Israeli Government Secretary Denies Calls to Defy Supreme Court Ruling on Second Authority for Television

Yossi Fox, the Israeli Government Secretary, clarified on Sunday that the government's recent decision does not call for disobedience to the Supreme Court's ruling regarding the Second Authority for Television and Radio. Fox emphasized that contrary to media reports, the government's statement contains no call to defy the court's decision but rather expresses strong criticism of a ruling that contradicts explicit statutory language. The government declared its intention to use all legal means available to overturn the decision in the future. Fox questioned how lawful measures could be equated with disobedience to a court ruling.

The government unanimously approved a proposal by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Deputy Prime Minister and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, stating it will not recognize any decision, approval, appointment, or action taken by the Second Authority's council unless it meets the clear statutory prerequisites. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was absent from the vote due to a conflict of interest agreement related to communications.

This clarification comes amid ongoing tensions surrounding the authority's governance and legal disputes. Separately, the article briefly references a related issue involving state employee rights raised by Yehudit Lazarovich, underscoring the broader context of government and legal challenges.