The Minister of Communications of the Israeli Government, Shlomo Karhi, announced this Sunday an order of 45-day extension of television closure Qatari pan-Arab Al Jazeera despite the doubts expressed by the courts about the legality of the measure.

The decision, approved unanimously by the Government, is based on documentation from security agencies “which indicate without any ambiguity that the broadcasts of the channel (Al Jazeera) represent real damage to state security“, according to a ministerial statement published on the social network

Karhi has also referred to the judicial challenges to the closure and the law that supports it. “I’m convinced that closure orders will also be extended in the future, along with the extension of the period established by law that authorizes the Minister of Communications to act against foreign stations that threaten the security of the State,” he argued.

This same Sunday it was learned that the Supreme Court of Israel has given the Government until August 5 to justify the law that has allowed Al Jazeera to be closed. The decision is based on a lawsuit that claims that The rule damages freedom of expression and freedom of the press.

The petition received by the court considers that the law is unconstitutional for affecting the separation of powers, the rule of law and the independence of the judiciary. In response, the Supreme Court has issued this order “without taking a position and given that we are talking about an unprecedented law of nature.”

Karhi announced on May 5 the suspension of Al Jazeera broadcasts for a period of 45 days. In addition, access to the network’s website from Israel was blocked and its media was seized.