Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced he will adopt MK Avi Maoz's amendment to the media reform bill, following demands by UTJ and Shas, in order to prevent harm to religious values. Karhi urged the two Haredi parties to support the right-wing media reform, calling the campaign against it a smear effort by Channel 12.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi announced Monday evening that he will adopt an amendment proposed by MK Avi Maoz (Religious Zionism) to the media reform bill, in order to meet religious-concern demands voiced by the coalition's two Haredi parties — Shas and United Torah Judaism (UTJ). Karhi's statement, published by his office via the Ynet-Yedioth Ahronoth feed, comes after both UTJ (June 22, 13:23) and Shas (June 22, 17:22) declared they would vote against the bill in its original form, leaving the coalition without a majority to pass it. Karhi framed the amendment as a move to prevent harm to religious values, while simultaneously accusing Channel 12 of waging a smear campaign against the bill and against Haredi and right-wing constituencies.
Karhi's opening to the Haredi parties does not, however, address the procedural setback the bill suffered the same day: the Knesset legal advisor invalidated a separate amendment to Karhi's broadcast law on procedural grounds (June 22, 13:22), citing defects in committee proceedings. It remains unclear whether the Maoz amendment will resolve the legislative hurdles raised by the Knesset legal advisor, and whether Shas and UTJ will now reverse their opposition and support the bill in the final Knesset votes.
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