Bill that would effectively shutter public broadcaster approved by ministerial committee

The Ministerial Committee on Legislation supports a bill mandating the privatization of the Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation within two years, effectively closing down the country’s public broadcaster.

The private member’s bill, sponsored by Likud MK Tally Gotliv, is identical to legislation previously advanced by Communications Minister Shlomi Karhi.

If passed, it would require the government to issue a tender for the purchase of the television and radio networks controlled by the IPBC — which operates the Kan public broadcaster and Reshet Bet radio, among others. If a buyer cannot be found in two years, the broadcaster will be shuttered.

In the bill’s explanatory notes, Gotliv argues that the move is necessary to “increase competition” in the media market and claims that the IPBC’s current output does not justify its “extremely high” government budget.

In a letter to Justice Minister Yariv Levin, who chairs the Ministerial Committee on Legislation, the Attorney General’s Office expresses concern that such far-reaching legislation is being advanced by an individual lawmaker rather than as a government bill that would go through rigorous examination by ministerial professionals.

The Attorney General’s Office also asserts that the bill sends a “clear and serious” message that “criticism of the government or broadcast of content that is not favorable to the government may lead to measures against the media and their restriction.”

The Movement for Quality Government watchdog also criticizes the bill, calling its advancement “another step in an orchestrated and planned campaign to weaken Israeli democracy and severely harm freedom of the press” and warning against what it calls a “political takeover of independent media in Israel.”