Israel’s Supreme Court on Tuesday issued a conditional order challenging Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi’s decision to expand the broadcasting areas of regional radio stations into northern Israel, including the Chareidi stations Kol Chai and Kol Barama.

Supreme Court President Yitzhak Amit, Justice Alex Stein and Justice Gila Canfy-Steinitz ordered Karhi to explain why his May 11, 2026 decisions expanding the stations’ broadcast areas should not be canceled. The expansion also covered A-Shams, Radio Nas and Radio Lev Hamedina-Peravia.

Karhi approved the expansion under special emergency powers in Israel’s Communications Law, which allow communications providers to be directed to act for national-security needs. The justification presented for expanding the broadcasts was an operational need to provide alerts and advance instructions to members of the Chareidi community who use kosher phones.

Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara opposed the move, arguing before the High Court that it was not genuinely an emergency directive but rather a voluntary arrangement initiated by the stations themselves in order to gain a commercial foothold in new areas. She further argued that the move would provide a major economic benefit to several private broadcasters during an election period.

Baharav-Miara also argued that a publicly available alternative already exists through Kan, which said it is capable of broadcasting the necessary advance instructions on its Kan Moreshet station. She additionally contended that granting the stations the expansion without a competitive tender gives existing regional broadcasters a significant economic and regulatory advantage without sufficient justification.

The conditional order was issued following a hearing on the petitions on August 26. Karhi must now present his arguments to the court and explain why his decisions expanding the stations’ broadcast areas should remain in effect.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)