Israeli Government Says It Will Not Respect Supreme Court Ruling on Broadcasting Council; Court Blocks Cabinet Plan to Close Army Radio

Israel's government stated on Sunday that it would not respect last month's Supreme Court ruling requiring the Council of the Second Authority for Television and Radio to continue operations despite lacking a two-thirds quorum of members. The court had ruled the government's proposed alternative board illegal after outgoing members departed and left the body short of the required quorum.

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi had moved to replace the council and director.

Justice Minister Yariv Levin said the ruling would not be respected and added that the court is not above the law and there is no anarchy here. The government described the decision as a clear case of judicial overreach. Israeli President Isaac Herzog wrote on X that statements calling for noncompliance with High Court rulings strike at the heart of the nation's unity and that non-compliance with a court ruling is a red line that must not be crossed under any circumstances.

Opposition parties and the attorney-general also criticized the declaration. Israel dropped four points in the Press Freedom Index to 116th out of 180. Legislation before the Knesset would end the independent funding structure of the KAN public broadcaster and require its budget to be set by the government each year.

Only five of the 12 positions on the KAN board are filled, and seven votes are needed for a quorum. The Israeli cabinet voted in December to close the publicly funded Army Radio. The Supreme Court has blocked that closure.

Foreign journalists remain banned from entering the Gaza Strip except when escorted by the IDF and subject to military censorship. The Israeli Union of Journalists supports the Foreign Press Association's efforts to overturn the ban. The Netanyahu government refuses to participate in conferences organized by Haaretz.

Defence Minister Israel Katz called on army generals not to cooperate with Haaretz correspondents. Minister for National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir does not respond to comment requests from the newspaper. The Minister of Economics sued Channel 12 news for 12 million shekels over an investigative piece and established a fund to support similar suits.