“Their Deeds are the Deeds of Zimri; but They Expect a Reward Like Phineas”: Neoliberal and Multicultural Discourses in the Development of Israeli DTT Policy

We examine how neoliberal and multicultural discourses were employed in the development of digital terrestrial television (DTT) policy in Israel as a case study of the deployment of media technology in a society that is characterized by deep social cleavages and rapid neoliberalization. We conduct a detailed analysis of official documents published over 6 years, including preparatory work, draft bills, parliamentary committee minutes, parliamentary plenary discussions, and the wording of the law enacted in February 2008. This study highlights how neoliberal multiculturalism operates as rhetoric that champions the cultural and economic rights of minorities, while masking policy stances that negate these rights. We demonstrate how this is linked to the composition of the channels eventually included on the DTT platform.