Israel's Netanyahu government has broken new ground by openly refusing to obey a Supreme Court ruling, pushing the country toward a constitutional crisis.

• For the first time in Israel's history, the government says it will not follow a high court decision.
• The fight is over Channel 13, a major TV outlet that government critics are trying to buy.
• To block the sale, the government stacked the media regulator with friendly appointments, which the court had frozen.
• Israel has no written constitution, only a set of "basic laws," which makes the standoff murkier.
• President Herzog called defying the court a "red line," but he has no power to force compliance.

Outlook: The clash between Netanyahu's government and the courts is likely to deepen, with no clear way to resolve it.