Israeli gov't approves Army Radio shutdown, commander vows to fight closure

Defense Minister Israel Katz has been pushing for its closure for months, but it became apparent from his public statements on Monday that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fully supported the motion.

The Movement for Quality Government in Israel also vowed to petition the High Court and declared the defense minister’s decision a “continuation of the dangerous trend of systematically attacking the free press.”

Communications Minister Shlomo Karhi recently succeeded in moving along a Knesset bill that critics have cautioned will give the government greater control over the media.

Katz issued two major directives following the government vote.

First, he directed the IDF Manpower Directorate to cease recruiting for Army Radio and to start calibrating any individuals who had been readied for Army Radio to other tracks within the military.

Second, he directed IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Eyal Zamir and Defense Ministry Director-General Maj.-Gen. (res.) Amir Baram to begin the process of moving current army personnel at the outlet to other military roles; they must also grant severance package deals to dozens of civilian Army Radio contractors.

Katz said that he wanted most of these processes to be completed by February 15, ahead of the March 1 deadline.

It is unclear how the High Court will rule given the many legal issues in play and the unprecedented nature of Katz’s motion to close Army Radio.

In the past, the High Court has slowed the government’s attempts to eliminate Army Radio, but has allowed them to make staggering alterations, including the mass firings and new hirings (which led to the formation of KAN).

The defense minister and the government’s decisions were based on the recommendation of a professional committee, but critics have said that the committee was hand-picked to ensure Katz’s desired result.

The committee had described the very existence of a military radio station broadcasting to the general public as “a democratic anomaly that has no equal in the world,” and said its involvement in current affairs and news “harms the IDF’s status as the people’s army.”

Katz argued that the station’s original purpose – as a platform serving IDF soldiers and their families – has been overshadowed by political content that, in his view, undermines the army.

“As I have made clear, what was is not what will be. Army Radio was established by the Israeli government as a military station to serve as a mouthpiece and an ear for IDF soldiers and their families – and not as a platform for voicing opinions, many of which attack the IDF and the IDF soldiers themselves,” he has said.

The defense minister’s committee said it considered multiple alternatives, including transferring the station to another public body, privatization, or simply canceling the chapter dealing with political coverage.

It recommended two options: either convert Army Radio into a “Soldiers’ Home” model, broadcasting only music and brief news flashes without current affairs or political content, or close the station entirely.

Katz has not explained why Army Radio could not be partially privatized or why the political coverage arm could not be eliminated, as many experts have suggested.

Multiple former defense ministers talked about closing the station when it was critical of them or their governments’ policies.

Katz is not the first to object to the strange model of having Army Radio being ready to criticize any party, including the IDF, but also acting as an arm of the IDF.

This model is precisely why Army Radio has, at times, pitted itself against government officials on both sides of the aisle.

Katz selectively quoted from past criticism of Army Radio by former IDF chiefs Gadi Eisenkot, Aviv Kohavi, and Herzi Halevi – and failed to note that none of them have supported his solution of outright closing Army Radio.

In the past, former defense ministers have either balked at trying to close Army Radio or navigated toward a compromise. Usually, such compromises entailed changing some of the outlet’s top personnel or seeking other reforms, such as diversifying the broadcast programs.

In the end, other defense ministers had decided that despite its idiosyncrasies, Army Radio’s reputation as a valued member of the independent media was too great to wipe out entirely.

Galgalatz – the music and transportation station operated by the IDF – is expected to continue operating in its current format.

Lev-Ram said the station had learned of the move “with complete surprise” back in November, adding that Army Radio had not even gotten to respond to the committee report.

He cited “numerous flaws” in the panel’s work, including conflicts of interest, the premeditated selection of members, and what he called manipulation of the facts. “A heavy shadow hangs over the committee’s work, which from the outset operated under the premise that ‘what was will no longer be,’” he said.

Katz said a professional team will be established within the Defense Ministry to oversee the implementation of the decision, ensuring that civilian employees at the station can end their employment under proper arrangements while safeguarding their rights.