CNN —Israel’s cabinet unanimously voted to sanction the nation’s oldest newspaper, Haaretz, on Sunday citing its critical coverage of the war following the October 7 Hamas attacks and comments by the outlet’s publisher calling for sanctions on senior government officials. The proposal, put forward by communications minister Shlomo Kar’i, will end government advertising in the newspaper and cancel all subscriptions for state employees and employees of state-owned companies. It dismisses the costs of both sides for defending the settlements while fighting the Palestinian freedom fighters that Israel calls terrorists,” he reportedly said. Following widespread criticism of the comments in Israel, Schocken clarified his comments saying that he did not believe Hamas militants were freedom fighters. Haaretz slammed the move in a statement on Sunday, calling it “another step in Netanyahu’s journey to dismantle Israeli democracy.”“Like his friends Putin, Erdoğan, and Orbán, Netanyahu is trying to silence a critical, independent newspaper,” the statement said.

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Persons: CNN — Israel’s, Shlomo Kar’i, Kar’i, “, ” Amos Schocken, Netanyahu, ”, Schocken, Putin, Orbán, Al, CPJ Organizations: CNN, Israel Defense Forces, Haaretz, West Bank, ”, Israel, United Nations, Protect Journalists Locations: Gaza, Lebanon, State, Israel, London, Palestinian, ”, of Israel, Ramallah