President Herzog Condemns Government's Defiance of Supreme Court Ruling on Second Authority

Israeli President Isaac Herzog sharply criticized the government's unanimous decision to defy a Supreme Court ruling concerning the Second Authority for Television and Radio. Herzog described the government's stance as crossing a "red line," emphasizing that disobedience to court rulings undermines national unity and is unacceptable under any circumstances. He reiterated this position in a statement posted on X (formerly Twitter).

Earlier on Sunday, the government approved a proposal by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, declaring it would not recognize actions taken by the Second Authority council based on the Supreme Court ruling. The government argued that the ruling, which allowed the council to continue functioning despite having fewer members than legally required, contradicts Section 21 of the Second Authority Law.

The government statement stressed that the rule of law in Israel means all branches of government must adhere to the law, and no entity, including the government, Knesset, or Supreme Court, stands above it. It labeled the court's decision as not a legitimate judicial review but a violation of clear statutory language. The government pledged to use all legal means to overturn the ruling and refused to acknowledge any future council actions that do not meet the legal membership threshold. The statement framed this as an extreme case, not a routine legal dispute or interpretive disagreement.