Communications Minister Shlomo Kar'hi is refusing to return the broadcast law to committee for amendment, despite his promise to Haredi parties to cancel the digital tracking app provision. Instead, he is asking Haredi lawmakers to remove seven clauses establishing the app during the final plenary vote, according to Channel 12 journalist Eli Hirshman. A senior Haredi party figure warned: 'We are not suckers — if he does not return it to the committee, there is no law.'
Communications Minister Shlomo Kar'hi is refusing to return the broadcast law to committee for amendment, despite his promise to Haredi parties to cancel the digital tracking app, according to Channel 12's Eli Hirshman. Instead, Kar'hi has asked Haredi lawmakers to remove seven clauses establishing the app during the final plenary vote, as reported at 16:05 Jerusalem. By 16:11, The Zioneer had published three updates on the standoff. A senior Haredi party figure warned: 'We are not suckers — if he does not return it to the committee, there is no law,' reflecting growing suspicion that Kar'hi is attempting to mislead them by relying on clauses where the app is mentioned in passing.
The Zioneer's first bulletin at 16:05 Jerusalem reported Kar'hi's refusal and the Haredi demand to return the law to the Economic Affairs Committee. A second version within the same minute added that Kar'hi proposed removing seven sections during the vote. A third version included the Haredi warning and the accusation of misleading. The entire thread relies on a single source, Eli Hirshman of Channel 12, but the direct quote from a senior Haredi figure adds weight to the Haredi position.
The broadcast law has been a source of coalition tension for weeks. The Zioneer reported on June 18 that Haredi parties were divided over support for the bill. On July 6, the Knesset legal advisor invalidated a related amendment by Kar'hi on procedural grounds. Kar'hi's office later announced adoption of the Maoz amendment to address religious concerns. The current standoff threatens the legislation's passage ahead of the Knesset's expected dissolution.
It remains unclear whether the Haredi parties will accept Kar'hi's proposal to remove clauses during the plenary vote, as they insist on a full committee return. The law's fate is uncertain.
4 developments
- StrongKnesset legal advisor invalidates Karhi broadcast law amendment on procedural grounds
- DevelopingKarhi's office confirms adoption of Maoz amendment to broadcast law
- DevelopingCommunications Minister Karhi says leftist press will not stop him, promises broadcast reform
- DevelopingMinister Karhi accuses opposition of trying to sabotage media reform by leaning on law enforcement
Source and signal
- Internal intake