The "Professors for a Strong Israel" organization states that the sentences meted out to the Arutz-7 Ten earlier this week for operating an unlicensed radio station have already been served. "Their sentences of community service have already been served many times over," states Chairman Dr. Ron Breiman. "For many years, the station broadcast courageously the news and views that were suppressed by the 'state' media in Israel. The station's absence from the airwaves in the past few months has left the majority of the citizens without an organ that reflects their opinions." The organization called upon the Prime Minister and the government to "press forward with legislation to enable Arutz-7 to return to its essential function, serving the entire public in the interest of free speech and democracy."
The importance of Arutz-7's independent approach was acutely noted precisely on the eve of the sentencing of the Arutz-7 broadcasters. The Voice of Israel news reports of Sunday evening stated, "Most of the defendants are likely to receive sentences of four years in prison and three million shekels in fines, and station director Yaakov Katz is likely to be sentenced to seven years in prison." Arutz-7 sources, in a protest letter to Voice of Israel, wrote,
"Did the news editors that evening, Aryeh Shorr and Orah Herman, get to see the judge's decision before it was publicized? It is obvious that the wording should have been more cautious, such as, 'The maximum sentence for these infractions is...' or, 'the prosecution has asked for sentences of...' The way the news was formulated was a prophecy that wished to fulfill itself. The Prosecution did not even ask for such severe sentences! Broadcasting such an item harmed the professional image of Voice of Israel, and confirmed listeners' suspicions regarding its political slant."
Arutz-7's Programming Director Shulamit Melamed, who was sentenced to three months of community service and a fine of 25,000 shekels, says that the collective sigh of relief at the "light" sentences she and her colleagues received is not justified. "It reminds me of the story of the rabbi and the goat," she said. "A poor man complained that his house was too small, so the rabbi suggested that he bring his goat inside as well, followed by the rest of his livestock. When the man complained again even more plaintively, the rabbi told him to take out the animals - and the poor man then 'realized' how spacey his house suddenly was. Here too, the only reason why we are relieved is because the Prosecution asked for such severe sentences - actual jail time for four of us, and fines of hundreds of thousands of shekels each. The fact that we must perform 'only' community service and pay fines of 'only' tens of thousands of shekels each - for a total of 720,000 shekels - is no reason for joy. Such harsh sentences for people with no criminal past and who were convicted on such minor issues is unheard of."
Americans For a Safe Israel issued a statement against the sentence: "It is intolerable that in a so-called democracy, fines of hundreds of thousands of shekels, and many months of community service, should have been leveled against people providing a beneficial service to hundreds of thousands of radio listeners eager to hear unbiased news coverage."