2 MKs withdraw support for anti-Israel Hayom bill

Shas MKs Yitzhak Vaknin and Yitzhak Cohen, two of the nine Knesset members behind the Bill for the Promotion and Protection of Printed Media in Israel that would close Israel Hayom if passed, have decided to withdraw their backing of the legislation.

Cohen and Vaknin said Thursday that they had decided to remove their names from the list of supporters, and that they had not been aware of its meaning when they were asked to sign it.

Vaknin, who also serves as deputy Knesset speaker, said he did not remember signing the bill. When it was pointed out that his name was on the list of MKs supporting it, Vaknin announced that he opposed the bill, saying, "I don't want to interfere with freedom of business and the fight between two newspapers. If the owners of Yedioth Ahronoth believe it isn't fair that Israel Hayom is distributed for free, let them distribute their own paper for free and profit from advertising as Israel Hayom does."

Vaknin said that on Monday, when the Knesset's summer session opens, he would ask that his name be removed officially.

Cohen said he "does not support the law." The chairman of the Knesset Ethics Committee, who has received the "Knight of Quality Government" citation, added that, like Vaknin, he had decided to remove his name from the bill, mainly because of his belief in the great importance of freedom of expression.

Cohen also said that he protected people's livelihood, and it was "clear that closing Israel Hayom would cause more than a few people to lose their jobs."

The two Shas MKs met on Thursday and decided to send a letter to the Knesset speaker asking that their names be removed from the anti-Israel Hayom bill.

The seven MKs who still support the bill are Eitan Cabel (Labor), Robert Ilatov (Likud-Beytenu), Ayelet Shaked (Habayit Hayehudi), Elazar Stern (Hatnuah), Ariel Atias (Shas), Ilan Gilon (Meretz), and Yoel Razvozov (Yesh Atid).

Meanwhile, the public continues its online show of support for Israel Hayom. A Facebook campaign against the anti-Israel Hayom bill has garnered thousands of likes and hundreds of comments.

"Even if you don't always agree with the opinions, you don't shut people up in the State of Israel," wrote Yisrael Nartziz. Reuven Kissin wrote that the bill was "anti-democratic" and called the Mozes family, Yedioth's owners, "bullies."

Yehuda Alfasi wrote that "the bill attacks basic democratic values. It's a disgrace what we've come to. Now they just need to pass a law against handing out free food to the needy."

Aliza Gruenberg-Eilat agreed, writing that "a fair fight needs to be conducted on the pages of the newspapers, not by shutting one of them down."

Oshri Falach said that "it's just bizarre that they want to pass a law like this," while Aharon Levy praised Israel Hayom's distribution model. Levy also called for the cancellation of the Israel Broadcast Authority's television fee, because "Channel 2 is free."

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