Israeli Government Denies Defying Supreme Court Ruling on Second Authority for Television and Radio

Israeli Government Secretary Yossi Fox clarified on Sunday that the government's recent decision does not call for disobedience to a Supreme Court ruling concerning the Second Authority for Television and Radio. Fox emphasized that the government strongly criticizes the court's decision but intends to use all legal means to overturn it. He stated on X (formerly Twitter) that the government’s declaration contains no call for defiance but rather a sharp critique of a ruling that contradicts explicit statutory language.

Earlier, President Isaac Herzog condemned the government's stance, warning that calls to disobey Supreme Court rulings threaten national unity and that disobedience to court decisions is a red line that must not be crossed. The government’s official statement, approved in cabinet, reaffirmed the principle of the rule of law, asserting that no branch of government, including the executive, legislature, or judiciary, stands above the law.

The government challenged a June 17 Supreme Court decision that allowed the Second Authority's council to continue functioning despite its membership falling below the legal minimum. The government argued this ruling contradicts Section 21 of the Second Authority Law for Television and Radio. It pledged to employ all available legal tools to annul the ruling and declared it will not recognize actions by a council it deems noncompliant with statutory requirements. The statement stressed this is not a routine judicial critique but an extreme case where the law’s wording is clear and the court’s decision directly conflicts with it.