Yair Golan Threatens to Shut Down Channel 14, Cites Ethics Code

By סיון יחזקאל

Translated & summarized from Now 14 by baba

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Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, has threatened to shut down Channel 14 by requiring it to adopt the Press Council's ethical code. He also plans to cut funding for the Eli pre-military academy and wants four key ministries for his party. Right-wing ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Yariv Levin strongly criticized Golan, calling his intentions "Bolshevik" and warning of threats to democracy and Jewish identity.

The story in 5 lines · by baba

Yair Golan threatens to close Channel 14 if it doesn't adopt the Press Council's ethical code.
Golan also plans to stop funding the Eli pre-military academy.
He seeks four key government ministries for his party, including Justice and Communications.
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned of "Bolshevik" intentions and urged right-wing voters to unite.
Justice Minister Yariv Levin accused Golan of aiming to control power and harm democracy.

Yair Golan Threatens to Shut Down Channel 14, Cites Ethics Code — Editorial illustration generated by baba News, not a photograph of the event.

Yair Golan, chairman of the Democrats party, has reiterated his intention to shut down Channel 14, this time by demanding the station adopt the Press Council's ethical code. Golan stated that if the channel refuses to comply, he will move to close it. This statement follows previous remarks by Golan against the channel, which critics argue are an attempt to suppress right-wing voices and undermine freedom of expression.

Golan's renewed threat comes just days before elections. He also announced plans to cease funding for the pre-military academy in Eli, which has produced many commanders and soldiers, some of whom were killed in the recent war. Furthermore, Golan demanded that his party be allocated four key government ministries: Justice, Education, Public Security, and Communications, which he described as essential for "fortifying democracy."

Right-wing politicians have strongly condemned Golan's statements. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich warned of the consequences of a government involving Golan and Gadi Eisenkot, accusing Golan of aiming to close right-wing media, shut down the Eli academy, and expel new settlements in Judea and Samaria. He urged national camp supporters to vote for parties that will pass the electoral threshold.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin echoed these sentiments, calling Golan's intentions "Bolshevik" and accusing the left-wing bloc of seeking to seize control of central power structures. Levin specifically stated that the Justice Ministry would be used to "erase democracy," the Education Ministry to "erase Jewish identity," Public Security to enforce selective policing, and the Communications Ministry to censor social media and shut down Channel 14. Levin urged voters not to wake up to a "Soviet Russia" scenario.