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Following accusations of propaganda, Swiss television programming operators Swisscom and Sunrise have withdrawn the Qatari channel Al Jazeera Arabic from their offer.
A spokesperson told news agency Keystone-SDA that Al Jazeera Arabic will no longer appear in the programming until the accusations have been verified, confirming a report in the Sonntagsblick paper. The Sunday newspaper points out that Al Jazeera Arabic has not been broadcast in Switzerland since December 10, 2025 because its content is often “in a legal grey area”.
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On the other hand, Al Jazeera’s English-language channel, aimed at a Western audience, is still included in the offerings of the two operators.
The pro-Israel group “Focus Israel” had criticised the Swiss operators broadcasting the controversial channel, the Sonntagsblick reported. The group based its criticism on a report by Israel’s Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre, according to which Al Jazeera Arabic had been broadcasting propaganda in favour of Hamas for years. The Israeli army had also made accusations, which Al Jazeera Arabic denied.
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What does banning Hamas mean for neutral Switzerland?
A ban on Hamas has been in force in Switzerland since May 2025. This measure also applies to associations and groups that act for or on behalf of Hamas.
Adapted from French by DeepL/ac
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