Government bill · 25th Knesset · published as law 21 July 2024
חוק מניעת פגיעת גוף שידורים זר בביטחון המדינה (הוראת שעה – חרבות ברזל) (תיקון), התשפ"ד–2024Law on Prevention of Harm to a Foreign Broadcasting Authority in the Security of the State (temporary provision – Iron Swords) (Amendment), 2024 · automatic translation · suggest a correction
Status: התקבלה בקריאה שלישית
Topics: Military and defense*, Communications, media and technology*, Emergency, war and COVID · * from the Knesset's official law classification · no asterisk — automatically from words in the title
Official summary of the law (Knesset)
On 2 April 2024, the Law for the Prevention of Harm to State Security by a Foreign Broadcasting Entity (Temporary Provision – Swords of Iron), 2024, was published, establishing as a temporary provision for four months, until the end of the declaration of a special situation on the home front or until the end of significant military operations, whichever is earlier, that if the Prime Minister is convinced that content broadcast on a foreign channel broadcasting in Israel materially harms state security, the Minister of Communications shall be authorized, with the consent of the Prime Minister and the approval of the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs or the government, to order actions to prevent or stop the activity of the foreign channel, including closing the channel's offices located in Israel. This order shall be given after at least one professional opinion from security officials is presented to the Prime Minister and the Minister of Communications; provided that before the approval of the Ministerial Committee on National Security Affairs or the government, the opinions of the security officials shall be presented to it. It was further established that these provisions shall be valid for forty-five days, with the possibility of extending this period for an identical period at most each time, subject, among other things, to the presentation of a professional opinion as stated. It was also established that an order by the Minister of Communications as stated, and in particular its extension, shall be brought before the president of a district court or their deputy as soon as possible for judicial review, within which it will be decided whether to change it. As part of the amendment, the aforementioned temporary provision was extended until 30 November 2024.
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Hebrew original
ביום כ"ג באדר ב' התשפ"ד (2 באפריל 2024), פורסם חוק מניעת פגיעת גוף שידורים זר בביטחון המדינה (הוראת שעה – חרבות ברזל), התשפ"ד–2024, במסגרתו נקבע כהוראת שעה לארבעה חודשים, עד מועד סיום ההכרזה על מצב מיוחד בעורף או עד לסיום הפעולות הצבאיות המשמעותיות, לפי המוקדם שבהם, כי במידה וראש הממשלה שוכנע כי התכנים המשודרים בערוץ זר המשדר בישראל פוגעים באופן ממשי בביטחון המדינה, שר התקשורת יהיה רשאי, בהסכמת ראש הממשלה ובאישור ועדת השרים לענייני ביטחון לאומי או הממשלה להורות על פעולות למניעת או הפסקת פעילות של ערוץ זר, לרבות סגירת משרדי הערוץ הנמצאים בישראל. הוראה זו תינתן לאחר שתוצג בפני ראש הממשלה ושר התקשורת חוות דעת מקצועית אחת לפחות מגורמי הביטחון; ובלבד שטרם אישורה של ועדת השרים לענייני ביטחון לאומי או הממשלה, יוצגו בפניה חוות הדעת מטעם גורמי הביטחון. עוד נקבע כי תוקף הוראות אלו יהיה למשך ארבעים וחמישה ימים, לצד אפשרות להאריך תקופה זו לתקופה זהה לכל היותר בכל פעם, בכפוף, בין היתר, להצגת חוות דעת מקצועית כאמור. כמו כן, נקבע כי הוראה של שר התקשורת כאמור, ובפרט הארכתה, תובא לפני נשיא בית משפט מחוזי או סגנו בהקדם האפשרי לטובת ביקורת שיפוטית, במסגרתה יחליט האם לשנותה. במסגרת התיקון, הוארכה הוראת השעה כאמור עד ליום כ"ט בחשוון התשפ"ה (30 בנובמבר 2024).
