Palestinian Authority bans political analysts from appearing on Al Jazeera

The Palestinian Authority has banned Palestinian political analysts from appearing on Al Jazeera after banning the channel’s work in the occupied West Bank, political analyst Muhammad Halsa said yesterday according to Quds Press.

Halsa, who lives in Jerusalem, which is outside the PA’s jurisdiction, said he had received an order from the General Investigation Service to appear before their office in Ramallah and after inquiring about the reason he learned that the office had contacted other analysts and forced them to sign a pledge to commit not to appear on Al Jazeera.

Halsa questioned the decision’s legality and the necessary steps to confront it.

Quds Press confirmed in its report that the investigations service has already contacted all political analysts and specialists in Israeli affairs who participate in Al Jazeera‘s news coverage, and warned them against continuing to appear on the channel, under the pretext of “violating the laws”.

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This came a day after the Investigation Service informed Al Jazeera correspondent Laith Jaar of a decision banning him from working with Al Jazeera.

Last month, the Magistrate Court of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank ordered the closure of several Al Jazeera websites for four months, in the latest restriction by the PA on the network.

The Attorney General’s Office demanded the Palestinian Ministry of Communication implement the court’s decision by blocking access to the sites.

This came after the PA closed Al Jazeera’s office in the occupied West Bank and temporarily suspended its work.

In late September, Israeli occupation forces stormed Al Jazeera’s office in Ramallah and ordered it to be closed for 45 days under a military order, four months after the channel’s office in occupied Jerusalem was closed.

READ: Palestinian Authority orders ‘suspension’ of Al Jazeera’s operations in West Bank