Bill would block foreigners from owning Israeli newspaper

Coalition and opposition Knesset members are drafting a bill to bar foreigners from owning an Israeli newspaper. The law appears to target the free daily Yisrael Hayom, owned by American billionaire Sheldon Adelson, an associate of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Among the bill's initiators are MKs Daniel Ben Simon (Labor), Yoel Hasson (Kadima) and Ofer Nimrodi, who owns the daily Maariv.

Yisrael Hayom's popularity is seen mainly as a threat to Maariv; Nimrodi has been meeting MKs in recent weeks to discuss the matter. A Nimrodi associate, attorney Ram Caspi, took part in drafting the bill.

The bill, which is expected to be submitted to the Knesset during the current winter session, does not directly refer to Yisrael Hayom. But its drafters do not deny that it is intended to stymie Yisrael Hayom and Adelson.

Ben Simon, a former journalist, said that "journalism has strategic power to change society and shape its norms. Not only what appears in a newspaper is important, but who stands behind it. And as long as I don't know what the motives are of this man, who made his money in a casino, I want to limit his power because his status threatens Israeli journalism."

Ben Simon said he worries about the efforts of Adelson, a non-Israeli, to try to use his newspaper to influence events.

Hasson said the power of "private interested individuals who do not live in Israel to influence Israel's news media, society and political and economic system, not always for the right reasons, should be limited."

He said Yisrael Hayom would be able to exist but its ownership today "involves clear interests that may not be seen by the reader."