The Knesset passed a law that makes public television controlled by the government.

The Knesset passed a bill from Likud in preliminary reading, according to which the budget of the Israel Broadcasting Corporation will be approved by the government, not the Board of Directors. Deputies voted for the bill with a score of 55 to 45. Now the government gains full control over the corporation, which could lead to serious cuts in its budget.

Many see the law as part of judicial reform that undermines independent institutions and the judiciary. Legal adviser Gali Baarav-Miara spoke out against this decision.

Minister of Communications Shlomo Kari expressed the opinion that the corporation receives too much – 800 million shekels from the state. He compared this amount to the 29 million shekels that the Knesset Channel receives. However, such a comparison is not fair, since the public corporation includes several media outlets, such as the KAN Hadashot channel and the Reshet Bet radio station.

The minister was criticized by MP Karin Elharary from the Yesh Atid party, who believes that this measure will only strengthen control over free media.