Israel: Ban Al Jazeera

Israel said on Sunday that it plans to ban Al Jazeera news network from operating in the country over allegations that it incites violence, joining Arab nations that have shut down the broadcaster amid a separate political dispute.

Communications Minister Ayoob Kara said he plans to revoke the press credentials of Al Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel.

Kara said he has asked cable and satellite networks to block Al Jazeera transmissions and is seeking legislation to ban the network altogether.

The minister, a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s Likud Party, gave no timetable for such measures.

Walid al-Omari, the broadcaster’s bureau chief in Jerusalem, said on air that his office had not been informed by Israeli officials of any possible measures the government might take.

Al Jazeera, a pan-Arab satellite network funded by the Qatari government, already has been targeted by Arab nations that are now isolating Qatar as part of a months-long dispute over Doha’s politics and alleged support for extremists.

Jordan and Saudi Arabia have recently closed Al Jazeera’s offices in their countries, while the channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.