Israeli opposition protests closure of respected army radio station

The Israeli government’s decision to close a popular army radio station, known also for its news coverage, has been sharply criticized by opposition parties.

Israeli media reported on Monday that the cabinet voted in favour of a proposal by Defence Minister Israel Katz to close Galei Zahal by March 1 next year.

Katz justified this by saying that the station conveys “political and divisive content that is not in line with the values of the Israeli army.”

The boss of the station, Tal Lev-Ram, has signalled his intention to challenge the decision in the Supreme Court, television station i24news reported.

The army radio station has been broadcasting for 75 years, and has a reputation for impartial journalism as well as being an important source of information and public debate. Regular soldiers are used in its operations as reporters and editors, as well as civilians.

The news portal ynet reported Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu as saying that having a public news radio channel that broadcasts under the authority of the military only existed in “North Korea and maybe a few other countries, and we certainly don’t want to be like them.”

Political accusations

The opposition, on the other hand, has criticized the decision as a violation of freedom of expression and an attempt to control the media. The government is also currently pushing for the closure of the respected public broadcaster Kan.

In a post on X the Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid called the decision to close the army channel “part of the government’s strategy to abolish freedom of expression in Israel in an election year.”

A new parliament is scheduled to be elected in Israel on October 27 next year.

“They can’t control reality, so they try to control consciousness,” Lapid wrote, and warned against the closure of other critical media outlets. “They won’t stop. Wherever there is a truth that is uncomfortable for the government, they act to eliminate it.”