Al Jazeera Denounces YouTube for Complying With Israeli Broadcast Ban

Al Jazeera issued a strong condemnation of YouTube after the platform complied with an Israeli directive banning the network’s livestreams within the country, signaling a broader concern over tech compliance with state censorship.The compliance became evident on Thursday, following an order by Israeli Communications Minister Shlomo Karahi to extend a 90-day ban on Al Jazeera’s operations, preventing local broadcasting and internet firms from carrying its content.Platform Accountability and Human RightsIn a formal statement released Thursday, Al Jazeera accused YouTube of failing to uphold the United Nations Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, which mandate resistance to government pressures that silence independent journalism.The Network stresses that this escalation is part of a broader and systematic pattern of Israeli violations, including the killing and detention of its journalists and the closure of its offices in the occupied territories, aimed at suppressing the truth.The network highlighted an ongoing pattern of alleged suppression, noting that over 270 journalists and media workers have reportedly been killed in Gaza since October 2023. This context includes the death of Al Jazeera correspondent Anas al-Sharif in August.The initial legal basis for the restriction stems from a May 2024 vote by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet, which followed the passage of a law permitting the temporary closure of foreign broadcasters deemed a “threat to national security.”Al Jazeera specifically called for immediate action from YouTube and other digital entities to reverse the block. The organization also urged media freedom and human rights organizations to publicly condemn what it described as Israel’s systematic targeting of the media sector.