Opposition Demands Immediate Halt to Communications Minister Kara'i's Broadcasting Law Over Procedural Flaws
Opposition Knesset members have called on the Knesset Legal Advisor to immediately stop the legislative process of Communications Minister Shlomo Kara'i's broadcasting law proposal, citing significant procedural defects. These include discrepancies between the committee-approved text and the version submitted to the plenum, last-minute amendments introduced by the minister, and insufficient time allocated for submitting objections. The opposition lawmakers, including Shelly Tal, Miron, Efrat Reitan, Eitan Ginzburg, Walid Al-Hushla, and Yevgeny Sova, wrote to Knesset Legal Advisor Shagit Ofek, stating that it is unacceptable to vote on a text that does not reflect the Knesset's decisions and accusing the minister of undermining parliamentary work.
On Sunday, the special Knesset committee continued discussions and votes on the broadcasting law for its second and third readings. The focus was on late-night amendments submitted by Minister Kara'i, which committee members had little time to review. Tal Miron criticized the process, questioning the legitimacy of voting on a minister's text without proper oversight, emphasizing the Knesset's role as a government watchdog rather than a rubber stamp.
The opposition highlighted that on Sunday afternoon, only 1 hour and 45 minutes before the scheduled 4:30 PM discussion, they received substantial new amendments from the minister, including the removal of an entire chapter with broad implications. They argued this short notice prevented thorough examination and proper parliamentary work. The committee's rushed schedule was attributed to coalition pressure due to the Knesset's imminent dissolution in four days, which the opposition said does not justify flawed legislative procedures.
Furthermore, the opposition pointed out inconsistencies between the original committee-approved text and the version presented to the plenum on July 8, which was later returned to the committee after ultra-Orthodox parties demanded the removal of a free app clause for broadcasting open channels. Changes included expanding the obligation to provide two-week catch-up viewing to all channels instead of only Kan and Knesset channels, unclear provisions on rating data publication potentially granting problematic powers to the minister, and disruptions to prohibitions on commercial discrimination and exclusivity.
The opposition also protested the lack of reasonable time to submit quality objections, condemning the expectation to draft serious amendments hastily during late-night hours on a frequently changing draft. They requested that only after the final, clear, and complete text is presented should sufficient time during regular working hours be allocated for drafting and submitting objections, allowing them and their professional teams to properly study the consolidated text.
