Communications Minister MK Shlomo Karhi presented on Wednesday a revamped plan for a partial privatization of Israel’s Public Broadcasting Corporation, known as Kan, according to which its news section will be privatized but its original content section will remain state-funded. According to the plan, Kan’s news branch will be shut down completely, and its … Read more
Since his public corruption trial’s first hearing in May 2020, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has shown up a couple dozen times, mostly remaining quiet, voicing an occasional satirical remark, or evincing a condescending smirk here or there toward his opponents. But Tuesday was the first day that he got to speak directly to the … Read more
The Knesset Constitution Committee debated on Monday morning a controversial bill proposal that would alter the election method of the position of ombudsman of the judicial system. The judicial system currently lacks an ombudsman, who is responsible for hearing and treating complaints against judges. According to current law, the ombudsman, who traditionally is a … Read more
President Isaac Herzog said on Sunday that he was “very worried” about the “emergence of dramatic legislation in the Knesset affecting the foundations of democracy, including the judiciary, law enforcement, civil rights, media independence, and academia.” The comments, made at a memorial service for deceased Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion, came at the beginning of … Read more
Israeli democracy is “under attack,” Knesset opposition leader MK Yair Lapid said at the start of an “emergency” conference his party hosted in the Knesset in Jerusalem on Wednesday morning on government attempts to intervene in the media market. Lapid’s Yesh Atid party convened the conference, called the “Media Freedom Conference,” in the wake … Read more
Knesset members Zvi Sukkot and Simcha Rothman have proposed a legislative amendment that would permit a criminal investigation into the attorney general and the state attorney, Israeli media reported Tuesday. Under the proposed law, the police could approach the Minister of Justice to appoint a prosecutor with the same powers as the Attorney General … Read more
For the first time, the Knesset plenum will hold a debate on Wednesday to discuss firing Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara. Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana (Likud) approved the proposal in a meeting on Monday, in which lawmakers from Likud, Religious Zionist Party, United Torah Judaism, and Otzma Yehudit solidified the proposal around the question: Why has … Read more
Nearly half of the government’s ministers have signed a letter demanding to remove Attorney-General Gali Baharav-Miara from her position, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi revealed in an interview on Radio Kol Hai on Thursday morning. According to Karhi, 14 out of the government’s 33 ministers have already signed the letter. If over half of the … Read more
A government proposal to end the service of seven different ministerial legal advisors is illegal, and based on “foreign interests” geared towards removing restrictions on government power, the Attorney General’s Office wrote in a legal opinion on Sunday morning. The legal opinion came hours before the government was set to vote in its weekly … Read more
Following the uproar that began with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s dismissal of outgoing Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Tuesday night, The Knesset has approved new government appointments in a rare Thursday Plenum. Israel Katz has been appointed Defense Minister, and Gideon Sa’ar as Foreign Minister. Additionally, Ze’ev Elkin’s appointment as minister was also approved … Read more
