Jerusalem, 8 September, 2026 (TPS-IL) — The High Court of Justice on Tuesday struck down three government appointments to Israel’s Second Authority for Television and Radio, escalating a confrontation between the judiciary and the government over control of the commercial broadcasting regulator.
The unanimous ruling cancels the Appointment of Yifat Ben Hai Segev as the authority’s chairwoman, along with those of Kinneret Barashi and Haim Shein. The judges also ordered the government to reconsider all appointments it made to the 15-member authority in March.
The case is part of a broader political battle over Channel 13, whose proposed acquisition by a group of technology entrepreneurs led by a prominent critic of the government requires regulatory approval.
Petitioners, including the Union of Journalists in Israel and the Movement for Quality Government, accused Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi and the government of seeking to reshape the authority for political purposes and prevent the Channel 13 deal.
They argued that Ben Hai Segev’s appointment conflicted with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s conflict-of-interest agreement because she had testified in his criminal trial. They also challenged Barashi and Shein, citing what they said was inadequate scrutiny of their candidacies and their public criticism of media organizations over which they could exercise regulatory authority.
The court accepted the petitions and invalidated the appointments.
The ruling comes after the government adopted an extraordinary resolution declaring it would “not recognize” decisions concerning Channel 13 made by the authority under the court’s ruling.
Cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs subsequently sought to clarify the government’s position, saying ministers had not threatened to defy the court but had voiced their “sharp criticism” of its decision.
Ben Hai Segev had already resigned in July. She said the court’s freezing of the authority’s operations in May had prevented her from assuming the position.