Unhappy with the editorial direction the Haaretz newspaper has taken in Israel's war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israel's communications minister said Thursday he wants the government to divest itself from any money spent on the media outlet.

"Since the beginning of the war, my office has received many complaints about Haaretz taking a harmful direction that undermines the war's objectives and weakens the military effort and our social resilience," Shlomo Karhi wrote in a letter to cabinet Secretary Yossi Fuchs, according to The Jerusalem Post. "It's possible that some of its articles even cross the legal line in the sections of the Penal Code that are unique to wartime.

"Ending the purchase of services from Haaretz by government bodies will lessen the severe harm that the citizens of Israel feel, not only from the paper's content but also by the fact that they are forced to fund it with their taxes."

Haaretz has been a fierce critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration. Among the content Karhi condemned were articles that accused Israel of crimes against humanity in Gaza, compared Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack to "the decadeslong routine of Palestinians," and more, the Post reported.

"During this difficult time, the Israeli government approved emergency regulations against foreign channels that harmed national security, used its authority against the Lebanese Al-Mayaden, and began a similar process against the Qatari Al-Jazeera," wrote Karhi. "It's inconceivable that while we act against foreign publications, an Israeli paper continues to be mostly funded by the Israeli public while it spreads incitement from Israel's enemies."

Karhi proposed the government cancel any subscriptions held by state employees, stop paying for ads and get refunded for future ads, block payments to the paper, and end all communication with the paper and any affiliated publications.

Haaretz reported its publisher, Amos Schocken, said, "If the government wants to close Haaretz, that's the time to read Haaretz."

The Israeli journalists' union said in a statement that "the communications minister has lost his way," Haaretz reported.

"Karhi, who spent most of his brief tenure in failed attempts to close the public broadcasting corporation, has decided to tame a new target," the statement said, according to Haaretz. "His new proposal to end all government business with Haaretz is a populistic proposal devoid of any feasibility or logic, and its entire purpose is to garner likes among his political base at the expense of dedicated journalists who are working night and day right now to cover the war.

"We support Haaretz's journalists, and we're certain they will continue to do important work for the benefit of Israel and won't be deterred by Minister Karhi's stupid, empty threats."

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