Israeli Supreme Court Temporarily Suspends Key Provisions of Communications Law by Minister Karei

The Israeli Supreme Court issued an interim injunction on Sunday delaying the enforcement of certain provisions of the new Communications Law introduced by Minister Shlomo Karei. Justice Ofer Groskopf ruled that respondents must submit their responses to interim injunction requests by July 26, 2026. He noted that the petitions raise "serious claims" regarding both the legislative process and specific arrangements within or repealed by the law. Given the extensive changes and their anticipated impact on the communications market, Groskopf expressed concern that reversing the law after implementation would be difficult. However, since most provisions do not take effect immediately, the injunction only applies to those effective from the law’s publication date, postponing their enforcement until the court decides on the interim requests.

The Communications Law was passed in a second and third reading with a narrow majority of 53 to 48 votes shortly before the Knesset was dissolved. The law permits the creation of new news channels with minimal regulation, removes the structural separation between channel owners and news companies, and mandates a government app enabling free public access to all news channels. Additionally, content providers such as HOT, YES, and Partner are required to include news channels alongside other channels in their offerings.