A political storm is brewing within the Likud party following a unanimous High Court ruling that struck down the government's decision to close the Galei Tzahal (Army Radio) station. Following the judges' decision, Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi attacked Knesset Speaker Amir Ohana regarding the Knesset's conduct in relation to the judicial system.
The conflict, which played out on the social network X, followed Karhi's call for the government to ignore the High Court's ruling and proceed with the immediate closure of the station. Karhi leveled accusations against the Speaker, questioning why he failed to respond to a demand from 25 Knesset members to debate a motion declaring that Knesset laws supersede High Court rulings. Karhi accused Ohana of weakening the Knesset in its dealings with the judiciary and argued that the Speaker should exercise his authority rather than seek legal interpretations that limit his actions.
Knesset Speaker Ohana responded sharply to the public criticism. He clarified that the request submitted did not comply with Knesset regulations, as it included signatures from ministers, who are not authorized to file motions to the agenda during a recess. Ohana accused Karhi of choosing a path of public confrontation rather than direct communication, claiming this was an attempt to gain public sympathy at the expense of the party's focused work.
Furthermore, Ohana called on Karhi to avoid internal friction and argued that elected officials should focus on checks and balances regarding the judiciary rather than unnecessary intra-party disputes. Karhi, for his part, continued to attack Ohana, claiming that the procedural flaws cited were merely an excuse and that Ohana has shown weakness toward the Knesset's legal counsel during his tenure. The minister also accused Ohana of avoiding the fight for the Knesset's independence and siding with the legal counsel's positions in past instances.
The intense clash reflects the growing tension surrounding the division of powers between the legislative and judicial branches, as well as internal tensions within the ruling party following the recent primaries. Currently, both sides maintain their respective positions on how the Knesset should handle High Court rulings.