The Movement for a Jewish and Democratic State, a body that works with legal means to strengthen Israel's Jewish and democratic values, has submitted an urgent petition to the Chairman of the Central Elections Committee, Judge Hanan Meltzer, against the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation and the Second Broadcasting Authority, demanding the amendment of the rules governing the broadcasting of television and radio channels during the election campaign so as not tonot harm the representation of Sabbath observers on broadcast media.
The petitioner emphasizes that it does not wish to cancel the broadcasts of current affairs broadcast on the Sabbath, but to transfer the political discussions in these programs to Thursdays. The petition was filed after many months in which the corporation and the authority ignored the movement's appeals for such a move. The movement is now requesting that the committee enter the void and correct the injustice itself, in consultation with whom it deems appropriate, including the two bodies, to prevent further exclusion and severe infringement of freedom of expression and democratic values.