developing· Politics· Updated
Israel Election Committee Rejects Leftist Group's Petition Against Channel 14
The Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg, dismissed a petition on Wednesday to ban Channel 14 from broadcasting current affairs and news programs featuring candidates from the Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit parties.
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What happened
- 01Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg dismissed a petition to ban Channel 14 from broadcasting programs featuring Likud, Religious Zionism, and Otzma Yehudit candidates.
- 02The petition argued that Channel 14 effectively serves as a propaganda channel, particularly for the Likud party.
- 03The petitioners cited election laws that prohibit television and radio election propaganda within 60 days of an election.
- 04Justice Sohlberg ruled that the petitioners have an alternative remedy through the Second Authority for Television and Radio.
- 05The petition was dismissed on procedural grounds because some claims were not raised in prior communications with the channel.
- 06A separate petition alleging a lack of ideological diversity on Channel 14 remains pending before the committee.
- 07Channel 14 has been ordered to respond to the pending ideological diversity petition by Friday.
The petitioners argued that Channel 14 functions as a propaganda channel, particularly for the Likud, and cited a section of the election law that forbids election propaganda on television and radio within 60 days of an election, except for officially sanctioned broadcasts.
Justice Sohlberg dismissed the petition without a substantive hearing, citing procedural issues and the availability of alternative remedies. He ruled that the petitioners have an alternative remedy through the Second Authority for Television and Radio, which possesses expertise in such matters. Additionally, the petition included claims about violations during the 60-day period that were not raised in the preliminary communication sent to the channel before the petition was filed.
A separate, more focused petition alleging a lack of ideological diversity on Channel 14 remains pending. The channel has been ordered to respond to this diversity petition by Friday.
Summarized by baba from the reports of 3 newsrooms. Updated
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Who covered it
- LeftNone
- CentreNone
- Right4
- Haredi1
- ArabNone
Not in the Left, Centre or Arab press
