Israeli Supreme Court Reviews Controversy Over Expansion of Haredi Radio Broadcast Areas

The Israeli Supreme Court is set to hear a petition challenging the decision to expand the broadcast areas of several regional radio stations beyond their originally assigned zones. The hearing, scheduled for Wednesday morning, will be presided over by Supreme Court President Isaac Amit, Justice Alex Stein, and Justice Gila Kanfi-Steinitz, and will be broadcast live.

The petition was filed by Lobby 99 and the Success Association, represented by attorney Elad Man. It contests decisions made by the Second Authority for Television and Radio Council and Communications Minister Shlomo Karai, who authorized the expansion under emergency powers granted by Section 13a of the Communications Law. The petitioners seek to annul council decisions dated March 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026, arguing these were made without proper authority and contain significant legal flaws. They also demand the cancellation of the Frequency Committee's decision to implement the expansion and Minister Karai's May 11, 2026 decision, which they claim lacked security approval, sufficient factual basis, and was influenced by irrelevant considerations.

The petition further asserts that Section 13a does not permit the minister to alter regional broadcast maps using emergency powers. They raise concerns about potential political and commercial motives behind the minister's repeated attempts to broaden the stations' reach, citing his statements during election campaigns.

Government legal advisor Gali Baharav-Miara opposes the minister's decision, stating it was made without authority, adequate factual or professional basis, and without meeting legal conditions. She recommends annulment, noting that the public broadcasting corporation can adequately serve the population's needs.

Minister Karai defends his decision as lawful, emphasizing his comprehensive and professional understanding of the situation. He argues the expansion aims to improve emergency alerts and information dissemination to the Bedouin population in the south and the Haredi community in the north, for whom sector-specific radio is often the only real-time electronic communication available. Without Haredi radio broadcasts, the only effective alert is a siren, he explains.