Israeli cabinet defies High Court ruling on broadcast regulator

Israel's cabinet approved a declaration on Sunday stating it will not recognize decisions, appointments or actions by the Council of the Second Authority, defying a High Court ruling that permitted the broadcasting regulator to continue operating despite lacking a legal quorum. The resolution was proposed by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Justice Minister Yariv Levin, according to The Times of Israel, and creates a situation where the court considers the council's decisions valid while the government refuses implementation.

Constitutional standoff

The government argued that the court verdict violated provisions of the 1990 law governing the council, insisting that "the rule of law obligates all governmental authorities, including the court." It claimed that a court ruling "cannot confer authority that does not exist under the law." Last month, the High Court froze a government decision to alter the council's composition and ruled it could continue functioning despite resignations that left it below the required two-thirds quorum — suspecting the resignations were intended to deliberately paralyze the regulator's work and undermine an earlier judicial ruling. The court also accused Karhi of orchestrating efforts to obstruct the council's operations following an interim order issued in May.

Opposition backlash

Opposition leaders warned the move undermines the rule of law and risks legal chaos. Former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett said refusing to comply with High Court decisions would lead to "chaos in the streets" and "the disintegration of the state." Opposition leader Yair Lapid said a government rejecting court rulings "immediately becomes an illegal government," adding that his bloc would continue recognizing the authority and decisions of the current council.

Former army chief and Knesset member Gadi Eisenkot also criticized the move, saying in a post on X that "the government of Israel is raising its hand against Israeli democracy." President Isaac Herzog weighed in with a similar warning, stating that calls to defy High Court rulings harm "the essence of the unity of the people." "I have said it before and I will repeat it again and again: non-compliance with a judicial ruling is a red line that must not be crossed under any circumstances," Herzog said in a post on X.

Judicial clashes

The dispute marks the latest clash between Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition and the High Court since the government took office in late 2022. Ministers have repeatedly accused the judiciary of interfering in legislative and executive powers. In February, the court issued a conditional order requiring Netanyahu to explain why National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir had not been dismissed.