Aim Is to Control the Media in Emergencies and Elections: Clause Returned to Broadcasting Law at the Last Minute

Ahead of the final votes on the broadcasting law, an unprecedented clause was returned to the draft, expanding the authority of the prime minister and the head of the Shin Bet to issue instructions to news channels during states of emergency and even during election periods. The anti-democratic move joins a series of flaws in the controversial reform promoted by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, against the position of professional officials and amid sharp criticism over harm to media independence, Dafna Liel, N12, published: 11.06.26, 11:14.

Just before the second and third readings vote on the broadcasting law, a clause that had been removed from the bill was restored overnight, between Wednesday and Thursday, and is intended to allow the prime minister and the head of the Shin Bet to issue instructions to news channels in emergencies, including during elections.

An app that works even on Shabbat and porn, the split in the law to weaken the media. Protection for minors was also removed, the chaos and failures behind the split of the broadcasting law.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi has repeatedly argued that the media reform is intended to remove regulation and open the market to competition, not to control it. But the clause that was removed and then restored at the last minute reveals an amendment concerning the authority of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in consultation with security officials, to give “instructions to media bodies.” The clause had applied to platforms dealing with infrastructure in emergencies, and now, in an unprecedented step, it is being sought for channels broadcasting news.

Today and on Sunday, votes are expected to take place on the broadcasting law in the special Communications Committee chaired by MK Galit Distel-Atbaryan (Likud), with Karhi aiming to pass the law before the current Knesset disperses and elections are called.

The clause in question was deleted and is being presented as an objection at the committee's request, subject to the opinion of security officials. Given that this is a complex and far-reaching reform that includes complicated clauses and requires many professional discussions, and since a significant part of it is being advanced in complete opposition to the professional level, Karhi brought the law's split for Knesset approval in order to pass at least part of the proposal, which benefits channels close to Netanyahu and harms the free press.

This comes as the committee discussing it continues to see confrontations between the opposition and the coalition over clauses added at the last minute. The effort to approve the law continues with greater intensity despite the flaws and legal difficulties it raises, but Karhi asked to split it in order to create facts on the ground and claim a political achievement before the elections.

The minister boasted that this was a task assigned to him by the prime minister, even though Netanyahu himself is barred from intervening in the media market under the conflict-of-interest arrangement he signed in 2020.