Israeli government says it will not follow Supreme Court ruling on broadcast regulator

Israel's government stated this week that it will not implement a Supreme Court ruling on the makeup of the commercial broadcast regulator. The decision allows the regulator to continue operating with fewer members than originally required. Cabinet ministers described the court order as judicial overreach.

The dispute centers on whether the regulator can approve the sale of Channel 13 to a high-tech group viewed as critical of the government.

Court order and government response All living former chief justices issued a statement saying disobedience to court orders disrupts government order and leads to concentration of power. President Isaac Herzog called the government's position a red line that must not be crossed.

Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs posted on X that the decision represented sharp criticism of the ruling rather than refusal to obey it. Police Commissioner Daniel Levy said police will comply with every high court ruling.

Background on judicial overhaul efforts The government has pursued changes to the judiciary since returning to office in January 2022. Those efforts included legislation that opposition members described as a de facto coup and prompted 40 weeks of protests. Protests largely stopped after the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack and subsequent wars. National elections are scheduled for the end of October.