The Israeli Parliament approves a reform of the media law that tightens government control

The Israeli Parliament has given the ‘green light’ this Thursday to a reform of the law that regulates the media, criticized by the opposition and by the State Attorney General, who have warned that it tightens government control and undermines press freedom.

The measure, promoted by the Minister of Communications, Shlomo Karhi, has been approved in third reading by 53 votes in favor and 48 votes against and replaces the current media system with a new regulatory authority and an audiovisual content council.

Under the new legislation, the Minister of Communications will be able to appoint four of the seven members of the council – which will have authority over the registration of providers, whether television channels or digital newspapers – while the director general of the Ministry will choose another.

The text includes new restrictions for the main media providers – such as the broadcast of content that includes violence, sexuality or religious conversion – and establishes a new financing framework for Israeli productions.

The council will have the power to cancel the registration of a supplier for failing to comply with the conditions of the new legislation, as well as impose fines for a minimum amount of 1% of its income for violating these conditions, according to ‘Times of Israel’.

One of the amendments included a provision to create a government application for mobile phones that would allow citizens to access public television channels and sports broadcasts for free, although it was rejected by the ultra-Orthodox United Torah Judaism and Shas parties for broadcasting on Saturdays.

The Israeli Channels Forum, which represents the country’s three main television networks, has criticized the legislation and has accused Karhi of wanting to take control of the media and favor the far-right and Netanyahu-friendly Channel 14, since this channel will not be affected by the new guidelines.

For their part, the State Attorney General, Gali Baharav-Miara, and the opposition have warned that this legislation, which has had a bumpy road to approval, with hundreds of tweaks, will allow the Government to interfere in the media.