The Israeli Knesset has advanced a bill that would give the government sweeping authority to shut down foreign media outlets it deems a “threat to national security,” without court oversight.
Passed in its first reading Monday night by a vote of 50 to 41, the bill now heads back to the National Security Committee for further debate before its final readings.
Introduced by Likud MK Ariel Kallner, the legislation seeks to make permanent the emergency powers used during the genocide in Gaza to block foreign broadcasts.
If enacted, the Minister of Communications would be able to order the closure or digital blocking of foreign TV channels and websites operating in Israel, without needing judicial approval or periodic review.
The Times of Israel reports that the bill, titled “Preventing Harm to State Security by Foreign Broadcast Entities,” also allows the minister to instruct internet providers and content distributors to restrict or halt specific media transmissions.
In coordination with the Defense Ministry, the minister could request technical measures to disrupt satellite signals and prevent reception of targeted broadcasts.
Haaretz notes that the bill removes the previous requirement for periodic reassessment of shutdown orders. Once issued, a closure order would remain in effect indefinitely unless the minister decides otherwise.
The law also introduces criminal penalties for noncompliance, including fines and legal action against entities that continue to broadcast banned content.
According to Israeli Ynet, the bill’s explanatory memorandum clarifies that its enforcement will not depend on wartime conditions or emergency declarations.
This means the government could censor foreign media even during peacetime, based solely on its own assessment of national security risks.
Critics warn the law would severely undermine press freedom in Israel. By granting the executive branch unchecked power to silence foreign journalism, the bill effectively allows the government to pick and choose which narratives are allowed to reach the public.
MK Naama Lazimi of the Labor Party called the bill “a direct threat to democracy,” while legal experts cited by Channel 13 argued it violates basic rights to free expression and erodes the principle of proportionality.
The move follows the government’s use of emergency powers earlier this year to shut down Al Jazeera’s offices and seize equipment from other international outlets, including the Associated Press. Media watchdogs and civil rights groups say the new law would institutionalize those tactics, turning temporary wartime censorship into a permanent tool for controlling information.
If passed, the legislation would mark a turning point in Israel’s media landscape—one where foreign press access is no longer protected by legal checks, but subject to the discretion of a single minister.
It is worth mentioning that the Israeli Knesset has also advanced two bills authorizing the death penalty for Palestinian detainees accused of killing Israeli citizens under what the proposed law defines as “racist or hateful motives.”
