Israeli Government Unanimously Rejects Supreme Court Ruling on Second Authority Council

A major political and legal controversy erupted in Israel after the government unanimously decided not to comply with a Supreme Court ruling concerning the Second Authority for Television and Radio. The decision, presented jointly by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Justice Yariv Levin, declared that any actions by the Second Authority Council would be null and void as long as it does not meet the explicit legal quorum requirements. The government argued that a court ruling contradicting clear statutory language is itself invalid.

This unprecedented move marks a sharp deterioration in relations between the executive and judicial branches. Deputy Attorney General Dr. Gil Limon condemned the decision as a "serious attempt to thwart court rulings," accusing the government of normalizing systematic legal violations. Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara echoed this, warning the government’s stance intimidates those who enforce judicial decisions.

President Isaac Herzog also criticized the government’s refusal to obey the Supreme Court, calling it a "red line that must not be crossed" and emphasizing that such defiance undermines national unity. The head of the Israel Bar Association, Amit Bechar, described the move as a "complete destruction of the rule of law and democracy," urging all legal means to oppose the government’s decision.

The background to this dispute is a June Supreme Court ruling that reinstated the Second Authority Council appointed by the previous government, despite its membership falling below the legally required two-thirds quorum. The government maintains that even the Supreme Court cannot override explicit laws and that its authority derives from the law itself. The government’s resolution stressed that the rule of law binds all branches of government, including the judiciary, signaling a fundamental constitutional conflict ahead.