Press organisations and media workers are “alarmed” by Israel’s bid to ban broadcasterAl Jazeera, following its critical coverage of the Gaza war, in the latest crackdown on free speech by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. The Knesset on Monday overwhelmingly backed a bill to close foreign media networks accused of harming the “state’s security” with authorities allowed to confiscate equipment. Following the vote, Netanyahu pledged to ban Al Jazeera, who he accused of “actively” taking part in Hamas’s 7 October attacks. Al Jazeera slammed Netanyahu’s comments as “lies”, “ludicrou…