Netanyahu: "If the left wins, Channel 14 will be the first thing to be shut down"

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned in an interview with Channel 14 that a victory for the opposition would lead to the channel's closure and the imposition of censorship on right-wing websites. He claimed his rivals are planning a "judicial dictatorship", the appointment of ten judges and the replacement of the Attorney General, and compared the scenario to Britain.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned this evening (Tuesday) in an interview on the "HaPatriots" program on Channel 14 that a victory for his political rivals in the upcoming elections could lead to the closure of the channel and the imposition of censorship on news websites identified with the right. Netanyahu claimed that the opposition parties are planning far-reaching changes to the judicial system, including the appointment of ten new judges and the replacement of the Attorney General. "The real thing is that they will make a judicial dictatorship, because the first thing that will be closed is this channel," the Prime Minister said. He compared the scenario to the situation in Britain, where he said 3,000 people were prosecuted for tweets on social networks. His remarks come against the background of the struggle over the judicial reform and the election campaign. Netanyahu recently praised Constitution Committee Chairman MK Simcha Rothman for continuing the changes to the judicial system. Alongside the warnings, Netanyahu linked the election results to the future of settlement in the Galilee and the Negev and to the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state.