Court orders PM to reveal contacts with ‘Israel Hayom’

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has 15 days to reveal the dates and times he spoke with the owner of the Israel Hayom newspaper, Sheldon Adelson, and its former editor Amos Regev and for how long, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously on Monday.

Netanyahu could still appeal to a larger body of judges on the Court.

The Court was responding to a petition filed by Channel 10 political analyst Raviv Drucker two years ago, who said the information is important in order to reveal whether the newspaper is an illegal organ of propaganda for the prime minister. He said that as soon as he receives the information from Netanyahu, he will check the dates and times and examine what was written in the newspaper the following day.

“There is a clear public interest in revealing the extent of the connection between

[Adelson] and those in government,” Supreme Court Justice Meni Mazuz wrote in the ruling.

The Court took into account reports that Netanyahu advanced the election that took place in 2015 in order to prevent the passage of a bill that would have harmed Israel Hayom. The Central Elections Committee ruled ahead of the election that Israel Hayom was not an illegal tool of propaganda.

Netanyahu is facing a criminal investigation for conversations with Yediot Aharonot publisher Arnon (Noni) Mozes in which he offered to harm Israel Hayom in return for more positive coverage in Mozes’s newspaper. •