Al Jazeera rejects Netanyahu’s attack on journalists in UN speech

Israeli prime minister’s criticism of Al Jazeera during UNGA address threatens safety of journalists, the media network says.Al Jazeera has rejected Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s attack against the network during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly.In a statement on Friday, Al Jazeera Media Network said it “categorically rejects” Netanyahu’s remarks, regarding them as the latest example of Israel’s “sustained campaign against Al Jazeera and its journalists”.Recommended Stories list of 3 itemslist 1 of 3Benjamin Netanyahu attacks Israel’s enemies and allies in UN speechlist 2 of 3More than 100 arrested as New Yorkers protest Netanyahu’s UN visitlist 3 of 3Israeli official takes notes after UN walkout against Netanyahuend of listIn his address at the UNGA on Thursday, where he attacked critics of Israel’s genocide in Gaza and pogroms in the occupied West Bank, Netanyahu singled out Al Jazeera. He called the network one of the world’s “toxic media outlets” that intends to “brainwash young minds to hate Israel”.Al Jazeera said Netanyahu wanted to stop the outlet from “reporting facts from the ground, documenting events, providing context and ensuring that a range of voices and perspectives are heard”.Further rejecting Netanyahu’s verbal assault, Al Jazeera said the fact that “such rhetoric was delivered from the podium of the United Nations is a matter of particular concern, given the threat such rhetoric poses to the safety of Al Jazeera journalists working in the field”.“This rhetoric cannot be separated from the heavy toll borne by Al Jazeera’s journalists in Gaza,” the network’s statement added.More than 270 journalists have been killed in Gaza during Israel’s genocidal onslaught. At least 12 of the victims had been reporting for Al Jazeera.Al Jazeera said the network “has lost a number of journalists and camera operators while they were carrying out their work. Some were subjected to campaigns of incitement and vilification before being targeted”.