Israeli Supreme Court Blocks Formation of New Second Authority Council Amid Legal and Political Turmoil
The political process to appoint a new council for Israel's Second Authority for Television and Radio, overseen by the Minister responsible for its selection, has seemingly concluded in the minister's favor. However, the Supreme Court (High Court of Justice) is actively preventing the new council's formation, even if it means contravening the law. The Second Authority regulates all radio and television stations except Galei Tzahal and the Public Broadcasting Corporation, ensuring compliance with ethical and operational standards, managing broadcast licenses, imposing fines, and even canceling broadcasts.
Historically, despite successive right-wing governments, the council has been dominated by members identified with the left. Communications Minister Yoaz Hendel sought to change this by proposing new council members, including Dr. Yifat Ben-Hay Hagev, the current chairwoman with extensive academic and professional credentials in communications. Her appointment, along with others, faced immediate attacks, partly due to her testimony in the Netanyahu trial.
Unable to secure the council's appointment through political means, opponents turned to the Supreme Court. Although the new council convened twice and made decisions, a temporary injunction froze its appointments and existence. The court controversially revived the old council, whose term had expired, despite this lacking legal basis. Some members who served on both councils resigned from the resurrected old council, causing a quorum crisis that legally prevents the council from functioning.
The court further ruled, against quorum law, that resigning members would not count toward the old council's membership count, effectively changing the rules mid-process. This judicial activism has deepened the constitutional crisis, with the court acting as a political actor rather than a neutral arbiter. The situation remains unresolved, with expectations of continued legal and political conflict over the Second Authority's governance.
