Israeli’s Attorney-General Denies Bill’s “Fast-Tracking” in Defense of Freedom of Expression

Israel’s attorney-general has prevented the use of a legislative fast-track procedure for a proposed piece of legislation that if passed, will give the prime minister an exceptional level of control over the new public broadcasting entity and electronic media outlets. The parliamentary procedure had been requested by the Communications Ministry which had been controlled by Prime Minister Netanyahu who retained the minister’s portfolio until forced to relinquish it by a court. It was then assigned to a longtime political ally of the PM. In a statement, the attorney-general said implications to freedom of expression and broad public implications were the reasons he acted. As a result, the bill is not killed, but instead must await professional assessments and determinations that normally accompany legislation. The decision to disband the existing broadcasting authority and create a new public broadcasting entity has emerged as a political hot potato threatening the government. One aspect of the new bill many find problematic is that Israeli media will be under the control of an eleven-man panel — all of whom will be political appointments.