Legislation9/24/2026

Attorney General Asks High Court of Justice to Completely Freeze the Broadcasting Law

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara supported 11 petitions against Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s Broadcasting Law. She is asking the High Court of Justice to suspend the entire law until a final ruling is issued, pointing to serious flaws in the legislative process and a threat to freedom of the press.

Key facts

•Publication date: September 24, 2026
•Court: High Court of Justice—Bagatz
•11 petitions were filed against the Broadcasting Law
•“Small license” threshold: from 80 million to 2 billion shekels
•The interim order was issued by Justice Ofer Grosskopf
•The case numbers were not specified in the original source

Who Petitioned the Court

The petitioners include Keshet 12, News 12, the Journalists’ Organization, the Hatzlacha nonprofit organization, and other entities. Because the Attorney General’s position is entirely opposed to that of Shlomo Karhi, the minister is represented separately in the proceeding. The petition numbers were not specified in the original source.

What Flaws the Attorney General Identified

According to Baharav-Miara’s position, the bill reached the Knesset before the required government staff work had been completed, and the expedited parliamentary process did not allow Knesset members meaningful participation in key decisions. It was further argued that obstacles were placed in the way of the Knesset’s legal advisers and that the communications minister exercised unusual practical control over the special committee chaired by Knesset member Galit Distel-Atbaryan. In the Attorney General’s view, the cumulative effect of these flaws infringed the right of Knesset members to participate and harmed the institutional framework between the government and the Knesset.

Which Changes Are Raising Concerns

At the final stage, the entire chapter dealing with enforcement was removed from the bill, and substantial amendments were introduced. The threshold for obtaining “small license” status was raised from 80 million to 2 billion shekels, effectively exempting the major commercial channels Keshet 12 and Reshet 13 from the requirement to maintain a separate and independent news company. The Attorney General also pointed to the removal of restrictions on cross-ownership, the authorization of advertising on cable and satellite broadcasts, and the establishment of the selection committee for the new council—measures that, in her assessment, could irreversibly change the media market, particularly ahead of the elections.

What the High Court Has Already Decided and Who Objects

After the law was enacted, Justice Ofer Grosskopf issued an interim order suspending the provisions that took immediate effect, including the concessions for holders of small licenses and the prohibition on exclusivity in sports content. The provisions scheduled to take effect later this year have not yet been frozen; the decision on the request for a complete freeze was not specified in the original source. The i24NEWS channel is seeking to have the request denied, arguing that it could cause tens of millions of shekels in damage and harm competition, while Shlomo Karhi disputes the court’s authority to intervene in the work of the government and the Knesset.

What this means for you

Pending the High Court of Justice’s ruling, some of the new arrangements that took immediate effect have already been suspended, but the law as a whole has not yet been frozen. For viewers and entities in the media market, the outcome of the dispute will determine whether the new rules on ownership, advertising, sports content, and the organization of news companies will take effect before the petitions are heard on their merits.

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