The High Court of Justice ruled Thursday evening that the Attorney General's claim—that closing Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) can only be done through legislation—has no basis. The ruling comes as the court previously struck down the government's closure order, citing extraneous considerations.
In a further development Thursday evening, the High Court of Justice ruled at 18:44 Jerusalem time that the Attorney General's legal position—that closing Army Radio (Galei Tzahal) requires legislation—has no basis. The judges stated that her stance is without foundation. This follow-up ruling comes hours after the court struck down the government's closure order itself, narrowing the legal avenues available for any future attempt to close the station.
At 18:07 Jerusalem, the High Court unanimously overturned the government's decision to shut down Galei Tzahal, ruling that the closure was based on extraneous and invalid considerations. Justice Kasher wrote that a governing authority cannot silence a broadcaster simply because it dislikes its content, calling such a move "clearly undemocratic." As The Zioneer reported at 18:34, the court emphasized that no broadcaster should be silenced due to displeasure with a presenter's remarks. The new ruling at 18:44 extends the court's rejection to the Attorney General's claim that legislation is the only route to closure.
As The Zioneer previously reported, on July 15 coalition rebels voted to restrict the Attorney General's standing to argue against the government in court—a development that has colored the legal backdrop of the current proceedings.
The Attorney General's office has not yet commented on the latest ruling.
6 developments
- DevelopingHigh Court strikes down Israeli gov't decision to close Army Radio
- StrongKatz issues full statement vowing to close Galei Tzahal after elections, rejects High Court ruling
- DevelopingNoam Amir (Channel 14) slams military censor for double standard on publication ban
- DevelopingNoam Amir (Channel 14) examines IDF leadership's communication method
Source and signal
- Open-source intake