Communications Minister Karhi extends al-Jazeera ban for 45 days, as Supreme Court mulls law's legality

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced today (Sunday) that he has signed an order extending the ban on Al-Jazeera broadcasts from Israel for another 45 days.

Minister Karhi said that this decision was approved unanimously by the government, on the recommendation of the defense establishment, which unequivocally stated that the channel's broadcasts directly harm national security.

This order comes as the Supreme Court issued an interim injunction giving the state two weeks to explain why the law shouldn't be repealed.

Legal reporter Avraham Bloch said that the injunction leaves open the option that the Knesset simply not extend the law, passed as a temporary order, thus obviating the need for a repeal.