Shlomo Karhi and Benjamin Netanyahu
Shlomo Karhi and Benjamin NetanyahuLikud

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara has authorized Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi to speak with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about promoting reforms in the Israel Public Broadcasting Corporation and other media outlets, Israel Hayom reported on Thursday

When Karhi took up his post at the Communications Ministry, the Attorney General forbade him to talk to Netanyahu about the affairs of the ministry due to his trial.

The previous Attorney General, Avichai Mandelblit, informed Netanyahu in 2017 that he was prevented from serving as Communications Minister due to conflict of interest related to allegations that he negotiated for better personal coverage with the publisher the Yediot Aharonot newspaper, Arnon Mozes.

In her letter to Karhi upon his assumption of office, Baharav-Miara wrote that, in the wake of Netanyahu's conflict of interest settlement from 2020, which was reached in light of the ongoing trial in his case, he and Netanyahu would not be permitted to discuss regulatory matters related to the Ministry of Communications.

In addition, Baharav-Miara wrote, Karhi and Netanyahu should seek permission from the Attorney General or the Deputy Attorney General to discuss any issue they want to talk about.