Knesset committee in turmoil as Karhi accuses Attorney General of “war” over controversial media overhaul

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi accuses the Attorney General of "war" as the Knesset committee pushes through a media bill granting the government vast control.

By: AXL Media

Published: Apr 19, 2026, 2:56 PM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from The Times of Israel

Minister Karhi Escalates Conflict with Attorney General

During a Sunday meeting of the special Knesset committee tasked with advancing the Communications Bill, Minister Shlomo Karhi launched a stinging attack on Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara. Karhi accused her of launching a "war" against the government’s two flagship legislative efforts: the Conscription Law and the Communications Law. The Minister asserted that the Attorney General has "decided to take the rule of law into her own hands" by opposing the media overhaul, which seeks to dramatically restructure Israel's regulatory framework. This rhetoric underscores the deep-seated friction between the executive branch and institutional gatekeepers as the government attempts to fast-track its legislative agenda.

Proposed Media Overhaul and Regulatory Control

The Communications Bill aims to provide the government with unprecedented control over broadcast media, news websites, and digital platforms. Central to the legislation is the establishment of a new regulatory council with the authority to issue substantial fines and manage licensing. Under the current draft, a majority of the council's members would be appointed by the Communications Minister. Attorney Adv. Mesada Mazlavi, representing the committee’s professional legal team, warned that the current draft fails to address "fundamental core" issues, specifically noting that having the Communications Ministry’s Director General lead the member selection committee could compromise professional integrity and invite "foreign considerations" into regulatory decisions.

Procedural Chaos and "Bulldozing" Allegations

The committee session, chaired by Likud MK Galit Distel-Atbaryan, was marked by accusations of procedural misconduct. Opposition lawmakers, including Yesh Atid MK Shelly Tal Meron, accused Distel-Atbaryan of "putting on a show for the cameras" to simulate a genuine debate while refusing to adopt any professional legal amendments. Meron remarked that the disrespect shown toward the committee’s legal counsel was unprecedented in her tenure. Distel-Atbaryan countered by characterizing the legal objections as a "filibuster" intended to stall democratically elected policy, maintaining that she would not hand over "all control of the media" to the Attorney General's office.