The Israeli government has approved the closure of the country’s Army Radio, which has been on the air for 75 years, closing one of Israel’s oldest media outlets amid growing concerns about press freedom.
The space station, called Galei Tzahal, will cease operations on March 1 under a proposal put forward by Defense Secretary Israel Katz.
The resolution passed unanimously on Monday despite the objections of Justice Minister Gali Baharav-Miara, who warned in an official memo that the decision lacked the necessary factual and professional basis and that going ahead with it violated the law.
“This decision is part of a broader campaign to undermine Israeli public broadcasting and limit freedom of expression,” Baharav-Miara said in a statement.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the decision, saying “there is a military station in North Korea and some other countries that broadcasts under military jurisdiction, and we certainly don’t want to be counted among them.”
The Israel Press Council, the Union of Israel Journalists and other civil society groups said they would challenge the Supreme Court ruling.
Katz announced his intention to close Army Radio last month amid a broader push to consolidate control over the media landscape, including a major overhaul of broadcasting regulations that would give the government broad powers to fine and sanction news outlets.
The military-run broadcaster is legally a unit of the Israel Defense Forces and is overseen by the chief of staff, but has a vibrant news department run by soldiers and civilian journalists who host some of the country’s most popular political talk shows, some of whom regularly criticize politicians and the military.
Katz is not the first defense secretary to dislike the tone of Army Radio’s reporters, and others have previously floated the idea of ​​closing or reorganizing the station. But he was the first to act on what critics called a handpicked committee of figures politically aligned with the government that recommended closing the station or converting it to a different model but without substantive news and political content.
“The reality of a military-operated radio station intended for all citizens of the country is an anomaly that does not exist in a democracy,” Katz said in a statement.
“This anomaly creates great difficulties for the IDF, as the IDF unconsciously engages in political discourse. The station’s involvement in political content harms the IDF, its soldiers and its unity.”
Opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the decision, calling it “part of the government’s campaign to dismantle free speech in Israel in an election year. They cannot control reality, so they try to control consciousness. Whenever there is truth that is inconvenient to the government, they will move to eliminate it.”
“The government doesn’t know how to deal with the cost of living, neglects safety… so it shuts down the media,” he said.
For more CNN news and newsletters, create an account at CNN.com
