Opposition Demands Halt to Controversial Israeli Media Law Ahead of Supreme Court Hearing

Five opposition members of the Knesset's special committee on the Communications Law sent an urgent letter on July 12, 2026, to the committee chair Galit Distel-Atbaryan and the Knesset legal advisor Shagit Afik, demanding an immediate stop to the legislative process of the new media law. They accused Communications Minister Shlomo Karai of inserting significant last-minute changes to the bill's text presented to the plenum without prior committee discussion or approval. These changes, allegedly influenced by political pressure from ultra-Orthodox parties, altered key provisions originally agreed upon in committee.

Among the disputed amendments is the expansion of the "catch-up" viewing obligation from only the public broadcaster and Knesset Channel to all channels, including commercial news outlets, which the opposition warns could have severe economic consequences. Another controversial change broadens the requirement to provide viewership data from multi-channel pay-TV platforms like yes and HOT to all registered content providers, potentially granting the minister and the new Communications Authority sweeping powers to demand data from any provider. Additionally, a reworded clause on non-discrimination and exclusivity could force channels to sell their content even to competitors, a move the opposition calls "absurd."

The opposition criticized Minister Karai for submitting these substantive textual revisions at 2:45 p.m. on July 12, just before a scheduled 4:30 p.m. committee discussion, leaving insufficient time for lawmakers to review and assess the changes. They described this as a record level of disrespect toward the Knesset and a violation of parliamentary work norms. The urgency stems from the approaching deadline before the Knesset dissolves ahead of upcoming elections, which Karai is using to push the bill through despite procedural concerns.

The Supreme Court is set to hold an unusual hearing on July 13, 2026, with a three-judge panel to consider petitions against the media reform before it has passed its second and third readings. This is the first time the court is reviewing a bill prior to its enactment. Government legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara has already expressed opposition to the current forceful version of the law. The opposition lawmakers demanded a full disclosure of all changes, a thorough legal review by the committee's legal counsel, and warned against trampling the legislative authority, emphasizing that the Knesset is not a "rubber stamp" for Minister Karai.