Election panel rejects Yesh Atid appeal to designate Channel 14 as ‘political body’
Judge rebuffs petition claiming news network operates as Likud propaganda arm, cites importance of ‘freedom of political expression’ during election cycle
The head of the Central Elections Committee on Thursday rejected a petition by Yesh Atid, the party of Prime Minister Yair Lapid, to designate Israel’s Channel 14 news as a campaign body.
Yesh Atid, a centrist party, had claimed that the right-wing Channel 14 was working to ensure that Likud, the right-wing party of Benjamin Netanyahu, was successful in November’s national election.
Judge Isaac Amit ordered Yesh Atid to compensate Channel 14 for legal costs.
In its petition, Yesh Atid said “Channel 14 and its social media publications are electoral bodies which work to spread election propaganda for the benefit of Likud.”
The petition argued that Channel 14 specifically targets Yesh Atid, imploring viewers not to vote for it, and in doing so “exceeding any reasonable standard of journalism.”
After the petition was filed, Channel 14 embarked on a public campaign featuring the slogan “Lapid, you won’t silence us!” featuring pictures of Channel 14’s most recognized presenters.
In his ruling, Judge Amit cited the importance of maintaining freedom of political expression within the media, particularly during an election cycle.
“Freedom of political expression is an inseparable part of holding free and fair elections, and through it, voters can get an impression of the ‘market of opinions’ and make an informed decision when they come to put their vote in the ballot box,” Amit said.
In rejecting the petition, Amit said that Yesh Atid had failed to prove that Channel 14 had fulfilled the legal definition of election propaganda.
Responding to the Judge’s decision, Channel 14 released a statement, saying “It would have been good if the prime minister of a democratic state hadn’t filed a petition against a news channel.
“The attempt to label a media body as a political body just because the government does not like the criticism that appears in [its programs], is wrong and should cause concern among all journalists,” Channel 14 said.
The Times of Israel Community.