Highly controversial legislation that would give the government significant control over broadcast media regulation was approved by the Ministerial Committee for Legislation on Sunday, meaning it will be backed by the coalition when it comes for its preliminary hearing in the Knesset plenum.

The legislation, advanced by Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi, would see the establishment of a new regulatory council with a majority of members chosen by the communications minister, which would have an array of authorities over broadcast media, including the ability to issue hefty fines.

Karhi, one of the most far-right members of the Likud party, has claimed that the law would increase competition in the media market and reduce costs for content consumers.

But shortly before the approval of the bill in the ministerial committee, Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara stated in a legal position paper that it would enable “political interference in the work of broadcast bodies and endanger the free press in Israel.”

The bill will now be passed to the Knesset for its preliminary reading in the plenum, and if approved, will then move on to the committee process.

“The monopolies and advocates of centralization did everything they could to stop this process. They wanted to preserve the existing situation, where the public pays more, receives less, and is controlled by powerful media outlets with regulatory immunity,” said Karhi, following approval of his bill by the ministerial committee.

But Baharav-Miara stated in her legal position paper, addressed to Justice........

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