Key facts
- Israel's cabinet voted to defy a Supreme Court ruling concerning the country's broadcast regulator.
- The government argues the Second Authority for Television and Radio lacks the legal quorum to make decisions.
- The Supreme Court had ordered the regulator to continue its operations.
- This is the first time Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's government has directly challenged a Supreme Court ruling.
- Opposition leaders and legal experts have expressed concerns about a constitutional crisis and the impact on Israeli democracy.
Israel's cabinet has voted to defy a Supreme Court ruling that mandated the country's broadcast regulator, the Second Authority for Television and Radio, to continue its operations despite lacking the required number of members. The government, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, argues that the council does not meet the legal threshold to make decisions.
This decision marks a significant escalation in the government's clashes with the judiciary, being the first time it has openly flouted a Supreme Court ruling. Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, a key proponent of judicial reforms, proposed that the government not recognize any council decisions until the membership requirement is met. They stated that the court cannot "trample on the law" and that decisions made under the current circumstances are void.
Opposition leaders have strongly condemned the cabinet's vote. Yair Lapid described it as "the most serious constitutional crisis in Israel's history" and "the destruction of the foundations of our democracy." Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett warned of anarchy, while Gadi Eisenkot stated the government was "raising a hand against Israeli democracy."
Legal experts have voiced concerns about a potential constitutional crisis. The cabinet's decision could also impact the approval of the sale of Channel 13, a critic of Netanyahu, and the classification of Channel 14, which enjoys regulatory benefits as a "small channel." New elections are anticipated in September or October.