In a significant legal victory for Channel 14 just 24 hours ahead of the elections for the 26th Knesset,
the Haifa District Court on Monday accepted the network’s petition against the Joint List—the political alliance comprising the Hadash,
Balad,and Ta’al factions—ordering the party to allow Channel 14 news crews full access to broadcast from its central election headquarters.
Additionally, the court instructed the Joint List to pay Channel 14 NIS 18,000 to cover legal fees and court expenses.
Network management announced that the court-awarded sum will be transferred directly to support the legal defense fund for soldiers of IDF Force 100.
The Joint List had previously faced disqualification proceedings before the Central Elections Committee over allegations of supporting armed struggle by terror organizations against the State of Israel.
Although the Supreme Court later overturned that disqualification because the evidentiary threshold for banning a candidate list had not been met, the faction found itself back in court over its refusal to accredit Channel 14.
The legal proceeding was initiated after Channel 14’s northern correspondent sought accreditation on October 20 to cover a press conference held by the Joint List in Haifa,
but was denied entry. In its formal refusal, the faction stated: “The event is open to media coverage. We invited media outlets to cover the event, not propaganda bodies that arrive to disseminate specific messages.” Represented by Attorney Yigal Danino, Channel 14 filed an urgent petition demanding equal access to the alliance’s campaign proceedings on the grounds of equal treatment and press freedom. During the court hearing, representatives for the Joint List attempted to defend the exclusion by claiming the channel engages in propaganda, incitement, and delegitimization against the faction’s constituent parties and the Arab public, presenting video clips previously aired by the network.Judge Malka Spinzi-Shneor rejected the Joint List’s defense entirely, ruling that political displeasure with an outlet’s coverage provides no legal basis to obstruct news reporting. In her written decision, Judge Spinzi-Shneor emphasized: “I cannot accept, nor have the respondents proven, that their reservations regarding those broadcasts override the public’s right to know, freedom of the press, and freedom of occupation.”
The court anchored its ruling in a 2022 High Court of Justice precedent concerning the Meretz party, which had similarly sought to exclude Channel 14 crews from its election headquarters. The judge determined that barring the network on election day would inflict irreparable professional harm on Channel 14 and deprive its viewers of balanced information. Consequently, the court ordered the Joint List to accommodate Channel 14’s broadcast position, including all necessary technical and logistical infrastructure.
The decision represents the second legal victory for Channel 14 within days. Last week, Supreme Court Justice Noam Sohlberg rejected a petition brought by left-wing organizations led by former Meretz leader Zehava Galon seeking restrictions on Channel 14’s broadcasting operations, with the court assessing costs against the petitioners. As in the previous ruling, Channel 14 confirmed that all legal cost awards, including the NIS 18,000 from the Joint List, will be delivered directly to the legal defense of Force 100 combatants.