Zulat for Equality and Human Rights filed a petition with the Supreme Court, sitting as the High Court of Justice, against the Media Law (Broadcasting), 2026, via attorneys Ronen Reingold and Ori Bassat. Under the law, new entities will be able to obtain news provider status under limited requirements, without obligations relating to editorial independence, separation from controlling owners, journalistic ethics, or reliability of information. At the same time, multichannel platforms will be required to distribute up to 10 new news channels free of charge and give them prominence on their viewing interfaces.
The very provisions intended to regulate the activities of news providers and safeguard their independence and reliability were removed from the law during the legislative process, whereas the distribution and prominence requirements were retained. As a result, new entities may gain broad distribution without being subject to basic professional and institutional guardrails.
News broadcasts are not an ordinary commercial product. They are essential to the public’s ability to understand the actions of government, form opinions, and participate meaningfully in the democratic process. It is precisely in an era of disinformation, polarization, and information bubbles that the law weakens the safeguards that protect independent and reliable news, thereby harming freedom of expression, freedom of the press, and the public’s right to know.
The petition also points to serious flaws in the legislative process: the law was advanced without the approval of the Attorney General and in defiance of professional and legal warnings. It was referred to a special committee rather than the Knesset Economic Affairs Committee, and it was debated at an accelerated pace, with substantial changes made along the way and without adequate consideration of its implications for news broadcasting.
The petition asks the Court to strike down the law on the grounds that it infringes on fundamental rights and that serious defects marred the legislative process. We also asked the Court to hold an urgent hearing before the new arrangements take effect and alter Israel’s news market in practice.
Subsequent Developments:
On 19 July 2026, the Supreme Court issued an interim order preventing the provisions of the Media Law that were scheduled to take effect on the date of its publication from coming into force, pending a decision on the requests for interim relief.
Zulat believes that adapting the broadcasting market to the digital age is necessary, but the news market cannot be opened to competition at the expense of editorial independence, professional responsibility, and reliability of information. A free, independent, and reliable media is a fundamental prerequisite for a functioning democracy.
Documents:
19.7.26 – Decision: Issuance of an interim order suspending the entry into force of the law’s provisions (Hebrew), here
