Professors for a Strong Israel

Statement to the Press - 27 August 2000

Re: The High Court of Justice and leftist domination of the broadcast authorities

In the wake of the recent decision of the High Court of Justice, Prof. Eli Pollak, Chairman of Professors for a Strong Israel, has sent the following letter to the Members of Knesset identified with the National Camp:

The Court's decision permitting the disbanding of the governing councils of the Broadcast Authority and of the Second Channel sets a grave precedent. The judicial branch has damaged the principle of separation of powers by its arbitrary revocation of legitimate appointments made by an elected government. It has allowed the present Government of the Left - which has already demonstrated active interference in the media - to rule the broadcast media directly by means of newly appointed governing councils. The implications for the approaching election campaign, which is apparently what the Court had in mind, are obvious.

We thus ask you to take the following steps:

  1. to submit urgent legislation that will make appointments to the governing councils of the broadcasting authorities subject to approval by the Education Committee of the Knesset, or by the Knesset as a whole;
  2. to support the bill submitted by MK Rabbi Benny Elon that would eliminate the television tax that today finances the reign of the Left in the media, burdens low-income families, and furnishes funds for widespread abuse by the Broadcast Authority;
  3. to submit and to support legislation governing the broadcast media that will apply the principle of "open skies" as enunciated by the Peled Committee;
  4. to call a public meeting of the National Camp that will consider how to end the hegemony of the Court and of the Left over the Israeli media.
We ask you to take a leading role in this effort. Professors for a Strong Israel will follow closely the activity of the MK's of the National Camp in this important sphere, and make public its assessments. The State of Israel is entitled to honest media in place of leftist media.

Dr. Ron Breiman, Spokesman
Tel: 050-518 940