The 27 countries expressed concern over recent legislation "that grants the Israeli government temporary powers to block foreign media outlets from operating in Israel." The signatories "do not endorse the subsequent closure of Al Jazeera's operations in Israel," according to a joint statement cited by Spanish news agency EFE. For the 27 governments, it is "of paramount importance to protect media freedom and avoid undue restrictions on freedom of expression and access to information." The Israeli government decided in early May to ban the Qatari channel Al Jazeera from broadcasting in Israel. The decision was based on one passed in April by parliament that allows the government to order the closure of foreign media outlets. The so-called "Al Jazeera Law" gives Israel's communications minister the authority to order content providers, for a renewable period of 45 days, to stop broadcasting from the country. He also has the power to order the closure of foreign broadcasters' offices, confiscate equipment and block the server of their respective websites. This week, Israel accused the US news agency AP of violating the ban imposed on Al Jazeera, for providing it with live images from Gaza. The communications minister ordered the seizure of a camera and transmission equipment from the AP, which has Al Jazeera among its thousands of clients, but the decision was later reversed. The 27 governments argued in the joint statement that "a free and diverse media landscape is crucial for the functioning of democracies, especially in times of conflict." "People rely on independent reporting from multiple, credible sources to stay informed and make their own decisions," they said, adding that the issue "is only more important in an era of misinformation and disinformation." Therefore, they added, "it is essential that all journalists have unhindered access to cover events and developments as they unfold, so that they can report transparently and objectively." The signatories to the statement are the governments of Chile, the United States, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea. The European governments of Belgium, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kosovo, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom also signed. The Media Freedom Coalition was formed in July 2019 at the Global Conference for Media Freedom. It aims to "defend media freedom and the safety of journalists, and hold to account those who harm journalists for doing their jobs," according to its website. The organization currently has 51 member countries, with Portugal having joined in 2021. The war in Gaza began with a Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which caused around 1,200 deaths and more than two hundred hostages, according to Israeli authorities. More than 35,800 Palestinians have been killed since then in the Israeli offensive in the Gaza Strip, according to the Hamas Health Ministry, the Palestinian extremist group that has governed the territory since 2007. Read Also: Israel "prohibits" Spanish consulate in Jerusalem from supporting Palestinians (Portuguese version)