High Court to Hear Petitions Challenging Changes to Second Authority Board

Israel’s High Court of Justice is set to hear petitions Tuesday morning seeking to annul the government’s decision to change the composition of the Second Authority for Television and Radio board, as well as the appointment of Dr. Yifat Ben Hazi-Shemesh as its chair. Ben Hazi-Shemesh had previously testified in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s trial, and two other board members were also chosen alongside her, Kinneret Barashi and Dr. Haim Stein.

The government’s legal adviser said Netanyahu should not have been involved in Ben Hazi-Shemesh’s appointment because of a conflict of interest. The authority oversees commercial television and radio broadcasting, grants licenses and franchises, and sets rules and guidelines for broadcasters.

The petitions, filed by the Movement for Quality Government, the Journalists’ Association, the Press Council, Channel 12 News, and the Association for the Preservation of the Values of Law, argue that the new board is a political takeover intended to “trample free media in Israel” and damage press and expression freedoms. They also claim violations of the duty to consult, conflicts of interest, and breaches of Netanyahu’s conflict-of-interest arrangement.

In May, the High Court issued an interim order barring the board from meeting or making decisions until further notice, and authority was returned to the previous board. That move led seven of the 16 board members to resign, leaving the body unable to approve decisions because it lacked a quorum. The petitioners also say Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, or people acting on his behalf, were involved and pressured board members. In an affidavit filed recently, Dr. Merav Benig, one of the resigning members, said Karhi’s chief of staff called her, urged her to resign, and stressed that the minister had extended her term.