Likud MK calls for Israeli news channels to be silenced by gov't

Likud MK Tally Gotliv called on Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi on Saturday night to silence the broadcasts of channels 11, 12 and 13.

"The communications minister has the authority to stop media broadcasts during specials situations and during emergency situations," she wrote. "Minister, it's time to silence the broadcasts of 11, 12 and 13 as part of your authority according to Section 13 of the Bezeq Law."

לשר התקשורת יש סמכות להפסיק שידורי תקשורת בעת מצב מיוחד ובעת חירום בעורף כפי שהכריזה הממשלה.אדוני השר זה הזמן להשתיק את שידורי 11, 12, 13 במסגרת סמכותך לפי ס. 13 לחוק הבזק. בשנאה ובשקרים ובפגיעה בחוסן הלאומי ע״י ערוצי תקשורת תועמלניים ופוגעניים משיבים באופן היחיד שהם יבינו.

— טלי גוטליב (@TallyGotliv) May 13, 2023

She added that Karhi needed to fight "hate and lies and damage to national resilience by the harmful propaganda media channels by responding in the only way they will understand."

Section 13 of the law referenced by Gotliv specifies who is allowed to block media broadcasts and in what cases.

Gotliv did not specify what offenses she believed the channels she listed had made to deserve to be silenced, and perceived "hate and lies" are not enough to legally allow the government to block broadcasts.

Karhi responded to Gotliv on Twitter, agreeing with her but refusing her demand.

"Dear Tally, I am also enraged, but I would not want to live in a country where the communications minister or the government shut down channels that criticize them, even if they cross the line and sometimes confuse friend and foe," he wrote. "The solution is my communications reform in which the only power is in the hands of the viewers. They decide. They raise or collapse broadcasts. Only them."

Gotliv is known for controversial statements

Gotliv has been known to make controversial statements in the past like blaming High Court of Justice President Esther Hayut for a terror attack in March.