In a reality of endless debate, and the exchange of blows between the political camps in Israel on almost every issue - there is a rare moment of agreement and consensus around the media coverage of the terrorist attack, and the hunt for the terrorist on the city streets, non-stop.
Much has been said and written about the lawlessness with which photographers and reporters have become a documenting hump on the backs of the fighters who searched for the terrorist, and about the attitude towards the security forces.
Some of the media themselves expressed regret over their conduct and apologized to the viewers, and the security bodies announced that they would draw lessons from the chaos that prevailed in the arena and allowed the wrong journalistic behavior.
We all understand that a glitch has occurred, and we all expect it to be fixed.
At this point, and in the hope that we would not have to find out soon if lessons had indeed been learned, the event was supposed to end.
But then the politicians jumped on the bandwagon, who almost conditionally decided that there was no escape from intervening in the mishap and taking power to prevent it in the future.
A huge amount of Knesset members spoke out and released press releases about the failure, and a special joint hearing of two Knesset committees convened yesterday to find out not only what happened, but how politicians can sit in the editor's chair next, and conduct the broadcast for helpless viewers and listeners.
It is strange that this should be written in a democracy in 2022, but the role of elected officials does not include monitoring content in the media, even in cases of a failure of a similar nature to the one that occurred in the terrorist attack in Tel Aviv.
Politicians are allowed, and perhaps obligated, to express themselves, get angry and express a position, but they do not have the legal authority to act to ensure what is right and what is appropriate to be displayed on screen, subject to standards that will never be set.
They do not have the democratic right to appoint themselves babysitters of the public, who are so accustomed to politicians managing every detail of their lives, which has led to more than 5,000 applications being submitted by citizens to media regulators demanding that they act by various means.
The real solution is simple, and it is far from the Knesset and in the heart of the living room of the citizens of the country.
Did you recognize the lewd behavior of one channel or another?
Click on the sign and go to the competitors.
The radio reporter crossed boundaries and denied the right not to know?
Try a different frequency.
Political figures, across testimonies, sectors, cultures and countries, yearn for the power to instruct the media how, when and how much to broadcast.
This is exactly why they should be denied the opportunity to do so, and kept as far away from interference as possible in the content of media.
The power is in the sign, which is in the hands of the citizen, and passing it on to Knesset members is an ascent on a dangerous path.
To understand how true this is, one can look at the eagerness with which the Knesset members acted, and the impressive presence at the committee meeting that discussed the issue.
Further evidence is the actions and apologies of some of the media, without the need for guidance from the legislature.
The images broadcast from the scene of the attack were serious, but the images of politicians seeking more power and leverage on the media are no less serious.
Were we wrong?
Fixed!
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