Part of the Knesset debate yesterday revolved around the topic of Arutz-7, its closure, and the possibility of resuming its broadcasts. "According to what they always told us," said MK Prof. Aryeh Eldad (National Union), "the problem with allowing Arutz-7 to broadcast is rooted in the lack of frequencies, as it is a scarce national resource. Yet, in the framework of the peace-illusions of the Oslo Agreements, the State of Israel allocated no fewer than eight frequencies to the Palestinian Authority so that it could bear the tidings of peace... But what they in fact did with this precious national resource of ours, we know very well: they broadcast the mosques' incitement to murder us, and they filmed the staging of bus-bombings, and the emotional partings between mothers and their murderer-sons... The broadcasts teach young [PA Arabs] that shahids don't actually die, but go to a heaven where 72 dark-eyed virgins await them. After seeing this 20 times a day on our scarce national resource, they run out to put on an explosive vest and blow up Jews..." Eldad therefore proposed that Israel now offer these frequencies to Israeli stations such as Arutz-7, "the voice of a very large public in Israel."
MK Eli Yeshai (Shas) said that Arutz-7 and hareidi stations should have been approved long ago. He expressed mild criticism of the Supreme Court for overturning, in March 2002, the Knesset law that recognized Arutz-7: "I would have expected the Court to instruct the government to find a solution to the problem, and to maintain the status quo until a solution is found." He also said that just as illegal buildings are often "laundered" and retroactively legalized by various urban planning regulations, the same should have been done for the hareidi radio stations. He praised Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin who, "as Communications Minister tried hard to solve the problem... there were some things that we couldn't compromise on... but the bottom line is that there is no legal hareidi station, and this is the result of the policy of 'silencing,' there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of expression, and this is a mark of shame for democracy."
Communications Minister Ehud Olmert responded with dripping irony to Yeshai for asking the government to ignore the law-breaking stations. "A former Deputy Prime Minister stands here and expresses astonishment at the government for wanting to enforce the law!" Yeshai attempted to respond from his seat that the intention was that the government should correct the law in accordance with the principles of freedom of speech so that there would be no need for pirate stations to break the law. Olmert also mocked the many groupings within the hareidi public, which, he said, made it difficult to find an agreed-upon solution.
Olmert said that the number of analog frequencies are limited, "and there are maybe only three. They cannot be given out freely... and therefore it has to be by tender. Some say that there should be an 'open skies' policy for digital frequencies, but the problem is that there are not so many digital radios - each one costs a lot." Rivlin interjected: "$700 each." Olmert then said that he is willing "tomorrow morning" to declare a tender for "digital radio stations for whoever wants and meets the minimal requirements." Rivlin then cautioned him that he was going too far, as such an arrangement could cause problems of overlap with other stations.
Olmert then said that the "settlement" public in Yesha deserves its own station, and that "we will hold a tender to choose the body that will be allowed to run this station." He said the same regarding a national hareidi station. MK Yitzchak Herzog of Labor interjected, "What about the Galilee settlement public?", to which Speaker Rivlin replied, "The Galilee settlements already have Reshet Bet and Reshet Aleph [Voice of Israel]."
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, speaking on one of Arutz-7 Radio's last broadcasts two weeks ago, said,
"The management of Arutz-7 and its supporters did everything they could to attain legal recognition and be able to broadcast, from land, the important and central voice of Torah, the nation, and the land. A law was even passed in the Knesset - but the Supreme Court, in a practically unprecedented decision, overturned it. Many initiatives to legalize Arutz-7 were raised, but were thwarted by Justice Ministry lawyers and others who objected to any type of solution. Even when it was decided that Arutz-7 could compete in a tender for regional radio, the membership of the committee was changed at the last minute so that it would not choose Arutz-7."
Yesterday's Knesset session ended with a 19-9 vote to move the entire discussion, including MK Eldad's proposal to assign a PA frequency to Arutz-7, to a Knesset committee.
MK Eli Yeshai (Shas) said that Arutz-7 and hareidi stations should have been approved long ago. He expressed mild criticism of the Supreme Court for overturning, in March 2002, the Knesset law that recognized Arutz-7: "I would have expected the Court to instruct the government to find a solution to the problem, and to maintain the status quo until a solution is found." He also said that just as illegal buildings are often "laundered" and retroactively legalized by various urban planning regulations, the same should have been done for the hareidi radio stations. He praised Knesset Speaker Ruby Rivlin who, "as Communications Minister tried hard to solve the problem... there were some things that we couldn't compromise on... but the bottom line is that there is no legal hareidi station, and this is the result of the policy of 'silencing,' there is no freedom of speech, no freedom of expression, and this is a mark of shame for democracy."
Communications Minister Ehud Olmert responded with dripping irony to Yeshai for asking the government to ignore the law-breaking stations. "A former Deputy Prime Minister stands here and expresses astonishment at the government for wanting to enforce the law!" Yeshai attempted to respond from his seat that the intention was that the government should correct the law in accordance with the principles of freedom of speech so that there would be no need for pirate stations to break the law. Olmert also mocked the many groupings within the hareidi public, which, he said, made it difficult to find an agreed-upon solution.
Olmert said that the number of analog frequencies are limited, "and there are maybe only three. They cannot be given out freely... and therefore it has to be by tender. Some say that there should be an 'open skies' policy for digital frequencies, but the problem is that there are not so many digital radios - each one costs a lot." Rivlin interjected: "$700 each." Olmert then said that he is willing "tomorrow morning" to declare a tender for "digital radio stations for whoever wants and meets the minimal requirements." Rivlin then cautioned him that he was going too far, as such an arrangement could cause problems of overlap with other stations.
Olmert then said that the "settlement" public in Yesha deserves its own station, and that "we will hold a tender to choose the body that will be allowed to run this station." He said the same regarding a national hareidi station. MK Yitzchak Herzog of Labor interjected, "What about the Galilee settlement public?", to which Speaker Rivlin replied, "The Galilee settlements already have Reshet Bet and Reshet Aleph [Voice of Israel]."
Rabbi Eliezer Melamed, speaking on one of Arutz-7 Radio's last broadcasts two weeks ago, said,
"The management of Arutz-7 and its supporters did everything they could to attain legal recognition and be able to broadcast, from land, the important and central voice of Torah, the nation, and the land. A law was even passed in the Knesset - but the Supreme Court, in a practically unprecedented decision, overturned it. Many initiatives to legalize Arutz-7 were raised, but were thwarted by Justice Ministry lawyers and others who objected to any type of solution. Even when it was decided that Arutz-7 could compete in a tender for regional radio, the membership of the committee was changed at the last minute so that it would not choose Arutz-7."
Yesterday's Knesset session ended with a 19-9 vote to move the entire discussion, including MK Eldad's proposal to assign a PA frequency to Arutz-7, to a Knesset committee.