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Al-Jazeera denounces Israel’s decision to close its bureau

FILE - In this May 4, 2011 file photo, a Palestinian barber gives a customer a haircut as a TV set shows a demonstration in Egypt, on the Al Jazeera channel, at a barber shop in Jerusalem's Old city. Israel's communications minister said, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017, that he wants to shut down pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the country. Ayoob Kara, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said he wants the news network's press cards revoked and has asked cable providers to block their transmissions. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)
FILE - In this May 4, 2011 file photo, a Palestinian barber gives a customer a haircut as a TV set shows a demonstration in Egypt, on the Al Jazeera channel, at a barber shop in Jerusalem's Old city. Israel's communications minister said, Sunday, Aug. 6, 2017, that he wants to shut down pan-Arab broadcaster Al-Jazeera in the country. Ayoob Kara, of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party, said he wants the news network's press cards revoked and has asked cable providers to block their transmissions. (AP Photo/Sebastian Scheiner, File)

By Associated Press 1 min read

JERUSALEM (AP) – Al-Jazeera has denounced Israel’s decision to close the Jerusalem bureau of Qatar’s flagship satellite network, saying that the measure is “undemocratic” and that it will take legal action.

Israel’s move follows in the footsteps of four Arab countries that are aligned against Qatar as part of a months-long political dispute over Doha’s politics and alleged support for extremists. The channel and its affiliate sites have been blocked in Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Egypt and Bahrain.

On Sunday, Israel announced it would revoke the press credentials of Al-Jazeera journalists, effectively preventing them from working in Israel.

The news organization, in turn, denounced the decision it said came from a country claiming to be “the only democratic state in the Middle East” and said it would take legal action.