Communications Minister Grilled Over Alleged Pressure on Bank Regarding Channel 14 Ads

Communications Minister Shlomo Karai is under scrutiny for allegedly leveraging his regulatory authority to benefit Channel 14, a pro-government media outlet. According to a report in "TheMarker," Karai discussed the advertising boycott of Channel 14 with the prospective buyers of Hot Mobile, a mobile carrier, just days before granting final regulatory approval for the company's acquisition. The deal, valued at approximately 1.22 billion shekels plus 700 million shekels in debt, involves a consortium led by Dalia Israel (40%), Keystone Fund (40%), and Leumi Partners (20%) acquiring control from Patrick Drahi's Altice group.

During a phone call between Karai, his ministry's director-general, and Dalia Israel's leaders, Ilik Rozhansky and Avi Levi, the minister reportedly expressed concern over Bank Leumi's decision to cease advertising with Channel 14 for the past three years. Bank Leumi is a significant financier and partner in the Hot Mobile acquisition. Karai had also raised the issue of advertising with Channel 14 during an earlier introductory meeting with the buyers, as he has been advocating for regulatory easing for the channel.

However, sources close to the matter emphasized that Karai never made the approval of the deal contingent on advertising commitments to Channel 14. Representatives from Dalia Israel reportedly clarified that their decision-making process remains strictly professional and economic.