Israeli minister launches attack on 'politically biased' state media

The Israeli Public Broadcasting Corporation has “violated the law” by broadcasting political content, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi told the management of the organization.

Karhi’s letter also raised concerns about the IPBC’s compliance with the Broadcasting Law and its potential impact on free media.

In the four-page letter, Karhi details several instances where he believes the IPBC breached the law by airing politically biased content. One such instance cited in the letter is a segment from the entertainment program Come Dine with Me, a reality show airing on IPBC’s channel KAN 11. While this show is not inherently political, Karhi found fault in how it presented events related to left-wing protests, implying a political bias.

“[In] the collection of episodes that took place in Tel Aviv, the editors repeatedly included excerpts from the left-wing demonstrations, while the narrator refers to those demonstrations as if they were characteristic, God forbid, of the city of Tel Aviv,” he wrote. “This edit not only does an injustice to the first Hebrew city, it also reflects the sympathy of the creators of the program for the political message of the protests, normalizes certain political opinions over others, and forcefully inserts political content into an entertainment program that is supposed to provide a respite from this discussion.”

Furthermore, Karhi scrutinized personal statements made by the IPBC’s editors and staff on social media platforms, raising concerns about potential biases. He opposed the use of the term “West Bank” on the IPBC’s English-language radio stations, claiming that it does not reflect an objective reality and perpetuates a divisive geographic distinction.“The continued use of this expression is inconsistent with the corporation’s obligation to give fair and balanced expression to the prevailing views in Israel. You are therefore required to prohibit the continued use of this expression, and enforce the prohibition,” he demanded.

The letter’s exhaustive detailing of specific cases is worrisome coming from a minister actively promoting political control over Israel’s media landscape through the Broadcasting Law, a piece of legislation that involves creating a regulator, eliminating news broadcasting licenses, allowing advertising for most platforms while stripping the IPBC of advertising, and changing investment in local content.

In response to Karhi’s letter, Channels 12 and 13 issued a scathing critique.

“Minister Karhi today provided a glimpse of what the Israeli media might look like on the day the reform he is promoting is passed – weak, docile, and, above all, subordinated to the political interests of the government,” they wrote, referring to Karhi’s efforts to impose the Broadcasting Law.

Media landscape disrupted

Critics fear political interference in media and potential harm to local content creators. The law may intensify competition, affecting broadcasting channels. The IPBC stands to lose advertising revenue, potentially leading to layoffs and program cancellations. The changes could disrupt the media landscape in Israel, raising questions about their ultimate impact.

“The minister wants to control the corporation’s board as well, to the point of censoring journalists’ comments on Twitter,” the channels wrote, concluding by suggesting that Karhi is aiming for “a total takeover of the free media in Israel.”

The fears surrounding Karhi’s broadcasting legislation primarily revolve around the potential for government interference and harsh censorship within the country’s media landscape. These concerns are rooted in the belief that the proposed reforms may undermine the principles of free press, independent journalism, and open discourse – pillars of any healthy democracy.

Zulat Institute – a progressive research organization dedicated to defending liberal democracy in Israel –  contended that the minister lacks the legal authority to jeopardize public broadcasting as he portrays it.“This is another mix of incitement and lies designed to discredit public broadcasting to make it ‘loyal to the government,’” the institute wrote.

“The IPBC would do well to treat Karhi’s letter as it deserves and put it straight into the shredder,” it added.The institute’s statement underscored the concern that the minister may be overstepping his bounds and attempting to exert undue influence over the media landscape. The integrity and independence of public broadcasting are vital components of a thriving democracy, and any attempts to compromise these principles must be scrutinized carefully, it said.