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U.S. Secretary of State Tony Blinken told a group of American Jewish community leaders on Monday that he asked the Qatari prime minister less than two weeks ago to tone down Al Jazeera's rhetoric about the war in Gaza, according to three people who attended the meeting.
Why it matters: Blinken's comments suggest the administration, which has asserted its support for the independent press globally, is concerned Al Jazeera's framing of the conflict could escalate tensions in the region.
Background: The Al Jazeera Media Network is funded by the Qatari government but maintains it operates independently. Critics have said it reflects the foreign policy position of Qatar, which has faced scrutiny over its ties to Hamas.
Israel has accused Al Jazeera of being "a propaganda mouthpiece" for Hamas.The Al Jazeera press office did not respond to requests for comment.Al Jazeera has been described by the Council on Foreign Relations as one of the Qatari government's soft power tools that allows it to have political influence in the Middle East and around the world.Blinken appeared to be talking about Al Jazeera Arabic, not Al Jazeera English.
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