Israel's Attorney General Urges Court to Halt Communications Law

Israel's Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, has formally requested an interim order from the High Court of Justice to halt the implementation of Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi's new communications law. In her response to the court, Baharav-Miara stated that the law causes "severe damage to free communication" and was passed through a "flawed process" containing "extreme and substantial defects."

She argued that the law constitutes a "sweeping structural reform" of the broadcasting market, impacting the independence and functioning of the media, as well as fundamental rights to freedom of expression and press freedom. The Attorney General emphasized that the more a law touches upon these core principles, the more significant the procedural flaws become, necessitating caution before establishing facts on the ground pending judicial review.

Baharav-Miara specifically highlighted the sensitive nature of such changes during an election period, noting that structural shifts in the media market and news broadcasting could have particularly acute consequences for public discourse. Therefore, she concluded, exceptional circumstances exist warranting an interim order to freeze the entire "Broadcasting Law" until the court reaches a final decision on the petitions against it.

The Attorney General's stance comes amid ongoing legal challenges to the law, with the High Court having previously issued an order nisi freezing parts of the legislation. Minister Karhi had previously criticized the court's intervention, labeling those involved as "lawbreakers."