Overview
- The cabinet voted on Sunday to reject a June 17 High Court order that directed the Second Authority for Television and Radio to continue operating despite resignations that left it below the two‑thirds quorum required by law.
- The government says the council lacks legal authority without the statutory quorum and has declared it will not recognise any council decisions until the threshold is restored.
- Israel’s High Court warned on July 7 that public officials who fail to comply with rulings may face prosecution and top former justices, the president, the attorney general and legal bodies sharply condemned the cabinet’s declaration.
- The dispute has immediate practical stakes, including a pending sale of Channel 13 and the regulatory status of pro‑government Channel 14, with ministers saying they will use legal means to nullify the court order.
- The clash revives elements of the coalition’s earlier judicial overhaul, is tied to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ongoing legal battles, and could set a precedent that shapes judicial‑executive fights and the run‑up to the autumn election.