Communications Minister Dr. Shlomo Karhi called on the Israeli Broadcasting Corporation to immediately stop airing an advertisement for the Israeli-Palestinian Memorial Day ceremony across all its platforms.
In a letter sent this evening, Karhi argued that the ad is highly controversial and offends bereaved families, especially given the sensitivity of the day. He wrote that broadcasting it does not reflect pluralism or freedom of expression, but instead represents an inappropriate use of public media to promote a divisive message.
Karhi stated that public broadcasting should not be used to air a provocative message presented as reconciliation.
At the same time, the minister is continuing to push forward legislation aimed at significantly reducing the corporation’s budget. The proposal, which moved to the Finance Committee about a month ago, would increase government and Knesset oversight of both the broadcaster’s funding and its content.
According to Karhi, the corporation has misused public funds and, at times, acted in ways that undermine the state, IDF soldiers, and bereaved families, while giving space to narratives he says align with Israel’s adversaries.