Shlomo Karhi

Shlomo Karhi is an Israeli politician, academic, and minister currently serving as Israel’s Communications Minister. He is a member of the Knesset representing the Likud party and has played a prominent role in debates surrounding the Israeli judiciary and public broadcasting.

Karhi was born in Ramat Gan in 1982 and grew up in the southern moshav of Zimrat, where he still resides. He is married to Efrat and is the father of seven children. He is the eldest of 17 siblings, a personal detail he often references when discussing his upbringing in Israel’s geographic and social periphery.

Following his studies at Merkaz Harav Yeshiva, Karhi served in the ultra-Orthodox 97th Nachal Battalion of the Israel Defense Forces, where he became a first sergeant. He continues to serve in the reserves in the Gefen Brigade. After military service, he earned a B.A. in managerial accounting and information systems from the Lev Academic Center. He later completed a master’s degree (2011) and Ph.D. (2013) in industrial engineering at Ben-Gurion University of the Negev. His doctoral research focused on scheduling in multi-purpose machine systems, connecting his academic interests to applied mathematics and computer science fields.

Between 2006 and 2014, Karhi held various academic positions, including as a lecturer at Sapir Academic College, Ben-Gurion University, and Bar-Ilan University, where he became a permanent lecturer in the Department of Management in 2014.

Karhi entered politics in 2019, when he was elected to the 21st Knesset as part of the Likud list, representing the southern region. In subsequent Knesset terms, he served as chair of the Lobby for a Democratic Israel and the Lobby for the Negev, and he was also appointed chairman of the Subcommittee for Negev Affairs.

In December 2022, Karhi was appointed Minister of Communications in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government. His tenure has been marked by a combative stance toward Israel’s judicial system and media institutions. A vocal critic of the High Court of Justice, Karhi has repeatedly defied court orders, particularly concerning the Kan Public Broadcasting Corporation. In 2025, he refused to implement a High Court directive to extend a council member’s term at Kan, labeling the ruling “unlawful” and asserting his authority over such appointments.

Karhi has pushed for broad legislative changes aimed at privatizing or dismantling Israel’s public broadcaster, drawing criticism from opposition figures, media watchdogs, and press freedom advocates. One of his proposed bills would shutter Kan entirely if no private buyer is found within two years. Another initiative would privatize Kan’s news division, which critics claim is designed to weaken independent journalism politically. Karhi and his allies argue the reforms would liberalize the media market and increase competition.

Karhi’s policy agenda has aligned closely with the right wing of the Likud party. He is regarded as a staunch proponent of judicial reform, media restructuring, and decentralization of power from Israel’s institutional elites. Despite criticism, he remains a prominent figure in Israeli politics.

Sources: “Dr. Shlomo Karhi, Minister of Communications,” gov.il.
Lahav Harkov, Meet the new MK: Shlomo Karhi of Likud, Jerusalem Post, (April 22, 2019).
Jeremy Sharon, “Karhi rejects High Court order to extend term of public broadcaster council member,” Times of Israel, (July 7, 2025).