Muting Israeli democracy: How media and cultural policy undermine free expression

Analyzing a wide range of legal documents recorded in Israel from 1961 to 2007, this book argues that the laws governing Israeli electronic media are structured to limit the boundaries of public discourse. Amit M. Schejter posits the theory of a "muted democracy," one in which electronic media are designed to provide a platform for some voices to be heard over others. While Israel's institutions may be democratic, and while the effect of these policies may be limited, Muting Israeli Democracy demonstrates in scrupulous detail how free speech in Israel is institutionally muted through the constraints and obligations set on electronic media to ensure the continued cultural domination of the Jewish majority and its preferred hegemonic interpretation of what Israel means as a Jewish-democratic state.