Reportedly, PM Netanyahu and Minister Deri are once again trying to shut down the new broadcasting authority (Kaan). I did not understand the fight over this the first time around and I doubt I will understand it this time. The excuse is something about wasting public monies.

It seems to me that establishing the authority at the cost of tens of millions of shekels and then canceling it within a few short months, and then obviously creating a new broadcasting entity is a bigger waste of money and it would make sense to establish some protocol for spending and appoint a comptroller to oversee proper usage of funds.

I don't get it.

Channel 1 of the Israel Broadcasting Authority has been in trouble for a long time. They have been having financial issues and have barely stayed alive. There is constantly talk about cancelling the station.

Anybody who owns a television in Israel is obligated to pay a television tax. This tax is meant to be funding the government controlled Station 1.

I just saw this notice in the newspaper regarding the station:

For the first time since the establishment of Channel 1, there will be a Hachnassat Sefer Torah at the shul of the station in Tel Aviv. The ceremony will be attended by the CEO of the station, along with Rav Yitzchak Batzri - son of the famed mystic Rav David Batzri.

One of the employees said, "This is a segulah to try to save the station." "Only a week and a half ago the employees went up to at graves of righteous for parnassah. Immediately afterwards we all received our salaries. I hope this time as well it will bring good fortune."

Ever wonder where the money you pay for the TV Tax goes? You thought it went towards broadcasting and developing good programming? Now you know it goes to segulahs and sifrei torah.

If anything can save them, it is the sefer Torah. But somehow I doubt the sefer torah is going to save a television station.

And you can even look at this as an "Only in Israel" story... even the employees of Station 1, which is known to be fairly left wing and not favorable to the religious, look for segulahs and resort to Jewish solutions to solve their problems...