Sources familiar with the matter say that about a month ago, an associate of Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana held closed-door talks with senior executives at Channel 12 News, including Avi Nir. According to those sources, the messages conveyed were meant to reassure them that the media bill advanced by MK Galit Distel would be blocked, and that Ohana would use the Knesset legal adviser and bureaucratic tools to stall it.
Supporters of the reform say this behavior conflicts with promises by the national camp to advance a sweeping overhaul of the communications market. A central dispute is Ohana's repeated refusal to invoke the Knesset's "exception procedure," a parliamentary mechanism meant to deal with thousands of objections filed to delay legislation. They say the bill has been stuck for weeks because of such objections, making this exactly the kind of case the procedure was designed for.
Despite that, Ohana is said to oppose the extraordinary move and refuses to shorten the debates. Reform supporters argue the resistance is not merely procedural, but a deliberate effort to stop the bill. They say the alleged messages to Channel 12 help explain the unusual insistence on not using standard parliamentary tools to overcome the blockade.
The communications reform is described as one of the most significant media initiatives in recent years. It would sharply change regulation, reduce barriers, expand competition, and allow new players into broadcasting. The right sees it as a way to break the dominance of legacy outlets, while opponents in the opposition and some media organizations warn it could give politicians greater influence over the broadcasting market. Channel 12 is among the strongest opponents, and has been running critical coverage of the bill. Reform backers also point to the channel's recent ratings decline, including a main news broadcast that last week fell into single-digit viewership. Responses from Ohana's office and Channel 12 were sought and were to be published if received.
