Has Israel entered a constitutional crisis? Netanyahu, the courts and a battle over press freedom

Global Roaming with Geraldine Doogue and Hamish Macdonald · Jul 14, 2026 · 29m

Every night in Israel, one TV channel stands out.

Channel 13 is among the few major outlets willing to challenge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government.

Now, a dispute over the channel’s ownership has become a flashpoint in a wider battle over press freedom, judicial independence and the future of Israeli democracy.

Anat Saragusti, Director of press freedom at the Union of Journalists in Israel, tells Global Roaming the Channel 13 dispute is just one part of a broader effort to weaken independent journalism.

From attempts to reshape media regulators to pressure on public broadcasters…