Israel Matzav

France ordered to shut down Hamas' al-Aqsa TV broadcasts

France has been ordered by the European Commission to remove Hamas' al-Aqsa television from its satellite broadcast lineup.

The Coalition Against Terrorist Media (CATM) praised the European Commission for warning the French broadcasting authority to shut down broadcasts of Hamas's Al-Aqsa TV on Eutelsat. The French-owned Eutelsat is the world's third largest satellite company. CATM monitors terrorist-owned media and has provided the European Commission and the French government with findings indicating that Al-Aqsa TV violates European audiovisual laws.

The Commission's warning comes after France's broadcasting authority, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA), itself formally warned Eutelsat on 3 November 2009 -- and on prior occasions -- that Al-Aqsa TV broadcasts violate European laws, as noted in the Commission's letter to the CSA. [Note: The law is Article 15 of the 30 September 1986]

The station shows programs which "incite hatred or violence for reasons of religion or nationality," said French Foreign Ministry spokesman, Bernard Valero, responding to the new development. He said French authorities were confident the CSA would take rapid action to ensure content broadcast via satellites owned by French-based firms respected French and EU law.

"CATM calls on the CSA to take immediate action," said Mark Dubowitz, Executive Director of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, which founded the coalition in 2004. "Taking Al-Aqsa TV off the air would demonstrate that incitement to violence and support of terrorism will not be tolerated in Europe. The Commission's warning and the presumed CSA action would be a critical blow to Hamas's effort to create institutions that masquerade as legitimate but in actuality provide operational support for its attacks and spread radical, jihadist messages."

Dubowitz continued, "Europe has witnessed the impact radicalized groups can have on its population. To its credit, the European Commission has said, ‘enough is enough.' Hamas should no longer be able to act with impunity by exporting its hate and incitement from Gaza to the European continent."

But does this mean al-Aqsa will actually be taken off the air in France - a country where a Jew who was tortured to death by Muslims four years ago showed up on a Muslim dating site last year? Read the whole thing. I have my doubts.

posted by Carl in Jerusalem @ 4:19 AM