The head of Al Jazeera's operations in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Walid Omary, has criticized the Israeli government's recent decision to close down the station's local offices, labeling it as "dangerous" and politically motivated.
An employee walks inside the Al-Jazeera office in Jerusalem, June 13, 2017. Reuters/Ronen Zvulun
The head of Al Jazeera's operations in Israel and the Palestinian territories, Walid Omary, has criticized the Israeli government's recent decision to close down the station's local offices, labeling it as "dangerous" and politically motivated.
This move has sparked significant controversy given Al Jazeera's contentious role in the region.
Al Jazeera, owned by Qatar, has often been accused of partisanship, particularly in its coverage of various groups in the Middle East. Critics argue that the network has long supported factions like Hamas, Islamic Jihad, Hezbollah, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Houthis, which are involved in regional conflicts.
The station's coverage in Israel has been a point of contention. Accusations range from unbalanced reporting to the frequent broadcast of misinformation that critics claim fuels anti-Israel sentiment. Such practices, according to detractors, have not only biased the informational landscape but also stoked hatred across the Arab world and beyond through its English-language broadcasts.
In response to the closure, Al Jazeera's legal team, led by Walid Omary, is preparing to challenge the decision, possibly through a court appeal.
By Marcel Khoury in Jerusalem
The head of Israel's Mossad spy agency, Roman Gofman, held a phone call with Syrian Foreign Minister Asaad al-Shaibani last week in which they discussed Turkey's military presence in Syria, three people familiar with the matter said.
Turkey firmly rejected on Wednesday what it called "untenable allegations" by Israel regarding its military position in Syria, after Israel bombed a Syrian air base near the Turkish border and said Syria was on the verge of permitting Turkish troops to deploy there.
Khalil Al-Hayya, the Hamas chief who met U.S. envoy Jared Kushner, President Donald Trump's son-in-law, in Egypt on Sunday, emerged as a pivotal figure in the Palestinian militant group during the Gaza war as Israel killed its other leaders.
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