Israel Matzav: US House passes bill declaring al-Manar, al-Aksa TV terrorist organizations

US House passes bill declaring al-Manar, al-Aksa TV terrorist organizations

By a vote of 395-3, the US House of Representatives passed a bill on Wednesday that would declare several satellite television channels in the Middle East, including Hezbullah's al-Manar and Hamas' al-Aksa, designated terror organizations. The bill would also require the president to file an annual report with Congress on anti-American incitement to violence in Middle East media.

The legislation, sponsored by Gus Bilirakis (R-Florida), Joseph Crowley (D-New York) and Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Florida), also singled out Hamas's Al-Aksa TV and Al-Rafidayn TV as candidates for becoming Specially Designated Global Terrorists should the bill become law. Any such satellite carrier would accordingly be sanctioned under the measure.

For that to happen, though, the Senate must pass its own version, and it must then be signed by the president.

Still, Mark Dubowitz of the Foundation for Defense of Democracies hailed the House move as an important step in countering the influence of terror groups' media presence.

"We applaud the US House of Representatives for recognizing the danger that terrorist-owned and -operated media poses and for taking steps to limit the transmission of broadcasts that incite violence," he said. "Free speech protections should not cover the role of these media outlets as operational weapons."

It's about time.

Those who voted against were Michael Honda (D-Cal), Ron Paul (R-Tex) and Eddie Johnson (D-Tex).

Israel Matzav: US House passes bill declaring al-Manar, al-Aksa TV terrorist organizations