Readings
- 15 July 2024 · First readingהצעת חוק מניעת פגיעת גוף שידורים בביטחון המדינה (הוראת שעה – חרבות ברזל) (תיקון), התשפ"ד-2024Bill on Prevention of Injury to Broadcasting Corporation by State Security (temporary provision – Swords of Iron) (Amendment), 2024autoBill passed first reading38 for · 8 against
- 18 July 2024 · Third readingהצעת חוק מניעת פגיעת גוף שידורים זר בביטחון המדינה (הוראת שעה – חרבות ברזל) (תיקון), התשפ"ד–2024Bill on Prevention of Harm to a Foreign Broadcasting Authority in the Security of the State (temporary provision – Iron Swords) (Amendment), 2024autoLaw passed26 for · 8 against
What was said in the plenum
The bill seeks to extend by four additional months (until 30 November 2024) the temporary provision allowing the Minister of Communications, with the agreement of the Prime Minister and the approval of the government or the Cabinet, to restrict the activity of a foreign broadcasting body that causes real harm to state security, an arrangement that was used to halt Al Jazeera's broadcasts in Israel. The discussion focused mainly on the extension of this tool itself and its effectiveness, while many of the speakers used the platform for broader discussions unrelated to the substance of the law, such as the war, conscription, coalition-opposition relations, and the situation in the north and south.
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Hebrew original
הצעת החוק מבקשת להאריך בארבעה חודשים נוספים (עד 30 בנובמבר 2024) את הוראת השעה המאפשרת לשר התקשורת, בהסכמת ראש הממשלה ובאישור הממשלה או הקבינט, להגביל פעילותו של גוף שידור זר הפוגע פגיעה ממשית בביטחון המדינה, הסדר ששימש להפסקת שידורי אל-ג'זירה בישראל. הדיון נסב בעיקר על עצם הארכת הכלי הזה ועל יעילותו, בעוד חלק גדול מהנואמים ניצלו את הבמה לדיונים נרחבים שלא נגעו לגוף החוק, כגון המלחמה, הגיוס, יחסי הקואליציה-אופוזיציה והמצב בצפון ובדרום.
Arguments for
- The authority should be extended to allow the state to continue protecting its security by shutting down foreign broadcasting bodies that incite and harm state security, as proven by its use against Al Jazeera.Shlomo Karhi (Likud), Tzvika Foghel (Otzma Yehudit)
- Consideration should be given to expanding the tools in the law, such as the authority to also block live broadcasts on social networks, in order to address existing loopholes in the arrangement.Shlomo Karhi (Likud)
- The committee examined the arrangement in balancing the security need against freedom of expression and the press, and found a factual basis establishing the need to continue the restriction.Tzvika Foghel (Otzma Yehudit)
- Support for the law is broad and crosses coalition-opposition lines, since matters concerning state security are above political dispute.Shlomo Karhi (Likud), Zeev Elkin (New Hope)
Arguments against
- Shutting down Al Jazeera does not constitute a real achievement, since it mainly harms Arab citizens who consume it and does not prevent the public or the world from obtaining information about what is happening in Gaza through other means.Aida Touma Sliman (Hadash–Ta'al), Ayman Odeh (Hadash–Ta'al)
- The restriction on a broadcasting body is part of a broader process of undermining freedom of expression and silencing critical voices, which may further expand to other media outlets and laws.Aida Touma Sliman (Hadash–Ta'al)
Who spoke (45)
| Member | Faction | Readings | Speeches | In the final vote |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shlomo Karhi | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Debbie Biton | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Matan Kahana | National Unity opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Elazar Stern | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Meir Cohen | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Iman Khatib Yassin | Ra'am opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Oded Forer | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Vladimir Beliak | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Yoav Segalovitz | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Ahmad Tibi | Hadash–Ta'al opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Hamad Amar | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Meirav Cohen | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Aida Touma Sliman | Hadash–Ta'al opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Waleed Alhwashla | Ra'am opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Idan Roll | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Ron Katz | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Naor Shiri | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Avi Maoz | Noam coalition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Galit Distel Atbaryan | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Tsega Melaku | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Simon Davidson | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Merav Ben Ari | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Osher Shkalim | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Sharren Miriam Haskel | New Hope opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Tally Gotliv | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Yorai Lahav Hertzanu | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Michael Mordechai Biton | National Unity opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Pnina Tameno | National Unity opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Yaron Levi | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Amit Halevi | Likud coalition | First reading | 2 | no record |
| Alon Schuster | National Unity opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Yasir Hujeirat | Ra'am opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Tatiana Mazarsky | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Sharon Nir | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Mickey Levy | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Matti Sarfatti Harcavi | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Evgeny Sova | Yisrael Beytenu opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Gilad Kariv | Labor opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Michal Miriam Woldiger | Religious Zionism coalition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Moshe Turpaz | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Yasmin Fridman | Yesh Atid opposition | First reading | 1 | no record |
| Ariel Kallner | Likud coalition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Ayman Odeh | Hadash–Ta'al opposition | First reading | 1 | against |
| Zeev Elkin | New Hope opposition | First reading | 1 | for |
| Tzvika Foghel | Otzma Yehudit coalition | Third reading | 1 | for |
An automatic summary of the plenum transcripts: the debate on the bill at every reading it was voted on. Arguments are given as the speakers made them; this is not an assessment. The list of speakers comes from the transcript, without a model. Transcripts of the sittings: 1, 2 · write to the author
Reservations to the second reading
3 reservations were filed: proposed changes to the text the committee brought to the second and third reading.
