Israel cabinet set to defy top court on media regulator
Israeli cabinet members voted against a Supreme Court ruling on the country’s broadcast regulator, raising concerns of a constitutional crisis.
Although Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government has clashed with the judiciary in the past, this is the first time it has disregarded a Supreme Court ruling.
He sought to limit the court’s powers after elections in 2022, sparking global criticism and mass protests in Israel.
Judicial reform was shelved following the Hamas attacks on October 7, 2023, but parts have since been revived.
Israeli law requires the Second Television and Radio Authority to have a minimum number of members to make decisions.
The government argues that the council no longer has the power to approve appointments or take other action because it no longer meets this requirement.
However, on June 17, the court ruled that the council should proceed anyway.
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and Justice Minister Yariv Levin said in a statement that on Sunday the cabinet voted unanimously to reject the court decision.
The decision was swiftly condemned by opposition leaders vying to replace Netanyahu’s coalition in upcoming elections.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that “the government has become criminal”.
“This is the most serious constitutional crisis in the history of Israel. It is the destruction of the foundations of our democracy,” he said in a statement.
Karhi and Levin, a leading proponent of judicial changes, proposed that the government not recognize any council decisions or actions until the legal threshold for membership is met.
In its vote, the cabinet said the court had no authority to overrule the law and would “use all legal means at its disposal to invalidate the decision.”
“A decision contrary to the law will not be recognized and the decisions made according to this decision are invalid,” it was said.
Karhi criticized the court, saying it was not a parliament of judges.
He said any future decision by the media regulator would be “worthless”.
Levin added that when parliament passes a law, the court must comply with it.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog said that statements about not complying with Supreme Court decisions undermine the essence of unity in the country.
“I have already made this clear and will repeat it again and again; failure to comply with a court order is a red line that should not be crossed under any circumstances,” he said.
Very good. You can make a suggestion to achieve the best result in the shortest time – this is the best solution. Isaac Herzog (@Isaac_Herzog) July 5, 2026
Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs downplayed the ministers’ rhetoric, saying it was not a call to disobey the court’s decision, but rather a “stern criticism” of a decision that contradicts the government’s law.
“The government has announced that it will use all legal tools at its disposal to overturn the decision in the future. How do legal tools become disobedience of the decision?” Fuchs wrote in an X post.
Netanyahu did not comment on the cabinet’s decision, but his rivals did; Legal experts expressed concerns about a constitutional crisis.
Naftali Bennett, who is prime minister from 2021 to 2022, said: “Failure to comply with court decisions will lead to anarchy in the streets and the disintegration of our country.”
Similarly, Gadi Eisenkot, who will replace Netanyahu in the polls, said that the Israeli government “raised its hand against Israeli democracy” and that Netanyahu “divided Israel.”
The cabinet’s decision could affect the possible approval of the sale of Israeli Channel 13, one of the country’s largest commercial television networks and a critic of Netanyahu, to a group of high-tech entrepreneurs.
This could also affect whether pro-Netanyahu Channel 14 will continue to be classified as a “minor channel,” which provides regulatory benefits and exemptions.
The date for new elections has not yet been determined, but they are expected to be held in September or October.
