The security cabinet on Sunday night approved the closure of the pro-Hezbollah Lebanese al Mayadeen satellite news station in Israel.
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This decision aligns with emergency regulations enacted last month, permitting the government to shut down foreign news outlets deemed harmful to national security.
The motion was brought to a vote following a proposal from Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi. Defense Minister Yoav Gallant was also convinced that there was real harm to national security by allowing the network to continue its activity in Israel.
According to the emergency regulations and after the approval of the cabinet, the communications minister may, by means of an order, close offices, confiscate broadcasting equipment and block the use of various communication infrastructures for a broadcasting network that harms the security of the state.
Due to the cabinet's decision, Minister Karhi signed a number of orders: including the order to block al Mayadeen's websites, continuous orders to seize equipment until it is located and acted upon in cooperation with the Israel Police. Furthermore, the minister addressed a letter to the Central Command General to close the network's offices located in the West Bank.
"Broadcasts such as those that are identified with the enemy while undermining national security, deserve to be blocked," Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi said. "Al Mayadeen's broadcasts and reporters serve the despicable terrorist organizations, and the time has come to face them.
"The Communications Ministry under my leadership will continue to work to strengthen the communications infrastructure on the one hand and to eradicate the communications infrastructure who seek our harm."
Defense Minister Gallant said, "the State of Israel will not allow the dangerous propaganda of al Mayadeen broadcasts, which tries to harm its security interests and serve the enemy's goals during the war.
"The measures that are being taken against the 'communications network', which has become, in practice, the mouthpiece of the terrorist organization Hezbollah and its leader are the right thing to do to the supporters of terrorism who pretend to be journalists, while they have one goal: harming the security of the State of Israel and its citizens. Together with all the security agencies, I recommended to act against the channel and to carry out criminal and financial actions against its associates."