Al Jazeera — to register as an agent of Qatar in 2020 as required by the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA). Al Jazeera has yet to comply, and the Biden administration has failed to enforce DOJ’s order despite repeated follow-up from Congress. Last year, the chairman of the House Oversight Committee dispatched a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland requesting information regarding the “administration, enforcement, and recordkeeping practices associated with delays or decisions not to enforce FARA compliance.” The incoming Trump administration must enforce the law and compel AJ+ to register as a foreign agent.

Natalie Ecanow is a senior research analyst at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD). For more analysis from Natalie and FDD, please subscribe HERE. Follow Natalie on X @NatalieEcanow. Follow FDD on X @FDD. FDD is a Washington, DC-based, nonpartisan research institute focusing on foreign policy and national security.