The reservations concern the expiration date of the temporary provision, whether by extending it for a longer period or by conditioning it on various political and security conditions, including the return of hostages, the end of the war, or assistance to war victims, as opposed to a proposal to shorten its validity and condition it on a hostage deal.
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Hebrew original
ההסתייגויות נסבות על מועד סיום תוקפה של הוראת השעה, בין אם בהארכתה לתקופה ממושכת יותר ובין אם בהתנייתה בתנאים מדיניים וביטחוניים שונים, לרבות הפניית חטופים, סיום המלחמה או סיוע לנפגעי המלחמה, לעומת הצעה לקיצור תוקפה והתנייתה בעסקת חטופים.
By faction
A joint reservation counts for every faction whose members filed it.
Who proposed what
- יש עתיד · 2The Yesh Atid group requests shortening the validity of the temporary provision to 30 October 2024 and conditioning its application on the Israeli government signing a deal to return the hostages from the Gaza Strip.Sections: לסעיף 1Yair Lapid, Meir Cohen, Karine Elharrar, Meirav Cohen, Elazar Stern, Mickey Levy, Merav Ben Ari, Ram Ben Barak, Yoav Segalovitz, Boaz Toporovsky, Michal Shir Segman, Idan Roll, Yorai Lahav Hertzanu, Vladimir Beliak, Ron Katz, Matti Sarfatti Harcavi, Tatiana Mazarsky, Yasmin Fridman, Debbie Biton, Moshe Turpaz, Simon Davidson, Naor Shiri, Shelly Tal Meron, Yaron Levi
- הימין הממלכתי · 1The National Right group requests significantly extending the validity of the temporary provision (until December 2025) or, alternatively, conditioning its expiration on various conditions, such as the end of the war, the return of the hostages or the evacuated northern residents, grants for reserve soldiers, support for those suffering from combat-related trauma, expanding authorization for doctors prescribing medical cannabis, stopping coalition payments, changes to the burden of equality and international public diplomacy, and other similar issues.Sections: לסעיף 1
Asked to speak: Mansour Abbas (Ra'am), Waleed Taha (Ra'am), Waleed Alhwashla (Ra'am), Iman Khatib Yassin (Ra'am), Yasir Hujeirat (Ra'am), Benjamin Gantz (National Unity), Gadi Eisenkot (National Unity), Pnina Tameno (National Unity), Chili Tropper (National Unity), Michael Mordechai Biton (National Unity), Matan Kahana (National Unity), Orit Farkash Hacohen (National Unity), Alon Schuster (National Unity), Ayman Odeh (Hadash–Ta'al), Ahmad Tibi (Hadash–Ta'al), Aida Touma Sliman (Hadash–Ta'al), Ofer Cassif (Hadash–Ta'al), Youssef Atauna (Hadash–Ta'al)
Proposers and reservation numbers are extracted automatically from the committee version, and the count is checked against the numbers printed in it. The descriptions are an automatic summary. Committee version for the second and third reading (PDF) · write to the author
Reservations, sections and other votes (1)
In order. Votes on reservations and individual sections are shown separately from the vote on the bill as a whole.
- 18 July 2024 · Second reading · סעיף 1הצעת חוק מניעת פגיעת גוף שידורים זר בביטחון המדינה (הוראת שעה – חרבות ברזל) (תיקון), התשפ"ד–2024Bill on Prevention of Harm to a Foreign Broadcasting Authority in the Security of the State (temporary provision – Iron Swords) (Amendment), 2024auto26 for · 7 againstVote on sections of the bill