Shlomo Karhi
Ministerial roles
2022–Minister of Communications
Faction represented in the Knesset
2019–Likud
Personal details
Born (1982-04-06) 6 April 1982
Ramat Gan, Israel

Shlomo Karhi (Hebrew: שְׁלֹמֹה קַרְעִי, born 6 April 1982) is an Israeli academic and politician. He is currently a member of the Knesset for Likud and serving as the Minister of Communications in the thirty-seventh government.[1]

Early life and education

Karhi was born in Ramat Gan as the eldest of seventeen siblings in a religious family, to mother Mazal and father Rabbi David Karhi, an Israeli-born Sabra of Tunisian Jewish heritage from Djerba. At the age of four Shlomo Karhi moved to Zimrat, a religious moshav. [2] He was educated at the Kisse Rahamim and Mercaz HaRav yeshivas.

He subsequently served in the religious Netzah Yehuda Battalion during his national service in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF),[2] before earning a BA in management accounting and information systems at the Jerusalem College of Technology. Karhi received a master's degree and PhD in industrial engineering and management at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev.

He began work as a lecturer at Sapir Academic College, before becoming part of the faculty at Ben-Gurion University and then Bar-Ilan University.

Political career

Karhi was placed twenty-fifth on the Likud list for the April 2019 elections,[3] a slot reserved for candidates from the Negev.[2] He was subsequently elected to the Knesset as Likud won 36 seats. He was re-elected in the September 2019 and March 2020 elections after being placed twenty-seventh on the Likud list,[4][5] and was re-elected again in 2021 (in twenty-fourth place)[6] and 2022 (in thirteenth place).[7]

In November 2019, Karhi, who is known for his opposition to the LGBTQ+ community, was quoted as saying that Israeli Pride parades are "contrary to nature."[8]

In March 2023 Karhi sparked a widespread controversy during the Purim holiday in Israel. Karhi took to Twitter to address a group of individuals, including pilots, doctors, and members of the special operations unit, who had announced that they would not volunteer to serve in the reserves if the proposed legal revolution were to pass. He referred to them as "impudent conscientious objectors" and told them to "go to hell." In his tweet, Karhi drew comparisons between the objectors and the biblical story of Mordechai and Esther, suggesting that Israel would prosper without them and that they were self-appointed rulers akin to Haman. The tweet caused a public uproar, but Karhi stood by his statement and doubled down, calling the refusal to serve "sad, stinking, and pathetic."[9]

Later that month, Karhi unveiled his plan for a communications market reform. He announced the cancellation of the Second Authority and the Cable and Satellite Council, declaring an end to the era of "hyperactive regulation". The minister emphasized the need for less intervention, increased competition, and greater freedom in the Israeli communications sector. According to Karhi, the plan involves reducing interference in business models, expanding the advertising market, and encouraging the launch of new content channels.[10]

On 2 October 2023, Karhi visited Riyadh, Saudi Arabia among a 14-member delegation to attend the Universal Postal Union's Extraordinary Congress.[11] On the following day, he held a Jewish prayer service with a minyan during the Sukkot holiday, complete with a Torah scroll dedicated to the rulers of the kingdom.[12] Later that month, Karhi criticized former U.S. President Donald Trump over his criticism of Netanyahu.[13]

Legislation against foreign media

In 2023, Karhi, serving as Israel's Minister of Communication, initiated a notable legislative action concerning foreign media. The law was framed to prohibit news outlets believed to jeopardize Israel's national security in the wake of the 2023 Israel–Hamas war. The Israeli government endorsed an emergency provision under his guidance, targeting the Qatari news channel Al Jazeera. Karhi critiqued Al Jazeera, characterizing it as a "propaganda platform" and expressed concerns over its coverage, suggesting that it might be inciting adverse sentiments against Israel.[14]

References

  1. ↑ "Who's who in the new Netanyahu-led government". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 2023-01-02.
  2. 1 2 3 חברי הכנסת החדשים בליכוד: יו"ר ועד עובדי רשות התעופה ולוביסטית מצליחה Haaretz, 7 February 2019
  3. ↑ Likud list CEC
  4. ↑ רשימת הליכוד בבחירות לכנסת ה-22 Central Elections Committee
  5. ↑ רשימת הליכוד בבחירות לכנסת ה-23 Central Elections Committee
  6. ↑ רשימת הליכוד בבחירות לכנסת ה-24 Central Elections Committee
  7. ↑ בתום ספירת הקולות בפריימריז הליכוד: לוין ראשון, 6 ח"כים מכהנים בחוץ Now 14, 11 October 2022
  8. ↑ Alon, Amir; Azulay, Moran (2019-02-11). "New Likud candidate calls LGBT community 'unnatural,' slams Gay Pride". Ynetnews. Retrieved 2023-07-18.
  9. ↑ "השר קרעי נגד המוחים: "סרבנים, לכו לעזאזל, נסתדר בלעדיכם"". Ynetnews (in Hebrew). March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  10. ↑ "רפורמה בשוק התקשורת: שר התקשורת שלמה קרעי הודיע על ביטול הרשות השנייה ומועצת הכבלים והלוויין". Ynetnews (in Hebrew). 21 March 2023. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  11. ↑ "None ever, then 2 in a week: 2nd Israeli minister makes official visit to Saudi Arabia". The Times of Israel. 3 October 2023. Retrieved January 12, 2024.
  12. ↑ Berman, Lazar (3 October 2023). "Israeli government delegation holds Jewish prayer service in Saudi Arabia". The Times of Israel. Retrieved 12 January 2024.
  13. ↑ "Likud minister: Trump's 'shameful' comments show he can't be relied on". The Times of Israel. 2023-10-12. Retrieved 2023-11-21.
  14. ↑ Bandel, Netael (2023-10-20). "Israel bureau of Al-Jazeera to be shut down for endangering national security". Israel Hayom. Retrieved 2023-10-22.
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