Staff Reporter

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced his intention to use a newly passed national security law to ban news channel Al Jazeera from broadcasting in the country.

The law, which was approved by a vote of 70 to 10 in parliament yesterday, empowers top ministers to prohibit foreign channels from airing content considered a national security risk and to close their offices.

Netanyahu specifically targeted Al Jazeera, a Qatar-based news outlet, citing a longstanding feud between his government and the channel that predates the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The new national security law provides the government with additional power to restrict the activities of foreign news organizations.