Likud Minister Formulates Emergency Regulations to Imprison Citizens Who 'Harm National Morale' - Israel News - Haaretz.com
Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi is promoting regulations that would allow him to direct police to arrest civilians, remove them from their homes, or seize their property if he believes they have spread information that could harm national morale or served as the basis for enemy propaganda.
According to draft emergency regulations titled "Limiting Aid to the Enemy through Communication" drafted by the communications minister after consultation with National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the jurisdiction to impose limitations on publications will be sweeping.
It will apply to both the general public and the media, as well as both local and foreign media (in contrast to the stated objective to limit Al Jazeera). It will also apply to the publication of factually correct statements, at the minister's discretion.
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The draft was prepared under the government's jurisdiction to establish emergency regulations according to Section 39 of the Basic Law: The Government.
The draft defines "aiding the enemy through communication" as the dissemination of information that "undermines the morale of Israel's soldiers and residents in the face of the enemy," or information that "serves as a basis for enemy propaganda, including the spreading of the enemy's propaganda messages," or information that "aids the enemy in its war against Israel, its residents, or Jews."
The information covered by the regulations would include both visual and audio content, such as images and text. If the communications minister believes that their broadcast is aiding the enemy, he will be authorized to issue orders to stop the broadcast, orders to seize broadcast equipment, orders to remove a person from a specific area, and orders for law enforcement action in cases of violations of Penal Law Sections 103 (dissemination of subversive propaganda) or 134 (sedition publications).
It should be noted that the draft regulations, as formulated by the communications minister, fully contradict Israel's democratic values and are unlikely to be approved by the government's legal counsel.
Ironically, Karhi himself falls under the definition of offenses he published, having previously expressed contempt for Supreme Court justices, refused to state he will obey Supreme Court rulings, and, six months ago, expressed disdain for reserve soldiers who refused to volunteer ("The people of Israel will get by without you, and you can go to hell").
In an interview with the Galey Israel radio station on Sunday morning, Karhi claimed that the proposed draft emergency regulations were intended to shut down broadcasts of the Qatari Al Jazeera network in Israel, and that the draft was passed on to security officials.
"As far as I'm concerned, they won't be able to operate in Israel, [but] I don't know what the legal counsel will leave from the regulations I've introduced – including the confiscation of equipment and office closures."
According to Karhi, Israel's National Security Council supports the closure of the Al Jazeera network, and he "hopes they will be able to bring the final version of the regulations today [Sunday] to the cabinet meeting."
It's important to mention that Karhi is presently advocating a reform targeted at undermining established media outlets. He expressed his intention to intervene in content when he took office. "Journalists today serve their agenda. In my vision, journalists will serve the public. When my reform is completed ... channels won't be able to broadcast intellectual disgrace without feeling it in their pockets."
It should be noted that this is not Karhi's first move to take advantage of the ongoing security emergency. Over the weekend, the Israeli Walla website reported that the communications minister had intervened aggressively to favor Channel 14, which tends to support Netanyahu's coalition.
Karhi directed Israel's Second Authority for Television and Radio to broadcast Channel 14 free of charge on the Idan Plus system, despite it owing the authority nearly 20 million shekels (about $5 million), including a debt of approximately 7 million shekels for airing its content on Idan Plus.
The communications minister has not responded to an inquiry on the matter.