Jerusalem, 24 October, 2026 (TPS-IL) — Democrats Party Chairman Yair Golan said on Saturday night that if he came to power, he would demand that the right-wing Channel 14 adhere to accepted journalistic standards and sign the Press Council’s Code of Ethics, and if the channel refuses, it would be shut down. Golan described the move as an exercise in “defensive democracy” against what he characterized as a propaganda channel rather than a conventional news outlet.
Golan also drew a sharp line against state funding for national-religious institutions, criticizing the close ties between religion and government in Israel.
Golan argued that public funds should not support institutions whose teachings he considers unacceptable. His criticism focused on the pre-military academy in Eli, a prominent Religious Zionist institution whose graduates include IDF officers and combat soldiers, many of whom fell in IDF battles.
