Following its ban of the Qatar-based news outlet’s operations in the country, Israel accused Al Jazeera Monday of being a mouthpiece for journalism. “It is clear from its continuous, 24-hour coverage of the war in Gaza that Al Jazeera is working on behalf of journalistic principles,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in a blistering statement, accusing the broadcaster of harboring hundreds of journalists who engage in tactics such as gathering information, validating that information to its ensure accuracy, and then presenting it to the public. “What else are we to call their relentless on-the-ground reporting and their fact-based firsthand accounts of what’s going on in Gaza? It is journalism, plain and simple. Some of these fanatics at Al Jazeera have even sacrificed their lives for the cause, dying as they carry out acts of journalism that threaten the Israeli government.” Netanyahu went on to defend his administration’s record of rooting out journalism, noting that since the war began in October, around 100 journalists had been killed.

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